Veering a bit from healthcare today to chat a bit about full-fledged social media marketing. I think CHEST needs a funny hat, don’t you? 

In my DePaul Internet and Interactive Marketing course, our professor posed the question to us, “which brands are getting social media right? Give me four reasons to support your claim.”

I hate to tell a professor his question is too easy, but in this case, the answer in my opinion, is obvious. Arby’s for the win.

The top reasons I think Arby’s gets an A+ in social media:

1. Smart and strategic social listening and monitoring. A quick look at their tweets shows they are actively listening to the conversation happening around their brand, products, and competitors. But not just listening, they are also . . .
2. Joining in the conversation in a way that doesn’t feel obtrusive, is true to their brand and authentic. Arby’s doesn’t feel forced, they don’t have an over the top marketing spin, they literally are just chatting. The result is fresh and real.
3. They are in tune with pop culture.  They tweet with professional wrestlers and call out Pharrell for his Vivienne Westwood hat on the Grammy’s. I think one of the most interesting things about their Grammy tweet is that it was done on the fly. It wasn’t forced, or created in a “war room.” It literally was the social media manager in his living room watching the Grammy’s.
4. They are following through and telling a great story with social media. Not only did they have a goldmine with their interaction with Pharrell and a larger Grammy audience, they followed through for a great story. The hat was later auctioned for charity and Arby’s was the highest bidder. A quick thinking social media manager and a relatively small budget of $40,000 to make charitable donation built a smart, organic buzz for their brand with a pretty bow on top. So smart!
5. Sorry, have to throw in a 5^th point. There have been some articles written about why Arby’s has been so successful lately. What I’ve found is that their CMO allows her team to do what they do best, have the freedom to make decisions and not everything needs legal approval. We’ve seen how this can backfire, but I think it proves the point that not everyone is a social media guru. Hire the right people. I think Arby’s has done just that.

Read more about Arby’s success in this article from Marketingland.com.

Pharrell Image: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

PS: This song will be in your head for the rest of the day. You’re welcome.