When the Fruit Stand Got Facebook-Savvy
Pint of Strawberries | Courtesy: Mr. T in DC on Flickr
By Chris Prouty, Sr Account Executive, Schwartz MSL
There are three things I’m addicted to: my social networks, HBO’s Game of Thrones and fresh fruit. But really how often do at least two of those intersect? I was struck dumb this morning by the seemingly innocuous inside label of a strawberry container: “Scan our QR code with your smart phone…Check us out on [insert labels for Facebook, YouTube and Twitter].”
How amazing is it that even perishable consumer goods have their own social following on social networks?
A bit of investigation revealed that: 545,000 registered users on Facebook currently “Like” (and like!) strawberries. That means that out of the 750 million people on Facebook (1 in 9 people out of the total global population), 7.3 percent of them like strawberries. Compare that to strawberry daiquiris, where 1.1 percent of the total Facebook network “Like” their berries boozy.
Berries Online
Looking at YouTube, 490 million unique users who visit every month (as of February 2011) and over 190,000 of the videos involve the strawberry. That means there’s a 3.88% chance that someone at any given moment is watching a video about the berry.
The advent of websites for food has grown dramatically as well. A recent study published in this month’s Food Technology monthly states that social and digital media have replaced moms in the family kitchen.
“As consumers use social media to discover and share information about food, they quickly become more active participants in food culture,” the study’s authors, Steve Bryant and Laurie Demeritt, wrote. “They look to bloggers and other opinions online to expand their culinary horizons and make purchase decisions.”
If companies want to gain the attention of consumers, they must use social media to communicate in ways that are authentic and personable, the study found.
Lessons From Fruit
So back to strawberries—the brand dishing the fruit now allow consumers who buy their product (similar to any B2C brand out there) to connect with them on multiple channels, increasing the content that’s available for everyone to view online. A piece of advice for brands that make the social jump: make sure the content, like fruit, is fresh. Expiration dates and consumers don’t mix well.
Follow Chris on Twitter: @LoveProuty
Originally posted on Schwartz MSL Crossroads.
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