Back in the day, say ten years ago, there were no social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. It seems as if organisations want to bridge that period by sharing as many online memories as possible. Using user generated content, they construct their own history, in retrospect. They go back to the future , in fact. Within the context of corporate storytelling, a smart move.
Warm and nostalgic feeling
Artis, Natuurmonumenten, Disney: they all play on the warm and nostalgic feeling of the visitor. One does it better than the other, but they each have their strong points. For example, Artis presents the content beautifully in large pop-ups. Disney uses a pleasant form for submitting contributions and you can create an account for repeat visits.
At the Van Gogh Museum, the fancy iPad rotation function is programmed in, to accommodate visitors who want to share their (horizontal) photo directly from the museum in the right format. And finally Natuurmonumenten , which shows streamers of recent contributions in the header. It looks dynamic, but is less suitable if fake contributions suddenly come in. Good monitoring is therefore also basic rule number 1 here.
Disney Parks - Let the memories begin
Valuable content
No matter how the sites are set up, these organisations know how to convert contributions from visitors into valuable content that supports the brand value. From that one time you went out with your father and he told you beautiful stories to the weekly visits with your child, as part of the upbringing. That nice lady at the counter, the special path you discovered, the beautiful colours in the autumn. Everything is passed by, but above all: stories that move us, that stick.
Why does the organization want to elicit those memories? Is it a nice extra to the communication program, or is there more to it? Setting up a well-functioning memory website is not something you do just like that. That is why I asked myself: what exactly is the added value of digitally retrieving memories?
1. You show a strong bond
Connectedness is the magic word here. If you participate as a user, you automatically indicate that you are a 'fan' of the brand or organization, without the lazy and sometimes somewhat commercial connotation of a simple 'like'. You draw from your own database, so the material is close to your personality and shows where the brand value of the organization touches your own experience. As an organization, you are grateful for so much openness that has been thrown into your lap.
2. You create content
Your contribution must contain content, because you have to come up with a thailand mobile phone number list good story. After all, you are very visible with your name and train of thought in the shop window. This is where the stories are told that contribute to the buzz around a brand. Nice for your own PR campaign, but above all: right in the heart of the brand value of the organization. And therefore very valuable.
In Artis on the donkey
The organization can usually (read the conditions!) reuse everything that is contributed in publicity material, websites, exhibitions or books. In this way, a wealth of images, text and film is preserved for the future. Material that is otherwise not accessible, is available completely free of rights. In this age of content marketing, an inexhaustible source for online reporting.
4. Looking back means looking forward
Don't let anyone tell you that it's just about reminiscing: looking ahead is perhaps an even more important goal than looking back. All the sites have slogans like 'memories are created now' or 'come make new memories'. The slogan Let the memories begin has been the basis for the experience in the Disney parks since 2011. Past achievements certainly provide a guarantee for the future: you give your organization a solid foundation by referring to history and also make your product indispensable in the current landscape. Right to exist secured. Handy for subsidy processes too, I imagine.
5. You create a new platform
By sharing the campaign website on its own social media channels, the organization increases its impact. The iron laws of social networks – the urge to always surprise with new content, preferably from as many different users as possible and moving between the heart and the periphery of the brand – can be handled effortlessly here. Because in addition to all those other social channels (the Van Gogh Museum, for example, has almost 3 million followers on Google+), it always remains the ultimate challenge to create a nice hangout yourself.
website Natuurmonumenten www.herinneringen.nuConclusion: win-win situation for user and brand
And so we come to the essence of success: memorial websites both stroke the ego of the visitor with his or her lyrical, comical or moving contribution and the image of the organization itself, which is built up from purely positive messages. A golden move in online marketing, as far as I'm concerned. Provided it's done well, because it stands or falls with a large supply of material. Your brand just has to be strong enough for that. No objection at all for Disney and the Van Gogh Museum: with such a clear focus and an endless fan base, the collective digital memory lies at their feet.
Endless private archive
Of course, we don't just share memories to please organizations. The concept is also often applied in art. A very visual way to go back to the future is a beautiful photo series by Irina Werning . But then focused on the brand 'I'. Let's also continue to collect our own histories online, as parents often do with growing children. With a creative time lapse you can give a fascinating view of the first ten years of a person's life in a few minutes. Value creation for yourself, that's what it's called.
And now that Nelson Mandela is in a long-term illness and in critical condition, countless memorial websites are emerging that collect quotes, videos and histories about him. Our urge to digitally archive and share is endless, and can be used not only privately, but especially by organizations and brands.
Just think about it: what do memories mean for your brand?