1. What incentives did Nikon provide to spur its fans to share more pictures? Should the company have done more?
Nikon's team prosed questions like "What camera do you own?" for the user to take ownership of their posts. Nikon encouraged users to show off their different photography styles within these groups to show that Nikon genuinely cared about their customers and were interested in the types of photography done with their cameras. As social media was just emerging at the time, maybe making use of the holidays with campaigns for new years, 4th of july, etc. and showing the socialization side for Facebook would have been a great idea as well. Maybe sending off a small totem or item and having users take a picture of it, sharing (with moderators on standby) and adding these images from around the world in a big collage could help connect everyone with the Nikon brand as well.
2. Nikon was identified more with the professional market than consumer photography. Has that changed following this social media marketing campaign? Why or why not?
As Nikon has turned to the social side, it brought more emotional, creative attributes to the Nikon brand. Many users now feel they can also "be" a professional photographer with the compact cameras. Some users may see this as the company being low-quality now but others may also see it as a great way to connect with the photography community and find affordable cameras that are still great quality.
3. How did Nikon leverage its technical superiority in photo taking with its social media strategy? Could it have been done differently? If so, how? If not, explain why not.
Nikon created two different groups - Flickr used a more serious voice, while Facebook was more playful and friendly. As Nikon wanted to connect with the newer audiences while still maintaining the brand loyalty of their professional user customers, they created two different socializing platforms. I think this was a great tactic to please both consumers as Flickr and Facebook already reflect those two styles of voice and were great platforms in 2007 for these types of campaigns.
4. Nikon had an initial edge in photo sharing as a company specializing in camera gear. What specific tactical advantages did this give Nikon?
Since Nikon specializes in these different types of lenses, their social media postings included tips on how to use them, new product launches, and how to take better pictures. With so many different types of lenses, different demographic countries and different photography styles, there was a plethora of images being shared - letting the community feel that they could connect with the brand regardless of style, design, type, or price.
