Robert Cifarelli, A&W manager of in-restaurant and online communications, provided tips on what’s next for social from a fast-food chain perspective. Three main ideas are:
- Is the end of TV near? Social media has disrupted the state of the industry for both media agencies and creative agencies.
- The drive to create truly engaging “real” content has cut out the need for complicated campaigns and apps developed by creative agencies.
- People will create content. Anyone armed with a mobile device or digital SLR will be the future of social media advertising.
A&W has developed an extremely strong social following by delivering specific and easy to understand content. Their marketing message was simply, “Like A&W if you like burgers.” It’s clear and direct, and allows followers to connect with the brand because of a common understanding. By not providing any incentives or perks, A&W has been able to attract true and loyal consumers to their social pages with over 500,000 Facebook followers within 16 months of their inception.
Many social marketers would argue that providing coupons, freebies, or discounts is a marketing strategy to incentivize consumers to like a brand, and ultimately purchase a product. Which it is. However, the downside of value exchanges is that if you offer an incentive, will you be attracting the right people? Finding those true and loyal consumers will ultimately set up a company for long-run success.