Creative social media campaign

I've chosen #giftpicks social media campaign by REI because, in my opinion, this campaign could teach us how to use social media to cater to company's customers, individualize their experience, and create a meaningful relationship. I think this approach might be considered as revolutionary compare to majority of social campaigns the main purpose of which is just to entertain or inform.

Recreational Equipment Inc., commonly known as REI, is a privately held American retail corporation organized as a consumers' cooperative, selling outdoor recreation gear, sporting goods, and clothes via some 125 retail stores in 31 states, catalogs, and the Internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REI)

In 2012 REI created a Holiday Gift Campaign that allowed customers to get answers from in-store employees to their every product questions. Moreover, each customer had received a custom video made specially for him/her. The concept was this: REI followers tweeted the company questions with the #giftpicks hashtag, and in less than an hour, they had a fully customised video response from a “green vest” — one of the store’s dedicated employees, known for their passion for everything outdoors.

This campaign shows a deep understanding of the target audience and of social media as well. It provides easy and compelling ways for followers to participate, all while making each participant feel special. No faceless corporation here; just fellow outdoor enthusiasts, sharing their passions.

Here you can see one of the REI's employees video responses: