Supporting education with social networks

The term ‘social network’ often brings to mind the big names in social media such as MySpace, FaceBook, or Bebo. But some big brands are building their own social network websites where they can carefully control the brand experience, providing premium content restricted from public access.

These kinds of social networks are not intended to appeal to a mass consumer market. In fact the opposite is true: they are intended to provide members with a sense of exclusivity. The result can be significant brand loyalty amongst members, if the network is well targeted.

Building brand loyalty

This was the approach taken by L’Oréal Professionnel when they wanted to build brand loyalty amongst graduates of its colour specialist course, believing they will be the industry’s next major salon owners. We helped them to create a website for graduates, and used targeted email marketing to communicate the exclusive privileges of being a member of the Colour Specialist website.

Allegra Ziletti, new media manager at L’Oréal Professional Products Division, describes how the website builds on graduates’ experience of the L’Oréal Academy:

“The site was created by demand from graduates who were hungry for a constant flow of information, which they could add to their learning. It gives them a real opportunity to share and tap into their peers’ expertise while seeing what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Online support

The website acts as an online support service, providing industry news and a forum for hair professionals to develop their talents. Only authorised users can access the information, which includes previews of new products and collections. The site also includes career development tools, with information on training and technical resources available for downloading.

You can read about how other brands are using social networks in . Or contact us if you would like to find out how Creation Interactive could help you to make the most out of new social trends on the Internet.