Sam Case’s Blog

Ulta can use a mobile app to help promote its brand. It can give people access to all kinds of deals going on in the store. On the Ulta app, all you have to do is download the app, and start looking at all the deals and new items the store has.

Ulta can also provide secret codes for people to redeem. All they have to do is go to the Ulta website and sign up to receive text messages and emails from Ulta. Ulta will then email the customer a confirmation email with all the details on it, and it will also include a secret code getter for people to use on the mobile app.

People who have the app will be able to see exclusive deals going on in the stores and online that others who do not have the app cannot see. You could say these customer are considered V.I.P Ulta guests. This app will allow Ulta to get more business and provide excellent services to happy customers.

For Ulta I think between Snapchat and Instagram that Instagram is the better choice. Instagram is a better platform for Ulta to reach its audience. Instagram allows businesses such as Ulta to grab the attention of the audience in many ways.

Instagram helps Ulta reach people by posting different things such as photos, videos, stories, and inspiring quotes. On Instagram the audience can always see what Ulta has posted on the Ulta page. They can comment and like the pages photos they share.

This site I found https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/snapchat-vs-instagram-for-events-ds00/ provides a lot of great insight on whether to use Instagram or Snapchat. Eventbrite says, “Instagram connects more than 500 million users all over the world through the power of pictures. Much like its sister company, Facebook, users interact with photos and videos by liking or commenting on them.” In a way Instagram can be thought of as a more photogenic Facebook. Also, Instagram uses hashtags like Twitter so that it is easier for its audience to locate what they are looking for.

Another interesting thing about Instagram compared to Snapchat is the targeted audience. Instagram gets more attention from people within the age group of 18-30. Where as Snapchat attracts more younger users between ages 12-24. This can be seen as another good aspect for Ulta in using Instagram over Snapchat, because Ulta wants to target the more older audience to buy their products.

Ulta has a strong Instagram following from what I have seen on their Instagram page. Ulta can get more use out of Instagram, too because the audience can always go back through and look at the sales and new post. Where as Snapchat, if you do not see it within a certain amount of hours or in a day, then it could be gone and you will not be able to know about anything they have going on. Back to what I originally stated, I think that Instagram is a better fit for Ulta between Instagram and Snapchat.

I think that Twitter is a great resource for people to use. Twitter is a really popular social media platform and gets a lot of attention. Ulta has a Twitter page and they have a lot of followers. Ulta shares a lot of new information through Twitter. I think Twitter is a great marketing platform for Ulta. They market new deals everyday through Twitter, and also tweet the newest items in the store. Ulta keeps up with all the national day celebrations, and when it has to do with hair, skincare, or makeup products they share tweets about items in the store. Twitter is already a mobile app on phones, so Twitter can help make Ulta more popular and useful through their app. Also, Ulta has its own website and mobile app that makes it useful for its customers to use and keep up with all the latest trends and new deals going on. I think that by using all the platforms Ulta can and marketing its brand the way it does, Ulta is going to be around for a long time in the near future, and find more advanced ways to use Twitter and its personal website as a higher marketing level.

The only ethical issue I can think of that most people may be questioning is how truthful information is? I think that when it comes to tweets, that anyone can tweet anything from any electronic device, especially with our mobile devices today. Most people probably question the fact that people are always selling things and trying to market items. Therefore, people question how much truth is behind the marketing idea or the information being given? People who use their mobile devices want to make sure that their identity and personal information along with their banking information is going to be safe. My faith influences these views because God was a trustworthy person, and as graceful human beings, we have a duty to uphold to God and ourselves to be the best versions or ourselves. We should be willing to all be trustworthy and never have to fault anyone for any reason. I wish that were the case, but not everyone can live up to those standards. That is why trust is such a problem in the world today. Now that there is all this high tech stuff in the world like our mobile devices with all kinds of apps, it is easy for someone to steal someone else’s information, and that is why you have to be careful with who and what you are trusting when it comes to marketing certain items.

A storytelling my client could implement from an online campaign could be to do creative activities online. Since Ulta has makeup, anyone can become creative with makeup. I think Ulta could use this to get their audience more involved by doing a contest online each month.

Ulta could host a contest on their social media page where their fans and customers or anyone really, can join in the contest to get a prize with their email. I think this would be a great way to boost their sales, to gain a more following audience, and new customers into the stores.

For the the campaign, Ulta could have their audience compete in makeup challenges to see who has the best look each month. They can set it up to have different themes, too to keep it interesting. Like for October, maybe have the audience do a halloween makeup, and then for another month inspire a sexy eye look. Just something that keeps the campaign interesting and that makes people want to be apart of the campaign idea.

To make it more interesting, they could show women all over the world and be diverse. They could use older women, little girls, transgender, etc. They could make a really diverse campaign that would peak the interest of viewers all over the world. Ulta, being a top beauty company can reach their audience by targeting different people of all ages to show everyone they are beautiful. It does not matter what background, ethic, or where you come from. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. They can show this by putting different people in their campaign video, and each person where their makeup, hair, or skin products.

