Today’s post starts a three post series diving into how Kiel
James Patrick has revolutionized the idea of social media marketing through
three different outlets – Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr. KJP is best known
for its bracelets although they do make and sell a wide variety of other
products, including pearls, jewelry, boat shoes, apparel and other accessories.
I first became intrigued with the brand when I came across a
short, stop action video (https://www.instagram.com/p/BCy1rloLcuh/?taken-by=kjp)
of Kiel organizing his immense closet when I was browsing through the discover
feature on Instagram. Since that fateful day back in 2014, I have been a
follower ever since and have even broadened my following horizon to include
Tumblr and Snapchat. I could probably write 20 different blog posts about this
brand and the picture perfect life it conjures for its consumers, but I’ll try
to keep my gushing to a minimum.
With over 490K followers on Instagram and almost 6,000
posts, it is safe to say that KJP has really established itself in the
Instagram community. Unlike most jewelry and apparel brands, they keep their
direct product promotion to a minimum. Instead, they typically post pictures of
Kiel and Sarah (his wife) living their daily, picturesque lives with a few
products strategically placed. They have done an incredible job of really
capitalizing on the idea of selling an experience, rather than a product.
From posting pictures of their newest family
member – a Golden Retriever puppy named Bennie – to having bonfire nights in
front of mansions with their friends, KJP and company have forever altered the
standards to which companies should connect with their fans and consumers on
social media. 
I follow them on Instagram too! They do a wonderful job of creating and selling an experience through their social media posts, as you said! I follow his wife, Sarah, and she has a great style that I am definitely envious of, and I now see I may just be jealous of her whole lifestyle! Beautiful pictures and products!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea who KJP was or anything about the company, but this summer I was in the BVIs and my cousins were freaking out because they saw a guy named Sean that works for KJP that they know from Instagram. It's insane how having such a strong social media presence can make you famous. And for the record, my cousins were brave enough to ask for a picture with him and yes, they instagrammed it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the link to the video and all of the pictures you included in your post! From what you have shown from the KJP account, I agree that they really do seem to have a knack for connecting with their followers. The idea of "selling an experience" is huge. People are definitely more inclined to relate to a picture of their "everyday" pictures rather than posed models. Great post! :)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of KJP, but just by looking at their pictures I want to start following them! I liked what you said about them capturing the experience and not just trying to sell their products on Instagram. I think a lot of people follow these accounts because they fall in love with the people and want to keep track of their every day lives via social media. So I can see how this account is so successful by doing just that.
ReplyDeleteThe KJP brand has definitely mastered the art of featuring products without pushing them in our faces, and I think the majority of brands could take a lesson from this. As consumers we are advertised to all day, and it can get irritating to come across pushy advertisements. I like how this page feels more like a personal account than a brand page, because it grabs my attention more than a picture of a product would.
ReplyDelete