Happy Friday!
Social media is more than numbers of retweets or shares – it’s about engaging with your followers and creating an experience. This week we’re talking about how a small candy is celebrating a big birthday and how brands are using Twitter polls to engage with followers. Here’s what’s cooking this week in the food PR industry!
Social Spotlight
One of America’s beloved candy brands is gearing up to celebrate its 75th anniversary. This week M&Ms launched its birthday celebration on social media with a series of posts, campaign hashtags and short video clips that give some hints as to what is coming. As a main sponsor of NASCAR, M&Ms also live-tweeted the Daytona 500 race and used the event to help launch the 75th anniversary celebrations:
M&Ms are using the hashtags #CelebrateWithM and #mms75 across all accounts to build awareness of the campaign and encourage people to share their M&M love by celebrating the anniversary, too. The company is also adding an element of surprise and building up to a big reveal by hinting that something is coming on February 29 (Leap Day tie in??). We will be watching closely to see what’s coming next!
Trend Watch: Food + Restaurant Industry News
In October 2015 Twitter launched Twitter Polls, making it easier for users to weigh in on … well, everything. This has led to brands finding new ways to adopt and use this interactive feature to engage fans. Lately we’ve noticed more and more brands taking advantage of polls for things like market research, spreading important messages about causes they support and asking fun questions. These were some of the polls we saw on Twitter this week:
As this trend becomes more common, brands are finding ways to reinforce their brand voice, have a little fun with followers and improve their content. While brands should be careful not to overuse this feature, it can be a very helpful tool if used strategically.
PR Lesson of the Week
While we aren’t sure what’s coming next, so far the M&M’s 75th anniversary campaign is a great example of how to really kick off a campaign and turn heads. Before launching a campaign, make sure all these things are checked off:
1. Know who to target and why
Choose your target audience and know why you’re trying to reach them. Is your campaign trying to enhance brand loyalty among your current fans? Are you trying to reach into a new demographic that isn’t familiar with your brand right now? Every step of the campaign should go back to who you’re trying to reach.
2. Be where your audience is looking
This goes along with knowing your target audience. Once you know who you’re targeting, the next step is to identify the best places to reach your audience. Brands don’t need to be everywhere; instead they should be where they can best connect with their fans and customers. The best places to get your message across will vary depending on who you want to reach. For example, to reach millennials and generation Z your campaign should definitely have a social media component. Even more specifically, if you’re trying to reach young females, Pinterest might be a great medium to use because of its high female-user demographic.
3. Stand out
Make sure you’re doing something that will get your brand noticed! M&Ms is building suspense with the social media teasers and had a fun kickoff event at the Daytona 500. These things draw more attention to the campaign and gets fans excited. Large brands have an easier time getting noticed, but smaller brands can still create waves. Focus on your local community or the area you want to be noticed and make the most of the mediums you have to work with.
Hungry For More?
- Donatos Improves Productivity, Accuracy with Student Help
- Snapchat Will Now You Create Custom Filters for that Party or Wedding
- They’re Just Like Us! Bon Appétit Shot Its Latest Food Pics on an iPhone
- Starbucks Changes Rewards Program
- Facebook’s New Like Button is Here: Reactions Now Available to Everyone
Thanks for stopping by to this week’s Restaurant + Food PR News & Trends!
What are some of the best Twitter poll questions you’ve seen? Share with us in the comments!
