For many, social media is an inescapable facet of personal and professional life. This relatively new medium allows businesses to reach customers instantly and conveniently, while at the same time creating an avenue for immediate feedback. The restaurant industry has been experimenting more with social media and working on establishing a connection with a chain’s “fan base” on Facebook.
In the midst of the Taco Bell beef fiasco, the company took to its Facebook page to thank customers for their support and offer “fans” a coupon for a free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. While utilizing social media to quickly “set the record straight,” Taco Bell was also able to express its appreciation for consumer loyalty to the group.
I don’t know if the coupon campaign helped ease anyone’s beef concerns, but social technology worked to the company’s advantage to communicate their desired response to the lawsuit ASAP. Essentially addressing the situation on their terms allowed Taco Bell to speak directly to its social media following versus letting the suit spotlight take over.
Restaurant chains are also relying on social media outlets to advertise free food promotions and establish an open dialogue with customers. Lenny’s Sub Shop offered its Facebook fans a free half-pound sub sandwich this month and, as a result, noticed an increase of “likes” on their page. The promotion was part of the chain’s broader focus on regional advertising and generating more visitor traffic to its locations. Lenny’s President Brent Alvord noted that, “We’re much more about creating the long-term relationship than being a discount trough.”
At last week’s International Franchise Association’s convention, social media was listed as one of the “hot topics” on the agenda. Social technology was emphasized as a means to network with consumers and not inundate them with “social-media selling.” Businesses can struggle with this concept when deciding what content to communicate with customers and how frequently to do so. Conversation topics that engage the social media audience and ask for one’s opinion usually produce the type of dialogue companies are looking for.
While many may “like” a restaurant’s Facebook page solely for the free food coupons, businesses seem to have realized how valuable a tool the social media space can be.
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Great article. I “like” it! I wonder if those using coupons off of facebook/etc are one time customers at these establishments, or do they return?
Thanks for the comment, Dan! You pose a good question. I can see what the chains are trying to accomplish by using social media outlets to offer promotional coupons, but I don’t think that alone will create the consumer loyalty/longevity these restaurants strive for. It’s a given that free food will typically grab one’s immediate attention, but it remains to be seen if “one time” customers do in fact return again.
I’ve read some bad articles on this subject but this one is really bad. It amounts to nothing more than a 5-minute snapshot of events that happened yesterday for the umpteenth time. Nothing new here nor is it even correct.
This is lowering the bar just a little too much. How about finding some people to write about the food industry who have actually worked in it and know something about it?
I think social media can be used to create customer loyalty. The trick is, you can just tweet a coupon every couple of months and expect the same people to come back to your restaurant. You have to create a consistent relationship with your customers.