Twitter
Andrew Davidson 
Susan Menke 
Susan Wolfe 
Lisa Hronek Posts Tagged ‘youtube’
Next up, GEICO…
- @TheGEICOGecko – 8,050 Followers & 1,236 Tweets
- @GEICO – 6,845 Followers & 2,598 Tweets
GEICO’s Twitter pages, @TheGEICOGecko and @GEICO, were so-so. The number of followers was about a third of @StateFarm and @StateFarmNation, which is surprising because of the large Gecko following. GEICO does tweet almost every business day, mostly touching on popular marketing characters. GEICO does a nice job of intertwining their other social media pages with noticeable links that redirect followers to the GEICO Facebook and YouTube pages. As for the tweets…There is a nice mix of Gecko and recent events such as: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and shopping on Black Friday. However, they do a poor job of tweeting about current pop-culture events that connect with the average twitter demographic.
Overall, GEICO puts forth the effort on Twitter…just not to the level of State Farm Nation.
Twitter Grade: C+
- The GEICO Gecko – 201,080 “Likes”
- GEICO – 198,666 “Likes”
- GEICO Motorcycle – 5,002 “Likes”
- GEICO Military – 952 “Likes”
GEICO has numerous Facebook pages, many more than the four I listed above (RV, Local Office, Nascar, Careers, Caveman, Kash, and Skytyperse to name a few). Not to mention Warren Buffet has a large following of over 200K. Character appeal is overly apparent with pages dedicated to each of GEICO’s marketing personalities, with the Gecko getting the most love.
GEICO does a great job of bringing the Gecko to life. You’ll notice a lot of pictures and videos of him on Trips to New York and Buffalo. Shots of the Gecko sightseeing at Niagara Falls…Hanging out with the Bills WR David Nelson at the Buffalo Zoo …Getting a self-portrait in Central Park…Even dancing with the Naked Cowboy in Time Square.
GEICO has a great thing going on Facebook, but again, they haven’t reach their max potential. Relying on the Gecko is working, but there is room for more.
Facebook Grade: B
YouTube
- GEICO Channel – 16,705 Subscribers & 37,118,819 Million Uploads
GEICO has set the bar for the YouTube standard in the insurance industry. The number of video uploads and page subscribers far exceed GEICO’s competition. The abundance of activity is a result of successful advertising through various popular characters that star in the GEICO commercials. The Gecko is the most prominent TV personality on the YouTube page; however, Guinea Pigs, Mr. Butters and the Cockatoo, and the GEICO Question Guy make appearances.
On the top of the webpage, the Gecko is featured, in which consumers can “Follow the Gecko’s Journey.” This feature includes links to the Gecko Facebook page, the Gecko Twitter page, and GEICO.com.
The number of subscribers, views, and uploads says it all.
YouTube Grade: A
Overall Grade
GEICO has done a great job of leveraging the popularity of its television marketing. The Gecko is an obvious staple in GEICO marketing, but social media efforts need to be pushed further if they hope to connect with consumers on Facebook and Twitter. GEICO is one of the best in this space…I just think they can do better.
Social Media Grade: B+
Next up, Farmers…
- @FarmersGroup – 4,782 Followers & 1,050 Tweets
I was somewhat impressed with Farmers’ attempt on Twitter due to its mix of topics, which included themes of both business and pleasure. There were tweets of complaints on service; however, Famers had various positive tweets on promotions for the March of Dimes, its Food Truck Event, a Farmers Jingle Contest, and a Rascal Flats Concert for Agents. They also did a nice job of incorporating product promotion without overwhelming its audience. One noticeable flaw was seen in tweets posted by Farmers, which included dead, outdated, and incorrect links to other twitter sites.
No question that Farmers has touched on some important causes, but my concern is the significance of the tweets on @FarmersGroup to your average Tweeter. Unlike @StateFarmNation, the relevance of these promotions pertains to only a small portion of followers. This opinion may differ depending on the eye of the beholder, but it just doesn’t do it for me.
