By: Felicia Loo
Social media is a widely popular means of communication in our generation and continues to expand. The New York Times recently reported that many companies are using social media outlets, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare, to engage consumers through a cost-effective and high visibility avenue. Through social media, engagement of consumers is not limited to simply surveys, but it can open the door to a number of beneficial opportunities, such as trend analysis and focus groups. Social media is helping to bridge the gap between the food producer and consumers, which has the potential to decrease the time and effort needed for food product development. Furthermore, using social media to engage consumers allows companies to build a relationship with consumers and enhance brand loyalty towards their product.
However, the uses of market research through social media are limited in terms of users that it can attract. Thus, possible bias for a specific food product or missing out on a sector of the population can occur. Further, social media posting can be seen by everyone, so companies must be aware that their competitors can view their postings just as readily as consumers.
Definitely! I “like” a lot of companies on Facebook and they will announce new products, have little competitions with giveaways, provide coupons, or ask about new flavors. It’s not only beneficial for the company, but it’s fun for the consumer and makes us feel like we are really contributing and certainly increases brand loyalty. It will be interesting to watch it grow as social media grows.
I like the idea of companies allowing us to vote for products we like or make suggestions through social media. It’s a great connection between brands and consumers.