A couple of years ago, Vitaminwater got rid of its website and made its Facebook page its landing page. Internet surfers looking for information about Vitaminwater were redirected to Facebook where they could not only learn about the product but become interactive in its development.
Visitors were given the opportunity to download the “Flavor Creator Lab” Facebook application where they could submit their own ideas for a new flavor of Vitaminwater. Through this application consumers were able to give feedback and suggestions for new flavors, names, ingredients, and packaging through a variety of games and quizzes. One lucky Facebook fan was awarded $5,000 for their ideas. The winner’s ideas and designs were included in the new flavor of Vitaminwater. The new drink, Connect, was named in honor of social media.
The application also allowed users to keep tabs on the top 10 flavors in the contest. It kept users updated on social media chatter from sites like Google News, Twitter, and Flickr. This allowed various types of social media to play a role in the contest. The more social media buzz there was about a flavor, the higher it moved up on the top 10 list.
Participation was overwhelming. During the first month of the campaign the Vitaminwater Facebook fan base grew from 400,000 to 981,000. Fan participation rate was estimated at 10%. Vitaminwater now has a Facebook fan base of over 2 million and a longer list of loyal customers.
I believe that this social media campaign was successful because it actively attracted participation. By making their Facebook page their landing page, Vitaminwater gave their interested consumers a friendly push into participating in the campaign. Interested consumers turned into interactive consumers without even knowing it. Once on Vitaminwater’s Facebook page, visitors were enticed into the campaign. People like giving their opinions and expressing ideas. The Vitaminwater campaign gave followers of the company the opportunity to do this. I am sure that the chance to win $5,000 encouraged a few of those participants. Also, allowing your followers to participate in the development of your product will always attract attention, but Vitaminwater did more than that. They gave their followers complete control and gave them the opportunity to single handedly develop a customized product on their own.
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I can see why Vitaminwater's Facebook campaign worked. I think that consumer participation is very important. Everyone could voice their own opinion while reading about what others thought. This is where real feedback comes from. People seem to trust what other's think more than the companies words. Vitaminwater's Facebook page was creative and smart on how they could get people to interact and keep them interested.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think Vitaminwater's demographic uses Facebook so much more than any other website so it only would make sense to make it the landing page. By creating interaction with the consumers and allowing them to make new water flavors, the consumers feel like they are important. It was probably much easier for our demographic to navigate the Facebook page and spread the word to our friends. Giving consumers control is such a great way to utilize social media.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! Facebook was perfect venue to get the word out on Vitaminwater. Consumers wishing to research companies via the company websites or Facebook, can make their determination on whether they like or dislike or want to try the products by checking customer comments on the website.
ReplyDeleteI like how you differentiated between interested customers and interactive customers. Having an interactive customer is extremely valuable and I think that this campaign was a great idea. Customers obviously love the feeling of their vote making a difference and Vitaminwater was able to get their consumers hooked in a fun and non-obvious way.
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