Ben & Jerry’s Create a Community Within Facebook

There are many things I do not want to read about on Facebook. I don’t especially enjoy reading  what people had for breakfast or how “Johnny” is being a jerk to “Sally.”  However, I do like reading Facebook posts from my favorite ice cream brand-Ben & Jerry’s. They currently have 5,793,345 likes on Facebook, and I am proud to say I am one them.

On Facebook, Ben & Jerry’s post about once a day, and they don’t exclusively talk about their products. This tactic is  refreshing to me, especially when I see brands using Facebook solely to send blasts on their latest products. Ben & Jerry’s is a pleasure to read about, because whether it’s politics, the environment, or events they are holding, the posts are always positive and engaging.  For example, on February 7th, the UK legalized same-sex marriage and Ben & Jerry’s posted about it. They are not afraid to speak about their political positions, which gives them even more personality.

Besides posting news and other events, they also encourage fans to get involved in their brand community. One recent campaign they had was called “CaptureEuphoria.” This is  where the business encouraged their followers to send in Instagrams of them doing things they love, and the best will be featured in the next Ben and Jerry’s advertisement.

They also have the “Fan Foto of the week” in which they feature someone who is a big fan of the brand and the products themselves. This encourages fans to interact with the page and look at what other consumers are up to. For example, the picture below features a Fan Foto of  Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that she tried in Singapore. This picture received 16,600 likes and over 1,300 shares. Not only does it show people consuming the ice cream, but it shows fans this is a global brand, and people all over the globe love this ice cream.

Ben & Jerry’s is also very responsive to their consumers on the Facebook platform. When their consumers have questions or complaint, this brand always responds in a positive and helpful manner.

So, overall this brand incorporates their products, believes and consumers  all on this platform. They are engaging and post pictures along with the majority of the posts, which keeps the page visually pleasing. I also enjoy reading about things they post, because they  relate to their consumers. This brand is a community made up of people who love ice cream, but also people who want to give back to the world they live in.

What other brands are using Facebook as well as Ben & Jerry’s ? Please let me know your thoughts!

Clydesdales Running the AdBowl 2013

Since da Bears “narrowly” missed the Super bowl this year, I must admit I was paying more attention to my Twitter feed than the actual game. As the commercials rolled, so did the number of hashtages relating to the Super bowl commercials. However, only a few spots really stuck out and one of them was the Budweiser “Brotherhood” ad. First of all, who doesn’t love baby animals and a good heart melting story? Not only did it make me want to forget this whole “college thing”, go live on a farm and raise horses, but it also did a great job of incorporating the social media community.

Budweiser not only produced a great Super bowl ad, but they also asked social media users to help name the Clydesdale colt featured in their commercial. Budweiser even created a Twitter a week before the game to spread awareness of this campaign. Their efforts were rewarded with 10,138 followers and more than a million shares of the commercial.

According to Anheuser- Busch, there were over 60,000 tweets, Facebook messages and calls from people suggesting names for the horse. Furthermore, Unruly Media stated this commercial was shared 1.9 million times, which makes it “the 15^th most shared ad of all time.”

Budweiser did a great job because they encouraged the twitter and Facebook community to get involved. People who voted for the name were able to feel as though they were part of the horse’s life. They felt special because the brand was asking for their input, and in the end, the name “Hope” won the most number of votes.

Small companies can learn from this campaign. As previously stated, people like to feel connected and they like to be part of a story. This campaign allowed followers to be part of the horse’s life and then see her on TV. Small companies can learn that a good story can take a brand a long way. You don’t have to be a big business like Anheuser- Busch to get people involved and active within your brand.

I would not change anything about this commercial. I think it was executed well and created awareness for both the campaign and the brand before and after the commercial aired.

In the end, will this commercial increase sales? I am not sure, but it has already increased brand awareness. When I see Budweiser I have always thought about the Clydesdales, but now I will also think of Hope and how I felt as I watched their commercial. This awareness may cause me and others to buy this beer. Even today, people are still tweeting about the Clydesdales, which shows what an impact it had on society.