Ben & Jerry’s social media catapult into the Australian market
Social Media is a buzzing with activity stemming from Ben & Jerry’s latest social media campaign. Remember how our team won a truck load of ice cream last year, well I have asked Rhys Furner, a Digital Marketing Consultant for Reload Media, Brio Group’s digital SEO partner to tell us about their lastest campaign.
If you haven’t tasted the delicious chunks and swirls of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, then I order you to try it now! But what’s even more impressive about B & J’s is their guerrilla social media marketing strategy they have employed with their recent entrance into the Australian market.
Ben & Jerry’s had the unenviable task of breaking into the Australian ice cream and dessert vertical against such industry stalwarts as Baskin Robbins, Cold Rock, Sara Lee, Streets and Peters. The main goal of the current campaign appears to have been to introduce as many Australians as possible to the decadent new range of premium ice cream flavours that is now available in Australia through Ben & Jerry’s.
Top of mind brand awareness was always going to be one of B & J’s primary marketing objectives in any introductory campaign, but it’s the way the company has gone about this which has really started to create some buzz both online and offline.
Introducing the Ben & Jerry’s Flavour Election – a Facebook competition where 8 finalists (who have each been assigned a different Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream flavour) campaign to gain the most ‘likes’ for their delegated flavour.
The winner receives a trip to any Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shop in the world and the voters go in the running to win a year’s supply of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream! (Quite literally a win-win situation.)
…And guess what? I, Rhys Furner, am one of the 8 flavour campaigners!
[briotube]http://www.youtube.com/v/hfYlB1FpHwY[/briotube]
As a digital marketing consultant taking part in such a boundary pushing and innovative social media campaign, I am really starting to see the benefits of utilising the power and enthusiasm of passionate brand advocates through creative and tactical crowd sourcing.
Ben & Jerry’s know that their target market is 18 – 35s. They rely on product ambassadors to spread the word about their crazy-delicious ice cream flavours. So what better medium to harness this brand loyalty then social media?
Overall, in just two weeks, the 8 Flavour Campaigners for Ben & Jerry’s have managed to get around 4,000 Facebook ‘Likes’ for their flavours. They have also gained thousands of ‘likes’ for the Ben & Jerry’s Australia Facebook page.
What a way to cause a stir! It just goes to show the power of social media and its ability to push your brand to new levels. All you need is a great concept and the ability to implement it through utilising companies like Brio Group and Reload Media!
And now for the plug!
Picture this…
Caramel ice cream, swirls of golden caramel, plus a helping of chocolate-covered buttery-soft pieces of caramel. It’s enough to keep any voter cool, calm and caramelated!
Vote for Triple Caramel Chunk today and help send me around the world!
Thanks Rhys, we wish you all the best in the competition.
Yours in tasty social media campaigns,
Belinda
