UGC Case Study: AmtrakGram

This user-generated content case study focuses on Amtrak’s AmtrakGram campaign, which harnessed the contextually-common activity of travel photography via the #AmtrakGram Instagram hashtag.

From July – August, Amtrak challenged users to submit inspiring photos and videos taken from Amtrak trains to the #AmtrakGram Instagram hashtag, with a $200 travel voucher grand prize and three $75 second place prizes.

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The AmtrakGram challenge harnessed the common activity of snapping photos while traveling, which lessened the necessity of a major prize to drive engagement. This strategy of contextually-common UGC activities was also employed by Starbucks in their White Cup Contest, and by Tourism Whistler in their #WhistlerUnfiltered contest.

Also user-friendly was that the complete content creation and submissions processes could be completed from within a single app (i.e. Instagram), which meant that a user could submit their photo immediately after taking it on the train, while the moment was still fresh and relevant.

And because Amtrak provides service all over America, through diverse and stunning landscapes, the user-generated content was equally diverse, stunning, travel-inspiring.

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#AmtrakGram is an effective hashtag in that it doesn’t seem explicitly tied to a promotion or sweepstakes like #AmtrakContest would, and so thus appears to come from the user’s own creative volition rather than a marketing effort. The value of these perceived origins is that a user’s own audience will focus on the amazing experiences made possible by Amtrak instead of their friend’s participation in an incentivized contest, and then (hopefully) they too will thirst for travel and head to the nearest station to start their own adventure.

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