I believe that to tell a story you have to be interested in what you are talking about. Trying to paint a picture for everyone to see and understand is not always easy. Everyone has different interest in life. However, for this specific blog I was asked to write to tell a story about something I like on social media. I decide to go with the client I am working with this term. I chose to talk about Ulta on their Facebook page.

Ulta has a lot of great products that it offers to women of all ages. It does not just target a specific age because Ulta thinks everyone is beautiful. It does not discriminate either because it also offers products for guys to shop there, too. Ulta has a warmth atmosphere that welcomes everyone into the store and to embrace your own beauty. Ulta’s Facebook has lots of videos and pictures inspired by real women. It has the ability to portray real women instead of using models and actresses like most brands try to do in campaigns these days. Ulta is built on wanting to spice up your original beauty with other interesting products from skin, hair, and makeup in the store. Ulta’s products are all about making women feel beautiful and also healthy. Ulta has products that allows people’s skin to stay soft and hydrated through great moisturizers they offer.

I like how when you walk into an Ulta store everything is organized. At the entrance is the makeup products to your right, then the more cheaper makeup products to your left with some nail stuff included. On the left side you will also find all the makeup brushes, then behind there on the next aisle are some hair products and then you have the hair products on the wall in the back by the salon. In the middle of the store you have aisles that have all the body and bath products for relaxation and your skin. The store is well organized making it easier to locate all your favorites items. Also, depending on your favorite brands for makeup products, they have them separated on different aisle by the name of the brand. Ulta allows you to be your beautiful self, feel confident, and feel comfortable in your own skin.

Lastly, I really love how Ulta allows you to test their products out before you buy it. This is great because it allows people to go in and try on different products before purchasing, and it’s good for business because it will keep people coming back being able to test try things before wasting money. Ulta has natural look items, too fierce and wild items, and just mixing it up. This is a great social media page to check out and see if they inspire you as much as their brand has help to inspire me.

Ulta is the client I am representing this semester. Ulta has unique products on the website. Ulta’s website pops with the pink and orange theme they have on their website.

Ulta has a great social media follow. They popular on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I think the idea of new rules for marketing and PR are better than the old rules. For example, looking at Ulta’s web page, I can tell they attract a lot of their customers through their website and social media. Social media helps in new rules, because it is the main way to communicate with the public in today’s world.

They have a lot of great information on their website. If you go to their company section on the website it tells about their mission, vision, and values. Their mission statement says, “Every day, we use the power of beauty to bring to life the possibilities that lie within each of us—inspiring every guest and enabling each associate to build a fulfilling career.” (Ulta.com). This shows that they are a great company with ethical values, and they really care about their products, associates, and customers.

Ulta employees do a great job representing the brand, and using the marketing and public relation skills daily. By advertising and trying to sell the products, associates do a great job helping Ulta stay on the market. On the PR side, Ulta does a great job by grabbing their audience attention and by connecting through social media. Ulta is in great standing with the media because it uses its products and ethics well. Ulta has ethics that state: “The Ulta Beauty Code of Business Conduct is an important resource that will help you work ethically and transparently in support of our mission, vision, and values, specifically as we strive to do what’s right. Please take a moment to familiarize or refresh you with the code, and don’t hesitate to speak up by following the steps outlined in the document. Creating a culture in which associates feel safe to speak up is of the utmost importance to us as we continue to improve upon our open and honest two-way communication as an enterprise.”(Ulta.com).

This is the statement that the owner of Ulta, Mary Dillon, she came up with herself. Mary does a lot of things for the company and she really cares about the brand she created. If I were in charge, I would not change anything about this brand. Ulta has a lot great things to offer and Mary and the employees make the brand image golden. Things that should go in and online for company policy is I would say that trust are a big one. If your brand does not seem ethical no one is going to want to do business with you.

Building a relationship with associates and customers is a big to do, too. Also, I would say that the image the online website of the company and social media can appear to people needs to seem interesting and important. Top ethics in a company policy should be trust, fair, loyal, independence, and transparency. I would say that these are the most important traits to include. 

Source: https://www.ulta.com/company/about-us/

Scott, D. M. (2017). The new rules of marketing & PR how to use social media, online video, mobile applications, blogs, news releases, and viral marketing to reach buyers directly. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

I am finishing up my public relations degree, and this summer I am taking a social media PR course. The course just started, but I can already tell by reading the material and the syllabus for this class that I am going to enjoy it! I love to write, stay connected with the world through social media, and follow the PR code of ethics. One of the things that we are doing in this class this semester is representing a client to work with over social media. I decide to work with the company Ulta. I have been an Ulta customer since 2010, and I love using the products they offer. The employees there are super nice and know how to treat their customers. Some things that I hope to accomplish for them are posting different events and sells they will be having or the summer, along with new products that might be comping out. I look forward to having a great summer, working with a great client, and acing my social media PR course.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton