One of the nice things about social media is that it provides the opportunity to make your brand more than a logo. As you communicate, listen and converse with people you humanize your brand and add some personality and reputation too. Your brand starts to actually take on all those attributes in your mission statement in the minds of your customers. But what if your brand is more than just your company? What if your brand stands for a whole new revolution? What then? Cree is doing just that with their LED revolution.
According to their website:
Cree is a market leader in LED chips, power LEDs, LED backlighting, power switching and wireless communications devices.
LEDs are more than just a new lighting device. They are a way towards less energy consumption. Lighting makes a big impact on our mood and ability to work. The wrong lighting in the wrong situation and functioning in that environment gets uncomfortable (don’t get me started on fluorescent lighting).
Cree is helping their brand stand for this greener, better lit revolution. Their site, Cree, Lighting the LED Revolution, is their base of operations for a social media campaign to involve their customers as well as their customer’s customers.
As a B2B company, it can be difficult to have any type of brand recognition. Consumers never really see your brand because you’re only purchased by other businesses. But consumer trends and emotions can definitely impact purchasing in the B2B world. And Cree has built a place to bring all the users of their technology together in one place.
Highlighting customers who have used their products, gives a nice shout out as well as builds reputation. Soliciting submission photos of bad lighting situations encourages consumer participation as well. If LED lighting can become forefront in the mind of consumers, they’ll start asking for them at stores, which will lead to more purchases by by these stores, who are customers of Cree (or their distributors).
What do you think of Cree’s efforts?
(photo by Mr Guep)