Twitter Grade: C+
- Farmers Insurance – 2,248,247 “Likes”
Farmers has been the center of attention in the world of Facebook over the past couple of months. Last year, Farmers had a partnership with the social game, Farmville, which increased the number of fans by over 100,000. In June 2011, Farmers added 2.1 million fans, as they entered a new partnership with Farmville and concurrently ran an airship ride promotion on agencies Facebook pages. Farmers now has the second largest Facebook following for an auto insurer, with Flo, The Progressive Girl fan page ranking first with over 3 million fans.
Farmers is currently promoting a Las Vegas Getaway with the opportunity to spend two nights at Bugsy Siegel’s recently renovated Flamingo Hotel, dinner at Sinatra at the Wynn, tickets to the Las Vegas Mob Experience and a fun-packed “The Rat Pack is Back” show.
Facebook Grade: A+
YouTube
- Farmers Insurance Channel – 347 Subscribers & 459,504 Million Uploads
The main focus on Famers’ YouTube cannel centers around the University of Farmers commercial series, which stars Professor Nathaniel Burke. I do find these commercials entertaining on television and there are a number of them on the Farmers Insurance Channel that I have never seen live. Where the channel lacks is in other relevant content. There seems to be a high focus on the University of Farmers, but there are very few other helpful or intriguing topics. So it comes down to whether or not I find the commercials amusing enough to subscribe to the channel? As of now, I think not.
YouTube Grade: C
Overall Grade
Farmers has done a tremendous job with its Facebook partnerships and contest, however, they have only been average on Twitter and YouTube. If their other social media platforms step up their game, Farmers can compete with State Farm Nation, which is currently number 1 in my rankings.
Social Media Grade: B-
Grading Social Media Efforts – First Up Progressive
- @ask_progressive – 7,535 Followers & 817 Tweets
- @ItsFlo – 2,814 Followers & 201 Tweets
I recently visited @ask_progressive Twitter page and it’s filled with responses to complaints and compliments, however, the negative connotations stand out more than the positive. These criticisms range from waiting time on the phone to claim service issues to rate increases.
I then read through @ItsFlo, Flo’s Twitter page, and it was filled with cheesy sayings such as “I heard someone say they’re having a bad hair day. What’s that?” and “I’ve wanted to work in insurance ever since I realized I was a complete klutz as a six-year-old. Ouch…door.”
Twitter Grade: C-
- Flo The Progressive Girl Facebook Page – 2.97M “Likes”
- Progressive Facebook Page – 30,253 “Likes”
- Progressive Motorcycle – 3,984 “Likes”
Flo’s Progressive Page does a great job of touching consumers on Facebook. They ask people to dress up like Flo for Halloween, send Flo themed Valentine’s Cards, and to share pictures of their various Flo experiences. This seems to touch a wide range of individuals, many of whom have positive wall posts and experiences shared on Flo’s Facebook page.
Just as impressive, but less followed, is Progressive’s Motorcycle Facebook Page. In an attempt to connect with motorcyclist, Progressive has posted a number of pictures from sponsored events and rallies as well as a list of future rally dates. You can also find information on Corn for Kids, a health awareness campaign, and Progressive’s Adventure for the Cure, a supporting fundraiser to The Women’s Motorcycle Foundation.
Facebook Grade: B+
YOUTUBE
- Progressive Channel – 1,974 Subscribers & 2.74 Million Uploads
Here consumers can view commercials starring Flo and/or The Messenger. Other videos include safety awareness, hurricane prevention tips, and career information. I, for one, am not the biggest Flo fan, and have never had the desire to re-watch a Progressive commercial. As for the other content, I don’t believe it connects with my demographic.
YouTube Grade: C
OVERALL
I was impressed by Progressive’s Facebook efforts, but its Twitter was disappointing, and its YouTube channel was average at best.
Social Media Grade: C