As all social media users know, we like to look back especially on Thursdays: many post a picture from the past and mark it with #ThrowBackThursday or just #tbt. Initially, it was mostly private individuals who every Thursday showcased dated outfits as well as old school and baby pictures. But now many companies have also adopted #tbt as an excellent opportunity to showcase their history. They have understood how our longing for nostalgia, recognition, and personal appeal in our news feeds fits with "history marketing" activities.
It is not surprising that American companies, such as Coca-Cola and Levi's, with a long tradition of working with their history, are also active #tbt users. But even in Sweden, there are companies that are great at this #tbt thing. Check out, for example, ICA, OK, and Arla's social media accounts. It is a delight to see how they embrace their history by showcasing hidden treasures from the archive, thereby also placing themselves in a societal context.
Highlighting a company's history is something we at CfN are passionate about, but we also know that it can be difficult for company communicators to know how to clarify their past. #tbt is thus a perfect first step for communicators and marketers. You can see it as a gateway into more serious historical use.
The inspiration for this blog post came from the excellent article about #tbt and content marketing. Don't miss checking out ICA's and Arla Sweden's Instagram accounts as well as OK Economic Association's Facebook page!
