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#SSWellnessWatch: How The Body Shop uses social media for brand storytelling

The Body Shop social media

With markets reeling under the consequences of COVID-19, we take a look at how The Body Shop continued digital storytelling to keep in touch and reassure consumers.

For brands dealing with beauty and wellness products, the pandemic has proved to be a twisted opportunity to promote their self-care offerings. Twisted because operational difficulties were plenty. With varying phases and degrees of unlock, things have started to get easier on that front. Now the hurdle is to get people to trust them enough to make the purchase. We take a look at the way The Body Shop leveraged its social media presence and storytelling capabilities to make the process as seamless as possible.

They talk about their products, pampering impact on usage and the luxurious experience. They also talk about feminism, plastic waste and the importance of recycling. It’s a cocktail which, topped with alluring visuals, facilitates them in connecting with consumers. Discounts, of course, help.

“Our content strategy is a healthy mix of our brand campaigns, activist causes that are close to our hearts, our product and ingredient stories, reactive content as well as more tactical messaging,” says Antara Kundu, Marketing Head, The Body Shop, Asia South.

She adds, “Instagram and Facebook are the two platforms that lend themselves best to the beauty category as well as the kind of brand we are driving, diverse conversations across large audiences.”

Campaigns and Strategies

The brand’s daily approach to social media is to keep the content simple, fresh, relatable and locally relevant to Indian audiences. They talk about product launches, usage, benefits, offers with a focus on topical subjects that might be of interest to their consumes and are aligned with the brand ethos of The Body Shop.

She tells us about #TimeToCare, a brand campaign launched by them to engage followers in conversations about self-care, at-home rituals, as well as well-being, including a focus on mental health and happiness.

Also Read: Role of content in selling beauty brands & products

When the lockdown was starting to lift, The Body Shop had shifted its focus to reassuring customers about safety protocols, underlying their commitment to reach them where they are in these difficult times, may it be via home delivery, online ordering or curbside pickup. This was done under the #SafeSpace campaign.

View this post on Instagram

@itschamberofbeauty took a short trip to her nearest The Body Shop store at Crossroads Mall, Dehradun. We take great care in turning our stores into your #SafeSpace. Watch her experience it! #repost @itschamberofbeauty ・・・ Malls in Dehradun reopened a week back and I paid a visit to my favourite store, The Body Shop after several months. I was reading about their Safe Space initiative and all the precautions they are taking for their staff and customers. I visited the store in Crossroads Mall, Dehradun. I, like every other customer was greeted with a temperature check, a disposable mask, hand sanitizer and disposable gloves. Only a few people were allowed to enter the store at one point. It was a strange experience, not being able to touch any testers or products like we used to earlier but it is a necessary precaution. I stocked up on some products that I haven't tried before from @thebodyshopindia and I'm really excited to share my experience with you! I know we must not roam around unnecessarily even now, but if you are in need to visit the store, because it's better to buy some products from the stores rather than online, you can go to your nearest The Body Shop store without any fear #MySafeSpace . . . . . #thebodyshopindia #TBSind #indianbeautyblogger #beautyinfluencer #skincare #shopping #staysafe #makeup #chamberofbeauty #safetymeasures #crossroadsmall #dehradunblogger #dehradun #instavideo

A post shared by The Body Shop India (@thebodyshopindia) on

An important part of The Body Shop’s social media strategy is to focus on how the brand was founded by an inspiring woman for women.

“Every Wednesday, using our #FeministAndFearless property, we share news, views, profiles and updates about India’s growing feminist movement that spark vital conversations that we truly believe are needed, now more than ever,” Kundu tells us.

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While the world is celebrating Global Breastfeeding Week, 81% of Indian mothers are still uncomfortable to nurse in public. Why? Well, 47% say it's due to uncomfortable stares and lack of privacy. Breastfeeding is normal, natural and healthy and it is time to have this conversation which is important for maternal well-being in our country. Let's break the taboo around breastfeeding in public. Make this an easier journey for our new mothers. What are your thoughts? Share using #FeministAndFearless. #TheBodyShopIndia #TBSInd #FeministAndFearlessWednesdays #FeministAndFearless #BreakingTaboo

A post shared by The Body Shop India (@thebodyshopindia) on

Brand Advocacy

The team at The Body Shop has certain mandates they follow while engaging with influencers. The brand believes in activism, women’s rights, caring for the planet and the thought that everyone is beautiful. They focus on associating with brand advocates who bring similar values to the table and not just a certain number of followers.

High engagement and quality of content are high in the list of brand priorities, so is a focus on selecting influencers from different parts of the country.

Brand ambassador Shraddha Kapoor is an essential part of their social media strategy. She puts up pictures on her profile, boosting campaigns, sharing new launches, promoting product ranges and more, introducing and exposing her 53.5 Million followers to the brand and its storytelling.

A post shared by Shraddha ✶ (@shraddhakapoor) on

Recently, the brand had run the Plastics for Change campaign to highlight the importance of recycled packaging created from plastic waste. Earlier, with Dream Big Christmas, they had raised funds for girls’ education. Ride for Change campaign is to promote an all women’s bike ride to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

To sum up the brand’s social media strategy, Kundu tells us: “Creating an engaging and productive brand social media handle is a marathon, not a sprint. Engaging and relevant content always creates interest and demand – but consistency is key.”

Along with tracking ROI with clicks to stores and conversions, the brand also heavily prioritises engagement to gauge the strength of their social media community, she concludes.

The post #SSWellnessWatch: How The Body Shop uses social media for brand storytelling appeared first on Social Samosa.



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