Vaseline recently invited those who “loved” their new Total Moisture lotions to post their reviews on Facebook. As an incentive, Vaseline offered a range of prizes, including the chance to win $500 of gift cards. This follows similar initiatives by brands like HTC, who encouraged detailed reviews of their product range. However, this strategy can entail a certain risk, as product-centric discussion can often be polarised.

 

Nonetheless, WaveMetrix analysis shows that Vaseline’s “Share The Love” campaign is greeted by a wave of positivity from their Facebook fans, which focuses on the “lovely” products. Furthermore, responses to the campaign show that it encourages consumers to see Vaseline as a “caring” brand. Vaseline are therefore clearly successful in driving positive discussion around the new range and raising awareness amongst their Facebook community. However, it remains an open question as to whether generating this positive discussion amongst existing fans is really an effective strategy, or whether this is very much “preaching to the converted”.