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L?Oreal boosts power of a good hair day through social media

L?Oreal Paris is rolling out a campaign to coincide with the brand?s new Advanced Haircare line and is asking social media users to share their powerful hair moments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with a specified hashtag for a chance to meet supermodel Karlie Kloss, proving that incentives are key for beauty campaigns on social.

L?Oreal Paris is attempting to combat the adage that a bad hair day makes women feel less confident than they would on a good hair day by launching the #POWERON campaign to empower consumers? self-confidence and raise awareness of the brand?s Advanced Haircare products. L?Oreal aims to spark buzz on social media platforms, throw in-person events and offer users a chance to meet spokesmodel Karlie Kloss in New York City.

?Celebrity endorsements enable brands to concretize their brand tone through a specific celebrity?s style,? said Shuli Lowy, marketing director at Ping Mobile, New York. ?It also gives brands the opportunity to expand the reach of their campaign to the social following of that celebrity.

?Karlie Kloss, who has won the Best Model Social Media Award, is known for being an active social media participant who has built up a sizable social following,? she said. ?Kloss has 2.1 million followers on Instagram, over 617,000 followers on Twitter, and over 846,000 likes on her Facebook page.

?That means that any social campaign which is promoted through Karlie Kloss gets visibility from her massive database of social followers?providing ample fuel for a campaign to catch on.?

Women empowerment
L?Oreal Paris is joining the ranks of countless other beauty brands that are leveraging social media conversation to further women empowerment. However, L?Oreal is attempting to stand out from competitors by teaming up with supermodel and spokeswoman Karlie Kloss for a unique contest.

Fans who upload their great hair moments to social media using the #POWERON, #POWERONCONTEST and @LOrealParisUSA hashtags and handles will receive an entry to travel to New York City to meet Ms. Kloss. She will share her self-confidence tips and secrets with the winner to drive encouragement and inspiration.

Users can upload their entries from Mar. 20 through April 17, with the winner being notified on April 24. L?Oreal Paris judges will be making final selections.

Consumers who do not wish to enter the contest may also get involved on social media by showcasing their personal favorite hair moments via the #POWERON hashtag and cheering on fellow users. The brand has commissioned well-known social media gurus, L?Oreal Paris spokesmodels and a slew of celebrity brand hair experts to join in the fun and share how they feel when their hair is ?on.?

All users are encouraged to share quotes, photos or images on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and should tag the @LOrealParisUSA handle in their posts.

However, the use of multiple hashtags may confuse social media consumers.

?It is strange that L?Oreal Paris decided to use two hashtags in this campaign?#poweron and #poweroncontest,? Ms. Lowy said. ?Using more than one hashtag is generally not recommended for a campaign because it makes the stream of participation fragmented.

?Some people posting are using both hashtags, others are using just one of the two. That means that when someone clicks on the hashtags they?ll only see a small part of the campaign's participants which makes this less likely to go viral,? she said.

In-person experiences
L?Oreal Paris is also offering an in-person component of the campaign by offering complimentary washes and blowouts using L?Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare products at The Salon at Ulta Beauty in 25 locations nationwide.

?Sweepstakes are a fantastic method through which to get fans to participate in an initiative. When there?s something in it for the consumer?it makes them more likely to get involved,? Ms. Lowy said.

This promotion will take place on April 25. The brand believes it will help many consumers experience the power of stunning hair.

The #POWERON campaign, which is being launched to promote the brand?s newest haircare collection, also offers a standalone Web site, www.powerofbeautifulhair.com. Guests can select their hair type to view products best suited to their needs.

?The key to picking out an alluring sweepstakes prize is not picking out the most valuable or expensive item?but rather picking something that the fan group will be excited about,? Ms. Lowy said. ?L?Oreal clearly feels that a large portion of their target audience admires Karlie Kloss and that the thought of spending time with her would therefore garner their interest.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York