Blog Post 3

The content on the Instagram and Facebook pages are aggregated, so identical posts are found on both platforms. Most of the posts are original, but there are others that are co-created with social media influencers. 

The platforms reflect the brand’s visual aesthetic and identity through their use of line-specific colors. Each of their product lines has a different color; their Natural Acne Solutions line is teal, and their Naturally Clean hand care line is yellow. Each corresponding post uses colors that match these product lines so that one could tell which post has the products he or she is looking for at a quick glance. 

The platforms reflect the brand’s mission because nature is infused in their posts. One picture of a chapstick has plants and flowers laid out behind it, while another has strawberries filling the white space. Another post, featuring the dragonfruit lemon chapstick, has the fruits posed behind the product. The brand’s personality is reflected through its fun colors, but also through fun posts. There are some more typical posts, like the ones described, but that’s not all. For #NationalLoveYourPetDay, the brand posted a picture of an adorable dog in a shower cap, posed next to Burt’s Bees pet products. Another post features an aesthetic photo of someone’s desk setup, including a chapstick. The brand also incorporates influencers into their posts, featuring Tik Toks and photos of these influencers using and discussing Burt’s Bees products in a fun, trendy way. 

Both platforms allow users to comment, share and message the company. However, Facebook also has a separate section where customers are allowed to share their reviews, whether good or bad. “Brands need to make it easy for customers to share the good stuff and be agile and effective in response to the things that go wrong; to err is human, but to be contemptuous of your customers is a sin that won’t so easily be forgiven,” (Bailey, 12). Customers often quickly spot if companies are deleting negative comments, which creates distrust. Burt’s Bees does not do this, as both negative and positive comments are available online. However, oftentimes companies use customer review forums to collect good feedback and respond in a helpful way to negative feedback. Burt’s Bees does not acknowledge these comments at all. 

One way Facebook fosters a community for Burt’s Bees is through its review page. Although the company itself does not respond to reviews, people can respond to each other, answering people’s questions or commenting to agree or disagree. Atkins mentions that “Using your community of users to answer each other’s questions can save dollars spent on customer support staff,” (79). However, this community does not seem to be helpful for Burt’s Bees, as the reviews with the most activity are the ones that are negative. Facebook also has a community page where instead of posting reviews, customers can share images and wordy posts on the company’s page and view others’ posts. However, not many of the posts seem to get much activity from other customers.