Upon embarking on this quest for an organization to represent in this final case study, it was suggested to me that I write about my business Value Vintage Fun (VVF). VVF is a small yet significant business that I have owned and operated in essence since 1991. It all started as a casual dinner comment from a friend visiting from Tokyo who suggested that I sell my collection of Anchor Hocking Fire King coffee mugs from the 1950’s; the Japanese market would be crazy for them, especially in Fire-King Cafes!  To that end she connected me with an antique dealer in Tokyo. I used a fax machine as a method of receiving orders. My payments were sent by regular post. I sometimes think back to those days and wonder how social media may have first-handedly impacted the business back then. I have since witnessed many changes in technology and consumer attitudes on items that were once labelled old and dated to now being valued as retro and vintage.

Many churches are finding benefit from promoting their services and events online through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.  However, if we look to the education world, we may find ways that social media is being used in the classroom that can be effectively adapted into a Pastors role of teaching, including the weekly sermon and Bible study methods. Jason Tomaszewski, Associate Editor of EducationWorld.com, reminds us in his article “Social Media Has a Place in Classrooms” of the findings of Dr. Richard J. Light (Harvard School of Education) with regards to social learning theory and the learning success of college students, “People learn most effectively when they interact with other learners. According to Light, the strongest determinant of students’ success in college is their ability to form or participate in small study groups. He suggests that this is more important than their instructors’ teaching styles. Student research participants who studied in groups, even only once a week, were more engaged in their studies, were better prepared for class, and learned significantly more than students who worked on their own.” This study underlines the significant learning impact that small group type Bible studies can have, which could include those happening online.  It also addresses the lecture-style sermon delivery that is the basis for most traditional church services, which may be better absorbed if given the opportunity to be discussed among those who have listened to it.   Social media can provide such opportunities through various means available to pastors and their congregations today.

When actor Chris Hemsworth is not on screen swinging Thor’s hammer, you can usually find him in the gym crushing a weight training workout with Luke Zocchi of Zoco Body Pro. Hemsworth uses Zocchi’s expertise to get in shape for major movie roles, but Zoco Body Pro’s target market is the regular joe. Having A-list clients was enough to attract viewers to the company’s social media, but they have stayed for the incredible content. Zoco body pro has used their social media presence to create a new avenue for a business that started as a personal training, and while they still do that, their new market is global. When training local clients, Luke prefers hands on training. Some people like to be yelled at, that old-school, drill sergeant approach, but I normally train alongside the people I work with and that’s how I like to do it. This strategy is excellent for customers lucky enough to live near Zoco Body Pro, but the company has made a move on social media that will also help potential customers that can’t travel to “The Iron Temple”. They have recently launched a program called Twenty40 training that allows anyone on Earth to try the same workout regimen that has produced world famous results. This is an online venture that provides customers with step by step instructions on how to sculpt their goal physique, as well as giving nutrition tips to help fuel the new body. Zoco Body Pro uses many aspects of social media effectively to run their organization, and this new program will help spread their fitness message world wide.

There is a huge movement around the world to end pollution, poverty and corruption just to name a few. But one of the biggest goals out there for the general public is how to eliminate germs and deadly bacteria from just about anywhere from our food, homes and also ourselves. Doctors and personalities in the medical field have always stressed the importance of keeping good hygiene whether it’s our teeth or our hands. One area however, isn’t stressed enough and those are the areas where we utilize to relieve ourselves in the bathrooms. Dr Safiya Ojo, a General Practitioner recommends the use of water for cleansing rather than toilet paper after defecation. “it is better to wash with water than use toilet paper after defecation because water washes completely without a trace, whereas toilet paper might not wash completely or properly. “The paper particles can attach to the surroundings of the anus which can bring discomfort, while water washes off everything, leaving you clean and fresh.’’ ~Dr. Safiya Ojo, Nov 30, 2015 Rafik Motala who founded Istinja Bidet in 2009, found a solution to help North Americans with the growing problem of bad hygiene and increase in illnesses due to it. On a trip to New York, Rafik went into a washroom and stumbled upon a contraption that actually did most of the work for you in the cleaning process after completing ‘your business’. It was device attached to a water source and affixed to the toilet seat that would dispel fresh water for instant cleaning. Thoroughly impressed by this, he set out to look for this device and stumbled upon the manufacturing company. As he ordered a few of them, not just for himself, but for friends and family, the company struck up a deal for him to get into the business as well. He ordered five samples and when they arrived, he listed them online on various buy and sell websites and within hours, all of the bidets were sold! That gave him the idea to do this regularly and from that Istinja Bidet was launched. Istinja is an Arabic term that means cleaning away whatever has been passed from the private areas  with water, or toilet paper or both. Rafik and his team in the initial stages used word of mouth and ended up using traditional means to market this unique and unusual product. But as the years went… Read more »

