In the consumer products industry, conventional wisdom would
hold that customers interact with brands and products online / in social media
in large part to score discounts or get a coupon. A recent article in
e-marketer showed that this was true – 67% of social network users in the U.S.
“like” or follow personal care brands to get coupons or discounts; 63% for food
brands; 50% for nonalcoholic beverages. Interestingly, this does not hold true
for alcoholic beverages. Only 26% of social network users like or follow these
brands to get such discounts. Users cite
as nearly equally important that they “identify with the brand” or “get advice
on purchases” for alcohol products.
This could be because they are not expecting such discounts
(and legal/regulatory issues make it difficult to give them) and because people
often stick to what they know when it comes to wine, beer, and spirits…they
identify with a brand and will seek recommendations from friends, but won’t
follow a brand with a transactional expectation.
I worked in the wine industry this past summer and saw this
dynamic at play. Our fans and followers responded less to invitations to events
or promotions and more to pictures that represented the “lifestyle” of the
brand and emphasized its personality and emotional resonance. They
also liked and shared tips, recipes, and pairing advice vs. deals at wine shops. Given
that alcoholic beverages should be
highly social…and people are often intimidated by the choices and complexity, marketers should see social media as a great opportunity for these
brands. They have a chance to build a fan base with those who know them and
then to expand this fan base among their enthusiasts’ networks – without a
transactional or monetary expectation online. While more difficult to measure the effects, these efforts can reinforce loyalty from consumers and give them channels in which to share their affinity with others. Cheers to that!
The full emarketer article can be found here: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009358&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4
-Rebecca Canan
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