Which means it's time to talk about ice cream. And social media, of course.
Luckily, some news from lovable hippie confectioners Ben & Jerry's makes this easy. Word got out last week that the company was dropping its regular e-mail marketing campaign with plans to use only social media from now on.
As Hubspot Blog reported, this move came about because "customers had indicated that they disliked the email despite loving the brand, which means that it wasn't building the positive relationship that the famously brand-conscious ice cream company wanted."
Naturally, lots of discussion from marketing professionals followed this announcement, both critical and more conciliatory.
But the story changed when the company Tweeted on July 14:
That's right; all us North American fans can still sign up for the colorfully named e-mail missive for all our dairy dessert news.
Which is good news, and the part where we start learning from ice cream.
We all know how powerful social media can be — Ben & Jerry's Facebook page has a 1.3 million plus fans, for Pete's sake.
But though it's growing fast, social media is still just one element of a successful marketing strategy — one scoop of your sundae, if you will.
Engagement with customers is the ultimate goal, and Ben and Jerry's pretty much rocks at this, whether it's heading to Bonnaroo with a specially made flavor in tow or providing ice cream lovers their Scoop of Happiness iPhone app.
The fact that Ben & Jerry's was listening to its customers and attempting to reach them in the way their fans like best is the biggest lesson.
Take the Ben & Jerry's example to heart as you plan your marketing strategies. Listen to your customers. Find new ways to reach them. Make changes based on what they tell you. Look for engagement in any and every way you can find it.
That's our recipe for a sweet success story, no matter what your business.
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I also find it interesting how often ice cream ties to social media... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE
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