Are you hungry yet? If not, take a look at the amazing recipes from The Two Purple Figs food blog. Creator and blogger, Mahy Elamin has posted hundreds to choose from, in many popular categories, over the past 18 months. Her passion for food has earned Mahy significant momentum with foodie followers. By creating useful content showcased with professional photography she has registered over 1,400 subscribers to her blog. Even more impressive is the traffic to Mahy’s website, which now attains more than 70,000 visits per month. Her content is featured on MSN food, The Huffington Post, Yummly, StumbleUpon, Yahoo Food, foodgawker, tastespotting and findingvegan. Two Purple Figs was created when Mahy merged her love of cooking with her food science degree and decided to share it simply as a blog. But, about a year ago Mahy began social media marketing efforts, which resonated with a much larger audience. The Two Purple Figs blog has since become an actual business.

Going Social is a business with a team of professional social media marketers who focus on creating strategic marketing plans for small to medium businesses. The group consists of a social media analyst, account managers, community managers, LinkedIn marketing expert, and graphic designers. Their goal is to “socially” create a reputation for businesses. They offer social media marketing campaign planning, community management, campaign reporting, social media consulting, as well as training and seminars.

Kate Spade New York has embraced the world of social media to welcome customers and let the “voice” of the brand speak. Fans of the brand can friend, follow or like, or Kate Spade on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, YouTube, or check into their stores on FourSquare and even occasionally download music from a Spotify promotion. Search for Kate Spade New York on any social media platform, and it’s easy to see what’s important to the brand: patterns, colors, fun food, and classic New York moments. For Kate Spade NY social media is the new way of marketing. Most of the tweets, Tumblr posts, Facebook updates, and pins aren’t even of products you can buy on KateSpade.com. But the non-promotional updates help build customer loyalty and understand the message the brand wants to convey. For affordable luxury brand like Kate Spade, the future of social media lies in corporation putting more and more resources behind marketing the new digital way. Reaching customers through social media isn’t a side project for their marketing teams anymore, it’s the new way of selling a product. “Social media has been such a great tool for luxury brands, it helps the customer feel like they are a part of the brand. Social media just helps tell the story so many different ways.” Kyle Andrew, the SVP of marketing for Kate Spade (via facebook message)

Facebook is often considered as personal communication platform which is used to connect to old friends, classmates, or post individual updates, and even today many companies still ban the use of Facebook in office. However Mark Zuckerberg and his company want you to give a second thought about Facebook at work, and aiming to get Facebook Workplace as  prime enterprise social media tool which brings added value to businesses.

In recent years the essential oil industry has really taken off. New companies have jumped on the band wagon with great fervor and consumers can now find essential oils at shopping malls and big box stores. In such a booming industry, doTERRA International, a Utah based direct sales essential oil and wellness company, has set itself apart from the competition in large part due to its integrated use of social media to educate and engage consumers about the company, its sourcing practices, product development and philanthropic work. From a grass roots company founded in 2008, it has now surpassed the billion dollar sales mark and expanded its global reach to over 3 million customers spanning 100 countries in less than ten years. While their accomplishments are directly related to developing and sustaining their own product supply chain, it is safe to say the company’s efforts in social media aimed at bringing the supply chain to life, ongoing customer engagement and collaboration, as well as the continual education made available have all had a significant impact on their success.