Facebook Marketing and Hurricane Irene

As Hurricane Irene sweeps up the East Coast, the only thing you think of all the losses and damage it would cause. There are friends, relatives and business that will be affected by this once in a lifetime natural disaster. Well... not everyone is thinking that way...

Check out these 2 businesses, they've seized the moment using Facebook:

With CJ Construction, you can get a pre-Hurricane damage assessment and prepare your home. Afterwards, you would be first in line for a repair.

Rick Tucker Construction will take care of your post Irene demolition needs.

Who says that construction is behind the times in social media?

Of all the businesses, CVS is doing this most tastefully, by discussing how people should get their pharmacy refills and how they are stocking up the best they can. They acknowledge that many of the stores will be closed because of evacuation procedures.

In the comments to the post, there is a very favorable response from people appreciating the notice or discussing how CVS steps up in the community during these situations. You would think there might be some backlash given the press releases about how CVS is ready, but by engaging with their users, people are responding positively. On the other hand, competitor Rite Aid has normal promotions, but no acknowledgement of Irene that matches its press releases.

Even in a natural disaster like Hurricane Irene, companies can be opportunistic in Facebook marketing just like the construction companies. At least they are making themselves available. In the case of CVS, they are leveraging their brand to create greater levels of engagement.

Position2 Brand Monitor was used to cull through the displayed Facebook posts.