Leather goods maker Coach is partnering with retail brand Poloraid Fotobar to promote an Instameet in New York June 14, where professional and amateur photographers can share their Coach New York stories. 

Coach has selected top Instagram photographers to participate in the making of a collaborative image story and will be printing the photos taken through Polaroid Fotobar's mobile print shop. Coach is encouraging its followers to contribute and be a part of the story making. 

"Coach, much like Polaroid, has a rich American history rooted in creativity and style,? said Dov Quint, vice president of business development and partnerships at Polaroid Fotobar, New York.

?Partnering with them for the #CoachNewYorkStories InstaMeet has offered us the perfect opportunity to bring New Yorkers together through the Instagram community to share and create their New York stories with us,? he said.

Coach was unable to comment before press deadline.

Writing a story
Coach announced #CoachNewYorkStories on Instagram and Twitter on June 9, giving a date and time of the event and encouraging fans to follow a few photographers on Instagram to learn more details about the initiative. 

An InstaMeet is a collaborative effort, introduced by Instagram, to designate a photogenic meeting place to take photos and/or videos with a group of people and share and enhance one?s creativity. Instagram encourages InstaMeet organizers to create a hashtag to effectively spread the word about an event.

Since this InstaMeet is centered on Coach, attendees will likely discuss and incorporate the brand into the photo shoot, which will likely generate an effective marketing opportunity.

Coach entices consumers with an invite that reads, ?Everyone in New York has a story. You?re invited to create one with us.?

Photographers and amateur Instagrammers alike may be lured by this invitation because of the networking opportunities with other creative sources, as well as the chance to expand their own creativity and possibly gain exposure through a well-known brand like Coach. 

Each photographer chosen is based in the New York area and will be at one of the designated locations: West Village, Greenwich Village and Chelsea. Hand-selected by Coach, these photographers have their own fan bases, furthering the chances of participation.

Polaroid Fotobar is expanding its retail presence around the country in an effort to provide an innovative way to print photos. With locations around the country, such as Orlando, FL, and Las Vegas, Fotobar also reaches consumers through a mobile print shop on wheels, similar to a food truck. 

Polaroid?s participation provides participants with physical prints of their work in seconds at the InstaMeet.

Photos are worth a thousand words
Campaigns that use Instagram give consumers an image to connect with, engaging the users and enticing them to participate and develop their own creativity.

For instance, Kate Spade launched an Instagram campaign to jumpstart Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer.

By simply tagging @KateSpadeNY and #TravelColorfully, contestants become eligible to win a generous gift card of $250 all the meanwhile sharing vacation photos. The contest goes through Aug. 28 and works to build a community among its followers (see story). 

Instagram contests are another way to employ the platform.

Retailer Sears and French apparel label Lacoste are both inviting Instagram selfies from dads in anticipation of Father?s Day on June 15.

While Sears offers the winning participant a vacation and other entrants member points, Lacoste plans to post winners on its Instagram account. Both companies will likely see their Instagram communities grow, but those who submit to Sears are asked to go the extra mile by posting on its Web site and becoming a member (see story). 

Mr. Quint agrees that Instagram is an effective way to unify ideas and collaborate with other brands.

 "Using the Instagram platform, the home for instant and collaborative photo sharing today, makes perfect sense for our brand, known for those very same characteristics for more than 75 years," he said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Marketer, New York