Target Engages Social Media to Boost Christmas Sales

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) launched its own online publication back in September, A Bullseye View, to broadcast regular news and updates from its 1,767 stores across the US, and to engage shoppers via social media with special promotions, gifts, and giveaways. With simplistic blog design, and red-white branding, A Bullseye View is part of Target’s online strategy, a cost effective marketing approach to boost Christmas sales.

A Bullseye View’s Twitter account has a moderate number of followers, but has already been used as a news ticker for Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. As Christmas draws near, the company attempts to draw more attention on Twitter, engaging users and followers, and sharing Christmas cheer in form of yuletide rap…

 You cannot argue: Target doesn’t lack imagination. But is imagination enough to make the Bullseye View approach a success? The site is a pain to navigate: readers have to click on post thumbnails to access the content of the articles, and there are no clear site categories. Social sharing buttons are hidden at the bottom of each feature article; and although you are told who tweets at @ABullseyeView the authors of the articles at abullseyeview.com are kept secret. From an online PR perspective, Target’s efforts with the online magazine look like an amateurish attempt.

Of course, if these efforts were by any small business owner, this discourse would render pointless. But this is Target we are talking about, a company that has enough resources. Compared to Target.com, A Bullseye View is the work of a mommy blogger on a string budget.

Despite the fact that the magazine is described as “a behind-the-scenes look at Target’s most exciting partnerships, initiatives, events and innovations,” there’s no real “behind-the-scenes” information in sight. Instead, expect recipes, how-to tips and tricks, all carefully mise-en-scène to sell Target products. A strategy that makes sense, however, a strategy that raises questions regarding the real intent of the site. To make a long story short, A Bullseye View is not a “magazine” but Target’s official blog. And it still needs a lot of work.

Among the companies who have worked with Target are Ruder Finn, MDC Partners’ Kwittken, Kaplow PR, and JeffreyGroup.