UGC: 8 successful cases of this marketing strategy

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We recently published an article introducing UGC and the benefits of applying this marketing strategy. It was highlighted by the 2024 Job and Salary Survey as a strong sales and marketing trend for the coming years.

Therefore, this time you will learn about 8 success stories of large companies that put User Generated Content into practice. This way, you will be able to extract valuable insights to adopt in your business and remain competitive in the market.

Happy reading!

What is UGC?
Firstly, before presenting how big brands apply User Generated Content, it is worth remembering what this concept means.

Translated as User Generated Content, this marketing strategy has a self-explanatory name. In other words, it refers to content generated spontaneously by consumers themselves, such as reviews, comments or videos.

Furthermore, it is based on the premise that ghana phone number list online users constantly influence other people, promoting various solutions. In this context, brands have identified a significant opportunity to expand their reach and establish authentic relationships with consumers.

The benefits of adopting UGC as a marketing strategy
In addition to building customer loyalty and organic advertising, investing in UGC provides a series of other benefits. Among them, the following stand out:

Greater reach on social media;
Free content for SEO;
Brand desire, generated by FOMO syndrome (Fear of Missing Out);
Source for new advertising pieces, promotional actions and other materials;
Collecting data on consumer expectations, journey and experience;
Engagement with the persona;
Low cost investment and high results.
8 success stories of large companies with UGC
1. Adobe
User-generated content can be used to illustrate the capabilities of a service or solution, and Adobe's case is a perfect example of this.

The hashtag #adobe_perspective represents a marketing strategy that encourages designers to showcase their work and help potential clients visualize the possibilities offered by the software.

2. GoPro
GoPro is recognized as one of the leading brands in investing in user-generated content.

Just look at the company's channels and you'll see that the focus is predominantly on the experiences and adventures that can be had with a GoPro, rather than just highlighting the product's features and functionality.

Thus, the brand established itself as a reference in UGC and managed to maintain a consistent marketing strategy based on it over the years.

3. Canada Explore
In 2016, Destination Canada was looking to create a new campaign for the US travel market. Instead of producing images to showcase what the country had to offer in terms of tourism, they opted to acquire the rights to thousands of photos and videos on social media to create their advertising pieces.

As a result, this approach makes converted customers feel special and part of an authentic advertising campaign. It also serves as an incentive for others to do the same when they become customers.

4. Ruffles
The brand organized several contests, in which the public was invited to submit suggestions for new flavors. The flavors with the most votes would become part of the brand's line, with a percentage of sales going to the winners.

Thus, in each competition, thousands of participants get involved, generating great repercussion on social networks about the flavors in dispute, in addition to generating coverage on blogs of various sizes.

5. Apple
In 2020, iPhone users expressed disappointment with the not-so-good quality of the cameras.

So Apple developed a marketing strategy to address the situation. Realizing that customers were dissatisfied with the camera’s average low-light capabilities, it launched the “Shot on iPhone” campaign.

The company's goal was therefore to regain lost trust and highlight what makes the iPhone special: its ability to capture incredible photos.

As a result, professionals began shooting in low-light conditions with their iPhones and sharing their images online, especially on YouTube, with the hashtag “Shot on iPhone.”

6. Glossier
Glossier is a beauty brand that uses images submitted by its customers to promote its products. The brand often shares photos of people using its products and heartwarming stories from customers who have fallen in love with the brand’s affordable skincare line.

So instead of investing in expensive photos of models and products, the company opts to highlight user-submitted images, sharing just one at a time on its social media pages – a growing trend for beauty brands.

7. Calvin Klein
In the 1980s, Brooke Shields said “Nothing Comes Between Me and My Calvins,” enabling people around the world to feel connected through their underwear.

Similarly, some time ago Calvin Klein reused the slogan to create the #MyCalvins campaign on Instagram, inviting everyone to share photos of themselves using the brand's products for a chance to be featured in the gallery on the Calvin Klein website.

Then, in just a few months, the hashtag #MyCalvins took over Instagram, with users tagging more than 190,000 photos with a variety of self-generated content, from all ages.

Ultimately, this marketing strategy established a more powerful connection with the brand's audience, gaining millions of followers across multiple social media channels.