Continuous learning and adapting to the evolving digital landscape are essential for effective digital communications. This portfolio entry highlights a collection of assignments that showcase my growth throughout the semester in my graduate program. From conducting a SWOT analysis to crafting SEO-driven blog posts and developing a detailed content strategy, this rollup of projects reflects my commitment to staying ahead in an industry that thrives on innovation. I am dedicated to honing my skills and applying new knowledge, ensuring I am always prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of today’s fast-paced marketing world.
Patagonia Social Media Case Study
Patagonia, founded in 1973, is an outdoor apparel company committed to environmental sustainability and ethical practices. The brand has consistently used social media to amplify its activism, blending its mission-driven focus with product marketing.
One of Patagonia’s most inspiring social media campaigns is “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” which encourages consumers to think critically about overconsumption. More recently, its “Save the Home Planet” initiative leveraged Instagram and Twitter to rally support for environmental causes.
I admire Patagonia for its ability to engage audiences authentically while staying true to its mission. My background in digital media strategy and passion for sustainable practices make me a valuable addition to its team, helping to expand its social media presence and innovate new ways to engage its community.
Brand Analysis
Patagonia’s brand voice is bold, authentic, and purpose-driven. The tone is often urgent, highlighting critical environmental issues, yet it remains approachable and community-focused. Key characteristics of its content include:
Empowering: The brand inspires followers to act by voting, donating, or changing consumption habits.
Educational: Posts often include statistics or resources about climate change and conservation.
Visual Storytelling: High-quality imagery of nature and outdoor adventures resonates with Patagonia’s audience.
Recent social media efforts include:
- Climate Strike Promotions: Encouraging followers to participate in environmental protests.
- Worn Wear Campaign: Highlighting the importance of repairing old gear instead of buying new products.
- Vote Our Planet: A social campaign urging consumers to vote for environmentally conscious leaders.
Competitor Analysis
Patagonia faces intense competition from The North Face and REI, both of which have cultivated an engaging social media presence. The North Face adheres to consistent posting schedules, collaborates with influencers, and engages in real-time interactions on X and Facebook, enabling it to reach a broader audience (RightMetric, 2023). In contrast, REI produces interactive content such as polls, Q&A sessions, and user-generated campaigns, particularly on Facebook and Reddit, which encourage a vibrant community.
One key area where Patagonia’s competitors excel is in paid social media strategies. The North Face has invested in Reddit advertising, resulting in a 200% increase in website traffic (RightMetric, 2023). REI also benefits from niche Facebook groups that create exclusive content for enthusiasts. Although REI’s Reddit strategy is less documented, its campaigns, particularly the #OptOutside movement, have gained traction within outdoor and sustainability-focused subreddits.
Social Media Metrics
Patagonia’s social media strategy is deeply intertwined with its commitment to environmental activism and sustainability, setting it apart from conventional marketing approaches. The brand leverages its platforms to promote environmental causes, educate its audience, and inspire action rather than focusing solely on product promotion. The brand uses the platform to mobilize its audience for campaigns, petitions, and immediate calls to action. Patagonia’s Instagram account has a likes-to-comments ratio of 424.61, which is considered “Good” compared to similar accounts, with an average of 18 comments per post. However, there’s room for improvement in fostering more interactive discussions.
While Patagonia’s mission-driven content differentiates it from competitors, there are opportunities to enhance its social media presence:
- Diversifying Content Formats: Incorporating a mix of content types, such as user-generated content, interactive polls, and behind-the-scenes footage, could increase engagement and provide varied experiences for the audience.
- Expanding Platform Presence: Establishing an official presence on platforms like Reddit could allow Patagonia to engage with niche communities, address customer inquiries directly, and participate in in-depth discussions on sustainability topics.
- Enhancing Community Interaction: Increasing responsiveness to comments and messages can strengthen community relationships and demonstrate attentiveness to audience feedback.
Patagonia can evaluate the success of its goals by measuring reach and impressions to gauge its strategies for increasing brand awareness in the local market. If reach and impressions grow over time, it suggests that the brand awareness efforts are practical. To establish new opportunities with its community, comments and shares are valuable metrics to assess, as they indicate community engagement. An increase in comments and shares signifies successful engagement within the community. Patagonia should also measure the consistency of messaging, tone of content, and audience feedback to assess how well its brand voice is represented online. Engagement metrics, such as likes and shares, indicate how effectively the brand’s voice resonates with the audience. Positive audience feedback and steady engagement rates imply a well-established brand voice. Finally, follower growth and the number of new subscribers are excellent metrics for evaluating its online community growth. Consistent growth in followers and subscribers suggests successful community-building efforts. Patagonia’s ability to attract new followers reflects effective content strategies and underscores the importance of ongoing engagement to retain and nurture this audience.
Content Planning for Text-Based Apps
This assignment required applying best practices for creating brand content that helps a brand increase awareness, develop new relationships, establish its voice, or grow its online community.
Patagonia should prioritize authentic engagement, storytelling, and interactive content to enhance Patagonia’s presence on Threads, Facebook, and Reddit. Patagonia’s current strategy heavily focuses on environmental activism and corporate sustainability. Still, there is scope to expand audience engagement, foster a more substantial community presence, and enhance brand voice through text-based platforms.
On Threads, Patagonia should focus on real-time engagement, advocacy, and educational threads, positioning itself as a thought leader in environmental sustainability. Facebook should serve as a platform for long-form storytelling, community engagement, and live event promotions, fostering deeper relationships with its audience. Finally, Reddit presents an opportunity for Patagonia to engage in in-depth discussions, host Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, and encourage user-generated content (UGC), allowing Patagonia to interact directly with passionate consumers.
Content Examples
This section outlines three sample posts for each platform, detailing the content format, drafted text, and suggested metrics for analysis and evaluation.
