(originally published on Triple Pundit on April 14, 2011)
Businesses of all stripes are starting to
use Facebook and other social media outlets to promote themselves and
connect with consumers. According to an article by Mariann Hardey in the
International Journal of Market Research, by the end of 2010, 140 million brands were using Facebook to expand their market reach (2011). Among them is Stonyfield Farm,
maker of organic yogurt and milk. As an early pioneer in the organic
agriculture movement, Stonyfield has a long history of connecting with
its consumers. From its first recipe contest in 1987 to the company’s
Adopt-a-Cow program in 1990 (which still continues today) to
Stonyfield’s brand-awareness campaigns that gave away millions of cups
of yogurt to Chicago and Boston public transit riders between 1998 and
2004, the company has hardly needed social media to stay connected to
loyal followers. But that hasn’t stopped the company from using it.
On April 1, 2011, Stonyfield began a new
Facebook campaign called “Your Organic Moment,” which asks people to
share their reasons for choosing to eat organic food. And the stories,
photographs, and videos have been pouring in. During the first ten days,
over 550 people have posted their stories on Stonyfield’s YourOrganicMoment.com website, which is being heavily promoted through the company’s Facebook page.
Stonyfield’s page received an average of 22 comments per day on
Facebook during that time period, compared to 10.4 and 8.5 during the
two previous 10-day periods. Interestingly, the number of “Likes” and
replies to other comments declined during this same period, suggesting
that users were more engaged in initiating their own comments rather
than just voicing a complaint or reacting to a post by Stonyfield’s
social media manager.
Communication by consumers through Stonyfield’s Facebook page and itsYourOrganicMoment.com
website is much more heartfelt than most of the other posts the
company’s page receives. What is striking about this campaign is both
the consistency of reasoning that people give for their choice, and also
the personal details they are willing to share with the company and the
rest of the world. Most people cite broad environmental concerns and
their desire to avoid pesticides as their primary motivation, but
heartbreaking tales of health issues and disease are also a shockingly
common thread throughout. From stories of cancer to childhood
hyper-activity to thyroid disease to diabetes to mysterious food
allergies, this campaign has created a cathartic sounding board for
people to share their pain and struggles. Is Stonyfield making yogurt or
a miracle drug? From the range of stories and passion for organic
products expressed through this campaign, one might think it’s the
latter.
If Stonyfield is trying to get a window
into the motivation of their consumer’s behavior, the company seems to
have tapped into something here. What seems unclear, however, is what
Stonyfield’s motivation is for seeking these kinds of personal stories.
Is it just a community-building campaign that leverages the power of
social media, or is there a deeper marketing motivation at work behind
the scenes? What do you think?