| hereas Target’s social media marketing efforts at | | | | at all would be better than sabotaging their own |
| Facebook were lauded and hailed as a resounding | | | | names inadvertently through errors. These days, |
| success, its competitor, Wal-Mart did not do as well in | | | | though, social media networks have become so |
| the same social network. In fact, in the estimation of | | | | entrenched in popular culture that a company or |
| some social media marketing authorities, | | | | organization’s absence in them would mean |
| Wal-Mart’s social media marketing foray failed | | | | missing out on valuable opportunities to connect with a |
| miserably. | | | | huge part of their audience. The solution is to seek the |
| Target’s success was attributed to its having done | | | | help of the right social media marketing experts. |
| competent research on the medium before engaging | | | | Wal-Mart may not have chosen well. |
| with it, and then adapting its message and language to | | | | A Manila-based company, Web Dot Com Website |
| the Facebook culture. Target was able to make a | | | | Development Philippines Inc. offers social media |
| perfect fit. | | | | marketing expertise along with low cost advanced |
| Wal-Mart, on the other hand, either did not do its | | | | web site development packages. These web |
| preliminary research, or just decided to have its own | | | | packages may consist of advanced interactive |
| way. Actually, Wal-Mart already started out with a | | | | database driven web site development, advanced |
| disadvantage. It has been widely criticized for its labor | | | | portal development, heavy web based programming, |
| practices. Its corporate reputation has been under fire. | | | | web application development, content management |
| Its presence on Facebook, therefore, could have been | | | | systems, good web site design, graphic design and |
| a way to face and defuse these controversies, if | | | | multimedia components including flash animation |
| properly handled. It seemed that the people who were | | | | development, e-commerce site solutions including a |
| doing the campaign felt that they were not prepared | | | | shopping cart using osCommerce, web site |
| to face full dialogue on the page, though. Wal-Mart did | | | | maintenance and support, search engine optimization |
| not put up a discussion board like Target did, and | | | | and search engine marketing. The company is a web |
| limited all comments and feedback to wall posts. Even | | | | hosting provider, too, with domain name registration |
| when questioned on the absence of a forum, | | | | services. |
| Wal-Mart did not budge. | | | | Web Dot Com’s specialists in social media |
| Facebook members are quick to sense such efforts | | | | marketing, search engine marketing and search engine |
| to restrict feedback, and will not take it quietly. The wall | | | | optimization ensure their client’s positive and |
| posts were soon overtaken by negative comments. | | | | productive presence online. The company’s web |
| Wal-Mart was also perceived as insincere when it | | | | site developers and designers, highly skilled in internet |
| veered away from its identity as a company. Known | | | | languages and tools such as php, mysql and |
| for discounts, it suddenly tried to project itself on | | | | JavaScript, create landing pages that are compelling |
| Facebook as an authority on fashion, style and taste. | | | | and effective, according to the needs of each client. It |
| This came across as fake and pretentious and | | | | is not surprising that international clients have been |
| Facebook members openly expressed widespread | | | | outsourcing web development services to Web Dot |
| disapproval. | | | | Com since 1998. Its business process outsourcing |
| Wal-Mart attracted only less than a third of the | | | | (BPO) services also include contact center solutions. |
| members that Target gained in Facebook, and many | | | | Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. is |
| of those who visited the Wal-Mart page left | | | | your One Stop Shop Internet and Contact Center |
| disparaging comments. The entire campaign backfired | | | | Solutions Vendor for the Global Market. |
| because Wal-Mart’s Facebook page could very | | | | Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. |
| well be used as a testimonial to its competitor. | | | | Address: |
| Companies and professional organizations cannot risk | | | | 2nd Floor, BT&T Center |
| making serious errors in their social media marketing | | | | #20 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. |
| campaigns. Perhaps not joining social media networks | | | | |