Do we underestimate the marketing power of the sel(l)fie?

“Just about the only thing that draws millennials away from their smartphones today is sleep.” This was an explanation by Lisa Cramer, vice president of sales and marketing at retail optimization company InReality, of why one of the first selfie marketing campaigns was so successful. The campaign was done by Victoria Secret in 2015 which asked people to take a selfie in front of a window at one of their stores and posting it to their social media using Victoria Secret-related hashtags. In return, they would receive a free gift upon showing it to a sales assistant. Numerous successful marketing campaigns that use focus around the selfie have been done by companies since to promote their products or services, such as Absolut Vodka, Turkish Airlines and Olay. Some of them even went viral on the Internet. This can be found peculiar, as in general selfies are often considered the reflection of vanity and narcissism. Additionally, selfies are not special, anyone with a smartphone can make one. So how come have they become such powerful tools in marketing and communication tactics?

Taking selfies on the streets, campaign by Fanta. Source: http://www.adnews.com.au/campaigns/fanta-launches-selfie-campaign.

We can all be a Kardashian...

Turning to academia, the popularity of the selfie in marketing strategies nowadays can be attributed to a shift within the media sphere. Driven by a more attainable celebrity culture, because of reality TV and social media, in combination with individualization, the selfie has become a way of consumers to express themselves and to show off their consumer identity, as is explained in a literature review that argues that the selfie phenomenon is neglected in marketing research.  Another study comparing response to different styles of social media photos with a product in them, showed that brand attitude and willingness to engage were more positive and higher for selfies than non-selfie portraits.

Do you fit the audience?

Besides their strong potential we should keep in mind that there are definitely downsides to using selfie-focused marketing campaigns for companies. First of all, the campaigns are especially popular amongst the younger demographic, which leaves out a large group of older people or people who are inactive on social media in target audiences. Secondly, the public character of the social media space results into the brand losing autonomy over who is representing the brand. Perhaps some people are posting selfies promoting the brand, who they do not necessarily want as their brand ambassadors, because of behavior or ideologies they promote on their other pictures that go against those of the company. However, the newly generated engagement with the brand and the easier possibility of going viral seem to outweigh these drawbacks and risks. 

The question is, at last, whether selfie campaigns are just temporarily ‘trending’ and whether or when the selfie will lose its popularity. Until then, hoping the next selfie you snap might lead to a promising career of brand ambassador is not too farfetched.

Tamara Raats is a Communication Science Research Master student at the University of Amsterdam, who is mainly interested in persuasive, digital and entertainment communication.