Perfect Storm: when social media combines with trust, transparency, quality and sustainability
Mar 07, 2016
Ever wonder what makes social media tips and posts go viral? – EMOTIONS and BELIEFS! Raw and Unfiltered; whether it’s the joy of looking at a cute puppy, sharing one’s idealism and beliefs in politics, challenging OR affirming ones beliefs on some of the core issues of today- trust, transparency, quality, and sustainability!
In the last issue of the Functional Pharmacy Insider, I shared with you a term I coined which I lifted from the new South West Airlines campaign which I think is brilliant and timely for not just the airline industry, but EVERY INDUSTRY:
Transpharmacy (Philosophy created by forward thinking, change making pharmacists who do not take a one-size-fits all approach with their patients, but an individualized approach where their patients are treated honesty and fairly, leading with quality and value.)
Check out the issue here…the “Sell more supplements for the cost of a latte special” is will be over soon be
Did you see hear how French’s Ketchup sales skyrocketed after a man from Ontario praised Frenches Ketchup on Facebook? All to the dismay of competitor Heinz.
There is many a great lesson here. First, which is not really the topic of this article, is that as a business you should continue to innovate and add new profit centers to your business.
Think about sitting down for a burger or hot dog. For years, the ‘go-to’ condiments have been French’s mustard and either Heinz for Hunts Ketchup.
Last year French’s made the brilliant decision to introduce their own ketchup to the mix, and do so being free of artificial ingredients, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup- following some of the core wants of consumers.
With the right distributor and social media hit such as this, that’s a potential of 100% profit increase.
Then recently, Brian Fernandez of Orilla, Ontario created a Facebook post praising the virtues of a particular ketchup brand, on the importance of purchasing locally-sourced products.
A long-time supporter of French’s mustard, Fernandez did some research on its version of ketchup and discovered the company used tomato paste that came from Leamington, Ontario — the "Tomato Capital of Canada."
Prior, Leamington was the home of Heinz Ketchup Canadian division and main supplier of tomatoes and Heinz ketchup for all of Canada. When Heinz was bought by Kraft and production was moved to the States; the plant closed in 2014 and left over 700 people without jobs.
But then the owners of French’s stepped in and resumed ketchup production, with French’s taking charge of the contract.
Fernandez has Type 2 diabetes and not only is French’s ketchup a more natural option to its Heinz; it is also free of high-fructose syrup. Fernandez then conducted a blind taste test of the product with his family. In both trials — one taken on the finger, the other taken on French fries — his wife and his teenage son and daughter unanimously chose French’s over the competition.
Fernandez, then took to Facebook to give kudo’s to French’s for their superior quality and for essentially saving Leamington’s economy, and you have to check out the response.
