Last week's post on what we could learn about marketing from wine labels, was a great hit - thanks for all of your comments and feedback. So I thought I'd continue on with our food theme as it seems to be a popular topic for marketers AND food critics.
This week, I'd like to get us all thinking about burgers! That's right, big juicy hamburgers with the works. Now you might be asking, "What do burgers have to do with marketing?" My answer, EVERYTHING! As you know, marketing today is about much more than the traditional 4 p's (product, place, price, and promotion). It's about social media, community, and focusing on what you love. Add the power of social networks and the fact that individuals can easily contribute to the larger discussion via blogs, mobile devices, and so on, and you have a new marketing landscape.
The Straight Beef!
A couple of weeks ago I was at a reception and met Scott Blumenthal. Scott's a really bright guy and told me about a project he's been working on with John McManus and Michael Marino. They've created a blog to talk about and review hamburgers. Each post is filled with insightful information about the burger joints they frequent and provides an honest review of the hamburgers they've eaten. The blog also contains some eye opening stats like how many burgers (and whole cows) these guys have consumed over a lifetime - 1,066 to be exact.
My first time visiting the blog, The Straight Beef, I got really excited about what I found. I like a good burger just like the next guy, but the marketing implications were staring me in the face. Not only is the content of the blog entertaining, but it invites the community at large to participate in the discussion. Have you had a burger today? Did you think it was particularly good or bad? Leave a comment or email the burger guys directly at burger.reviews@gmail.com. Now this is marketing!!!
Burger Vendors Beware
If you're a restaurant or roadside stand, there's no hiding. Social media marketing is continuing to gain momentum and is the way that we, as consumers, will get more and more of our information. The products we want to buy, the services we want to learn more about - conversations are happening about them all over the Internet and we can easily participate or sit back and learn from the experiences of others before we make a buying decision. This is true for almost anything, even hamburgers.
I think that Scott and his blog partners have really hit on an essential marketing theme. That theme is to use media like blogging to share what you know and build a community around your passion. These essential elements can build a following and get everyone talking about a particular product or service. Do you know what people are saying about your brand? your products? If not, you should. Be part of the discussion and consumers will get to know you and associate positive feelings towards your brand.
I think that Scott and his blog partners have really hit on an essential marketing theme. That theme is to use media like blogging to share what you know and build a community around your passion. These essential elements can build a following and get everyone talking about a particular product or service. Do you know what people are saying about your brand? your products? If not, you should. Be part of the discussion and consumers will get to know you and associate positive feelings towards your brand.
I've think I've spoken more about burgers in this post than I have in a year. However, being reminded about how easy it is to be part of a larger social marketing community, even if it is about hamburgers, makes me want to talk about them much more often! Don't underestimate the effect that this type of information (a review) can have on your products. People are reading.. and writing!
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