Brands and retailers including Target, Nordstrom, Coca-Cola and Dunkin? Donuts integrated mobile and social in visually focused campaigns during Q3 of 2014 for community-building and awareness.

Mobile photo-sharing and video have dominated this year as tactics that marketers are including in their social media campaigns. Furthermore, brands and retailers leveraged physical and digital influencers to drive more awareness for these initiatives. The third quarter saw an even greater push for these social campaigns to generate conversion.

Here are the top ten mobile, social campaigns from the third quarter, in alphabetical order. The campaigns were chosen based on creative, tactic and execution. Results for the marketing efforts were not given.

Banana Republic drives in-store traffic with Skinnygirl cocktails, Benefit Cosmetics
Clothing and accessories retailer Banana Republic conducted via social media a marketing campaign seeking to drive foot traffic by offering goodies such as products from Skinnygirl Cocktails and Benefit Cosmetics to attendees of a special in-store event. 

Calling the event Girls Night Out, Banana Republic worked with other brands that share a similar audience to host a grand occasion sure to bring shoppers into its stores. Meanwhile, the other participating brands gain exposure, and sharing samples can often lead to further sales transactions.

Coca-Cola launches Tweet-a-Coke as trackable social coupons gain
As a digital extension of the ?Share a Coke? campaign, Coca-Cola entered into its first social commerce foray with the introduction of a Twitter program that enables users to send a soft drink to their friends for $5.

The ?Tweet-a-Coke? promotion permits a link to be tweeted that, once opened, lets the recipient order a Coke at Regal Cinemas locations, the largest theatre circuit in the United States. To send the Coke, users must authenticate their Twitter account and enter credit card information.

Covergirl reinforces connection to style icons via Twitter during VMAs
Procter and Gamble's Covergirl and Unilever's Tresemmé took advantage of the focus on glamour during MTV?s Video Music Awards by promoting tweets of celebrities? looks and use of the brands? products. 

As viewers of the awards show are known to follow along with their Twitter feeds while watching and tend to admire the fashion and beauty aspects of the famous attendees, beauty brands put themselves in the center of the action to promote business and awareness. By using the edge of certain entertainers, images, embedded links and the hashtag #VMAs, beauty brands were able to stay present in the conversation and hopefully attract attention.

Dove takes to the red carpet with social Emmy Awards tie-in
Similarly, beauty brand Dove encouraged a multi-screen experience that incorporated social media and free product samples in conjunction with the telecast of the Emmy Awards. 

The campaign marks Dove?s first effort at product sampling through Twitter, where the Unilever-owned brand has more than 120,000 followers. It marks another step in the efforts among brands to leverage social media as a platform to escort customers down the path to purchase. 

Dunkin? Donuts celebrates app?s anniversary with Twitter sweepstakes
Dunkin? Donuts celebrated the two-year anniversary of its mobile application recently with a two-day sweepstakes that was promoted on Twitter.

The coffee and bakery chain recently reported that it has reached nearly 8 million downloads of the Dunkin Donuts mobile app and that more than 1.3 million customers have signed up for Dunkin Donuts Perks Rewards members, which was introduced earlier this year and is tightly integrated with the app. To further promote the app, over the weekend, Dunkin? Donuts offered Twitter users a free coupon for entering the sweepstakes by naming which Dunkin? Donuts beverage they would order through the app and including the hashtag #DunkinAppSweeps.

IHOP pits new menu items against one another in Twitter contest
Restaurant chain IHOP hosted a contest that enticed crepe lovers to try its new entrees and tweet their favorite using one of two hashtags.

The two entrees, featuring one sweet crepe dish with strawberries and cream and one savory, classic crepe with eggs and meat, along with the contest, titled Colossal Clash of the Crepes, aimed to create buzz and foot traffic in addition to social presence. IHOP also looked for customer insight to better accommodate its guests.

Mountain Dew takes street art on tour through Instagram
PepsiCo?s Mountain Dew voiced its support for street art and urban culture through a live event that featured submitted artwork through Instagram from street artists, which was then printed on site and put on display at the exhibit.

Mountain Dew collaborated with Dutch Art group Chaotic Bastards for the event that was held at the Museumplein in Amsterdam. By enabling a strong mobile component in the campaign, artists from all over Europe were able to share their art remotely.

The event then traveled to Brooklyn, New York, where designer Kevin Lyons curated submissions at the Brooklyn Dew Tour at the House of Vans. 

Snuggle cozies up to social to update 30-year-old mascot
Sun Products Corp.?s Snuggle brand made a big social push throughout September as part of an overarching campaign to make the brand?s 30-year-old mascot relevant to a new generation.  

The month-long celebration included a Twitter party and special social media theme days such as Giveaway Tuesdays, Wish Wednesdays and Throwback Thursdays. The fabric softener brand has been on a mission to contemporize the brand for the past three years and today, Snuggle Bear has a growing social media presence that boasts a high level of engagement among fans and followers on the mascot?s official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels, according to Sun Products. 

Subway?s Sharknado 2 comedic tweets bite back
Fast food franchise Subway took puns to a new level in a series of tweets during the premiere of Syfy?s disaster movie sequel Sharknado 2 that showcased a common denominator between fans of the film and of the brand?s sandwiches: biting.

Food and fashion brands hop onto entertainment trends to join the ongoing conversation and insert themselves into the minds of TV viewers. Otherwise unrelated, Subway chose a shark focused film likely to run with the biting factor and provide entertainment while viewers watched the movie and connected further on Twitter.

Target, Nordstrom boost mcommerce with shoppable Instagram images
In the latest example of how social commerce is quickly gaining steam, Target and Nordstrom are betting the enthusiasm of Instagram users will translate to sales by making it easy to purchase products on display on the retailers? social network profiles.

Consumers have been known to spend hours scouring Instagram for images of the exact product they want. Now, these users will be able to purchase items from brands participating in the program with just a few clicks.

While the examples of Target?s and Nordstrom?s efforts dive directly into social commerce, brands have made indirect but significant progress at garnering revenue through social campaigns. Today?s society thrives on social belonging, and consumers are more than ready and willing to do business with their favorite brands via social. 

It is clear that brands are recognizing their consumers? needs and responding by activating creative and responsive campaigns.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York