As a digital marketing expert, my role at Hard Candy, a Walmart-exclusive cosmetics brand, was to help generate a 360-degree view of their customers and develop a digital marketing strategy to enhance and improve the brand's story. During the rebranding phase, Hard Candy had minimal internal management of new digital marketing processes and initiatives, resulting in cluttered digital marketing and media management. The challenge was to establish a digital marketing strategy and structure to have a clearer understanding of the brand's customers and showcase its advanced formulas and affordable price point.
Challenge
Hard Candy's main challenge was to stand out against competitors in the digital space and expand its reach to a wider audience. Third-party agencies had cluttered the brand's digital marketing and media management, resulting in minimal communication and internal integration. Therefore, it was crucial to establish a digital marketing strategy and structure to gain a clearer understanding of the brand's customers and enhance the brand's story.
Discovery
To expand its digital presence, Hard Candy needed to identify the demand it was fulfilling for its customers and present its innovative and high-quality, skin-caring formulas in a new and exciting light. Developing and organizing the brand's PR list allowed the brand to establish a community of macro and micro-influencers to increase its reach and awareness.
Influencer partnerships were an essential key to grow the brand's digital reach on social media platforms. Influencer posts showcasing how the product looks live on real people and on different skin tones set a more desirable tone for the products when make-up testers weren't available at Walmart stores. Close up imagery and video tutorials helped virally expose new products, leading to an increase of online sales on best sellers, such as the Sheer Envy Hydrating Primer, which was included in all Influencer PR mailers.
Creating new and exciting digital content and strategies on social media platforms allowed a viral spark for Hard Candy and helped the brand stand out against more expensive cosmetics brands. Distinctly highlighting products that were unique to Hard Candy allowed new potential customers that didn't typically shop at Walmart stores to purchase online at Walmart.com and Hardcandy.com.
Impact
Creating new and exciting digital content and marketing campaigns on social media platforms led to Hard Candy's new packaging and products to become visible in the online world. Distinctly highlighting products that were unique to the brand individually helped grab consumer's attention without being overwhelmed.
Linking the brand's e-commerce to Facebook and Instagram Shop allowed for an easy experience for customers. Social media tools and post insights were gathered to analyze what products customers were interested in and why. Recognizing which products were standing out amongst the brand's digital reach helped gain insight on what consumers liked about Hard Candy's products versus competing brands.
Integrating all digital processes and working on creative campaigns with influencers with the brand's top selling products allowed for quick exposure and increased engagement across all social platforms leading to high-rise in online sales on both Hardcandy.com and Walmart.com.
Conclusion
As social media platforms become increasingly important, it is vital to analyze them for increased data quality and dispose of data that is not necessary to the growth of brand exposure and online sales. Customer relationship management was crucial throughout this process to allow for quick data sharing for an up-to-date, cohesive, and accurate understanding of the brand's existing customers and target market as a whole. By establishing a digital marketing strategy and structure and partnering with influencers, Hard Candy was able to enhance its digital presence and expand its reach to a wider audience, leading to increased online sales and brand exposure.
