Social Media
Creative Brief
Facebook Posts
Facebook Rationale
Facebook is a strong advertising medium because the platform has millions of users. As of July 2020, according to Statista, Facebook had more than 2.6 billion users worldwide (Shewan, 2018). Social media is where many consumers spend their time, the average person spends 28 percent of their time online on social networks, with the average American spending about 40 minutes on Facebook alone (Kim, 2021). Facebook is also a game changer when it comes to targeting the audience engaging with the platform. Businesses have the ability to target the users interacting with their site by location, demographic, age, gender, interests, behaviors and connections (Kim, 2021). The Valley Pike Farm Market can use these features to gain more traction on their giveaways for the holiday season. The share feature allows users to share the content creating an even larger reach.
For both Facebook ads, the client wanted to clearly incorporate Christmas themes into the ads to show that Valley Pike Farm Market is a great source for Christmas gift shopping. For the Holiday Giveaway ad, a simple design was used to clearly communicate the giveaway and to increase engagement. With a simple design and the “Holiday Giveaway” headline, attention is easily grabbed by users, enticing them to engage with the post. The font Home Christmas Regular was paired with a green font color to evoke a Christmas theme across the ad. The photo used in the ad was chosen to depict the gift basket the giveaway winner will receive. This photo was also chosen to demonstrate the local gift options Valley Pike Farm Market has to offer, even if a user chooses not to enter the giveaway. For the second Facebook ad, the client wanted to continue the theme of showing users the local gift options that can be found at Valley Pike Farm Market. For this ad, the use of Christmas colors was intended to evoke a familiar Christmas feeling across users while also grabbing their attention. The grid layout of photos was used to create a clean layout that also shows off many different gift options.
Instagram Posts
Instagram Rationale
Instagram is a growing platform; in 2024, the platform had two billion monthly and active users. The platform is also ranked the fourth most popular social media site by users (Sendible, 2024). While the age range is limited for advertising, 18-26, it is still a good platform for the Valley Pike Farm Market because it is close enough for the reach of James Madison Univeristy students, which are a large part of the Harrisonburg community (Sendible, 2024).
Instagram is an essential platform in the rise of social media to help build a brand and a brand image. The platform also allows for the engagement from the brand to the consumers through features of liking, commenting, and sharing (Sendible, 2024). Instagram also has the feature of hashtags, which when used properly, can help to build brand visibility (Business.com, n.d.). The ad features also allows the post to directly link to the website, or other pages relating to the content for ease for the user (Business.com, n.d.). With all of these features, the Valley Pike Farm Market can thrive posting their advertisements on Instagram.
This ad on Instagram for Valley Pike Farm Market is an example of an engaging strategy to get connected with the community,spread awareness, and increase customer engagement during the holiday season. The "Holiday Giveaway" campaign at Valley Pike Farm Market is a thoughtfully presented initiative to connect with the local community while promoting high-quality Virginia products.
The ad incorporates several elements of social media marketing: creating buzz, encouraging engagement, and driving users to the website. The centerpiece of the ad is a beautiful, prearranged holiday gift basket filled with local products, drawing the viewer's eye to it immediately. The warm, festive tones evoke feelings of the holiday season and local pride, aligning perfectly with the theme. The ad invites users to "like and share" the post to win, building a form of social proof to help this reach organically. The ad transforms viewers into interactors, which always tends to create a sense of involvement or community. Mentioning "local Virginia products" will complete the appeal of the ad to the target audience: locals and anyone that loves regional businesses and quality products. That not only identifies brand ownership but also encourages loyalty among local producers.
Pinterest Posts
Pinterest Rationale
Pinterest is not as popular of a platform as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok but the site recently announced five billion searches every month (Kowalewicz, 2021). While the site is predominantly used by women, in 2021, there was a shift in the site's audience diversity. An online article in Forbes states, “While still predominantly a platform that is used by women, if you have a product that transcends both women of all ages and younger men, Pinterest should be considered” (Kowalewicz, 2021). Pinterest is a site known for the ability to inspire and the ease of reducing steps from discovery to conversation, reducing sale cycles (Meher, 2012). The platform also allows for each pin to include an embedded link, allowing for further user engagement (Meher, 2012). With the aspect of allowing creativity to flow and getting inspired, the Valley Pike Farm Market can engage users through aesthetic photos and trends.
The Valley Pike Farm Market Pinterest ad positions the company as a holiday shopping destination through creative leveraging of the visual appeal of the platform and seasonal gifting theme. The headline, "Your one-stop shop for all the best gifts," and "Holiday essentials" immediately communicates the ad's purpose, reassuring customers that they can find everything they need in one place. The focus on "best gifts" conveys the quality and exclusivity, so that gift-givers will find items they would not normally think of. Items for holiday-themed products, like gingerbread beer, peppermint ice cream, and a "Merry & Bright" mug, create a more festive approach to appeal to customers' seasonal shopping needs. The decorative accents of the holiday basket add warmth and a hint of nostalgia, further reinforcing the holiday theme. These advertisements also serve to highlight a selection of products such as drinks, snacks, and seasonal products. This will not only showcase the variety of products they can offer within the store but may also appeal to various gifting situations, either for party hosts, family, or friends.
Tiktok Posts
Tiktok Rationale
TikTok is a great platform for advertising, because it is one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the game today. Since the launch of the app, TikTok has gained one billion users across the globe (Karra, 2022). The target audience on the app is easy to identify with a quick look up in the search bar, you can identify many users with similar interests to you and your brand (Karra, 2022). The algorithm is easy for content creators and users to understand. Videos and advertisements are shown on the “For You Page” (FYP) and when interacted with, the platform will show you more content similar to what you engaged with previously (Grome, 2022). Businesses can create short, easy to digest videos or even photos for their company to be shared to TikTok which will make their way onto users’ FYP (Grome, 2022). The Valley Pike Farm Market can utilize this growing and trendy platform to help engage audiences from all over.
The Valley Pike Farm Market TikTok ads position the company as a holiday shopping destination through creative visuals used throughout the short video. The closing heading, "For all your holiday essentials," followed by the company logo communicates the ad's purpose, telling customers they can find everything they need in one place. The video is outlined with festive holiday graphics that align with the products and appeal to customers during the holiday season. The various photos showcase the wide variety of products Valley Pike Farm Market offers. The second TikTok is placed on a phone to replicate a customer searching “Christmas Gift Ideas” then lists different product options the market offers. Such setup is relatable, considering the target customers browsing through items to get holiday presents. As the screen of the phone scrolls, the video then lists various product options available at Valley Pike Farm Market, exposing the market's diverse offerings and inviting its customers to take them into consideration as part of their holiday shopping. Put them all together, and seasonal themes merge with practical product offerings to make Valley Pike Farm Market top of mind for the holidays when it comes to shopping and gift-giving.