Storyboard
This assignment covered writing rules and strategy for video-based apps. The purpose was to create a visual storyboard of the content you want to make.
“Worn to Matter”
Objective of video: To highlight Patagonia’s commitment to sustainability through a real customer’s journey, while showcasing how their products are made to last and make a difference.
Key message: Patagonia gear is more than clothing — it’s part of a sustainable lifestyle built on purpose, durability, and responsibility.
Targeted audience: Eco-conscious Millennials and Gen Z (ages 18–40), outdoor enthusiasts, and value-driven consumers.
Platform selected for video: Facebook (long-form content)
Total length of video: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Date to be published: April 22 (Earth Day) – not only is this observance relevant to the brand’s mission and values, but it’s also becoming increasingly recognized as international concerns on climate change are increasing.
Evaluation: Video views, average watch time, post engagement (likes, comments, shares), website click-throughs, and brand sentiment in comments.
List of Tools:
- Video Equipment: DSLR or mirrorless camera, lapel mic, tripod, natural lighting, drone (optional)
- Content Creation Tools: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, Canva (for overlays), Descript (for captions)
- Measurement Tools & KPIs: Facebook Insights, Sprout Social, engagement rate, 3-second and 1-minute views, shares, comments with sentiment analysis
| Shot #: Short description name | Shot 1: Opening Hook | Shot 2: Meet the Customer | Shot 3: Life with Patagonia |
| Visual Inspiration: Screenshot or sketch of inspiration of what will be shown on the screen. | Visual Inspiration: Close-up of a well-worn Patagonia jacket laid flat on a table, surrounded by patches and pins from popular events/festivals/moments obvious signs of wear and tear | Visual Inspiration: Natural light portrait of the customer standing by a scenic trail | Visual Inspiration: Footage of the customer hiking, biking, and participating at a rally |
| Time: Estimated time section will take. | Time: 0:00–0:07 | Time: 0:07–0:15 | Time: 0:15–0:30 |
| Audio: Will there be a voiceover, music, or any other audio present in the shot? What? | Audio: Soft ambient music builds | Audio: Voiceover – Customer speaking | Audio: Soft ambient music continues |
| Script: What will be said? Or what text will be shown on the screen? | Script: (Text on screen) “This jacket’s been to protests, mountaintops, and coffee dates. It’s got stories to tell.” | Script: “I bought this Patagonia jacket in 2012. I was 19 and didn’t know much or even care about sustainability… yet.” | Visual Inspiration: Close-up of a well-worn Patagonia jacket laid flat on a table, surrounded by patches and pins from popular events/festivals/moments, obvious signs of wear and tear |
| Shot 4: The Repairs | Shot 5: Philosophy of Use | Shot 6: Reflection Moment | Shot 7: Patagonia’s Role |
| Visual Inspiration: Quick cuts of rips, stitching, iron-on patches, DIY fixes | Visual Inspiration: B-roll of the Patagonia repair facility, text overlays showing “Worn Wear” stats | Visual Inspiration: Close-up of customer cleaning up behind himself at a campsite and placing things in the appropriate recycle and waste bins. | Visual Inspiration: Side-by-side visuals: brand footage of ethical sourcing, customer repairing gear |
| Time: 0:30–0:45 | Time: 0:45–1:00 | Time: 1:00–1:20 | Time: 1:20–1:35 |
| Audio: Sound effects of thread snipping, zippers zipping | Audio: Voiceover – calm, passionate tone | Audio: Faint birdsong and soft music | Audio: Brand voiceover with subtle music shift |
| Script: “I’ve patched it more than a dozen times. It’s not perfect, but neither am I. That’s the point.” | Script: “Patagonia isn’t just selling jackets. They’re teaching us how to take care of the things we already have.” | Script: “Sustainability isn’t a destination. It’s about living with intention — even when it’s inconvenient.” | Script: “Patagonia builds for longevity, not trends. Because the earth can’t afford fast fashion.” |
| Shot 8: Legacy Item | Shot 9: Call to Action | Shot 10: End Slate |
| Visual Inspiration: Customer folding the jacket and placing it in their child’s backpack | Visual Inspiration: Black screen with white text overlay, then the Patagonia logo | Visual Inspiration: Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” campaign tag with website and hashtag |
| Time: 1:35–1:50 | Time: 1:50–2:00 | Time: 2:00–2:30 |
| Audio: Light, hopeful piano music | Audio: Music fades out | Audio: Clickable Facebook link sound, end logo tone |
| Script: “Now it’s my daughter’s turn to wear it. To take it along with her as she takes on her own adventures” | Script: “Every piece has a purpose. Repair. Reuse. Repeat.” | Script: “Share your story. #WornToMatter | patagonia.com/wornwear” |
Writing for Social Media
The goal of this assignment was to provide experience in creating content tailored for Facebook. This assignment required transforming a blog post into a Facebook post to highlight the benefits of cross-promoting content across a brand’s social media platforms and provide an opportunity to practice strategies that make the content fit the unique needs of each platform.
Caption: Struggling to write captions that actually get engagement? You’re not alone! Social media isn’t just about posting—it’s about stopping the scroll and sparking conversations✨
Did you know that users decide in just 3 seconds whether to engage with your post? That means your first 5-7 words need to hook them fast! 🪝
Here’s what makes high-performing captions work:
- Bold openings that grab attention 👀
- Short & snappy copy (150 characters or less = 66% more engagement!)
- Calls to action that invite responses (Yes, “Drop an emoji if you agree” actually works!)
- Strategic emojis & formatting to make posts easy to read
But there’s more! If you want to master social media copywriting, I’ve broken down the latest data-driven strategies in my latest blog. Don’t let your content sink into the algorithm abyss!
