If only marketing were that easy! The reality is that the companies getting the most from social media are the ones who have added social resources to a robust overall marketing strategy. Such a strategy relies on marketing channels from billboard advertising to good old fashioned face-to-face networking.
Arab News had a chat with Carl G. Peaple, director and managing partner, Source Rite International Fzco, about the company’s recent forays into the social media world. Source Rite is the regional distributor for FitFlop sandals, which offer “a workout while you walk.” Source Rite launched the brand in the Middle East in 2009 and the company currently supplies the sandals to more than 200 stores across the region.
Peaple explained that Source Rite has an integrated marketing plan that includes magazine advertising, radio spots and in-store promotions. With the growth of Internet access across the region, they recently decided to add Facebook and Twitter to their marketing tools, in part to keep up with trends, and also to find ways to gain a personal connection with their customers. Peaple believes that social media allows people to influence each other, which is actually a form of personal promotion for FitFlop. 
“Many of our competitors spend millions on marketing but almost nothing in communicating,” said Peaple. “We feel that social media marketing is about creating demand for FitFlop that comes from our customers.”
Communicating with and engaging current and potential customers sounds like an ideal marketing strategy, and in a plan, it seems so easy to accomplish with social media. But of course, it’s not straightforward - even though Source Rite does have a firm foundation for its marketing efforts.
When Source Rite first brought FitFlops to the region, the company held wear tests at major malls. This was great because it helped Source Rite identify the target audience. Source Rite paid the mall managements to set up a booth and then ladies of different nationalities would be approached as they passed by the location. The women were offered the opportunity to try out the sandals while they shopped and then answer some brief questions at the conclusion of the experience. This helped Source Rite gain a good perspective on how potential customers felt about FitFlops.
Concurrently, the company kicked off an integrated marketing and advertising strategy which continues to this day. When they launched into social media, Source Rite faced an issue in that while they knew their target audience, they didn’t have a database of customers to contact and inform about their new online campaigns. Source Rite distributes the sandals to hundreds of retail outlets belonging to other brands such as Debenhams, Sun & Sand Sports and Shoe City. They don’t have direct access to the customers and of course all the retailers want to promote their own store image more than FitFlops.
What Peaple decided to do was to add a special tag to the sandals that lists all the company’s contact information and encourages customers to provide feedback online. Initially, Peaple is concentrating on Facebook and Twitter as the two social networks where he hopes to get customer interaction. To increase his chances for success, Peaple isn’t tackling this new marketing venture alone. He has turned to professionals at “Word of Mouth” in Dubai.
“They’re a company that only does Facebook and Twitter. They set up your whole account and manage it and they post all the replies for you,” said Peaple. “We have certain guidelines for them to follow and we monitor the posts. If there are any problems, we notify them straight away and we have meetings with them every two weeks.”
Source Rite plans to run some competitions to bring more attention to the FitFlops Facebook page in order to raise the numbers at their fan site. They’ll also be introducing the FitFlop Club concept through Facebook, where they’ll make special promotions for their fans and send out gifts on their birthdays.  
“We want our customers to communicate with us,” said Peaple. “Most of the feedback we receive is very positive and if there’s anything negative, we follow-up immediately and take care of it right away. We hope our social media efforts will be able to reach out personally to our customers across the region in a way that traditional advertising can’t.”
Marketing is an area constantly under review at Source Rite. Peaple remarked that just as the company’s marketing through traditional channels is constantly evolving in order to stay fresh and engaging, he expects that their social media strategy will change over time, too. For instance, they have started out with all their social networking in English, but there is every possibility that Arabic resources could be set up in the future.
He also mentioned that the retail trade in the region continues to grow and change. Source Rite has already had some success selling their sandals through a home shopping television channel and they are considering the possibilities for eCommerce. “In this region, online sales are young, but it’s definitely growing,” said Peaple. “Our goal is to move with agility in whatever direction holds the best advantage for our customers and our brand.”