Allow me to pump the brakes one more time on the whole social media bullet train. Don’t get me wrong, social media are wonderful weapons that offer countless opportunities. Every sword, however, has its foible. My last post exposed figures whose social media antics destroyed their public images and tarnished their reputations. Today’s post highlights a visionary who forgoes a heavy social media strategy and just lets his product sell itself.
In 2009, Brian Moore Esq., a land use and development attorney, launched Harmony Kettle Corn, a brand of homemade, gourmet popcorn that unites sweet and salty in the best way imaginable. Moore hopes to one day fill grocery stores with his product, but in the meantime he and his small staff venture between Jackson Memorial downtown and the UC at the Coral Gables campus to entice customers with the popcorn’s ridiculously enchanting aroma, and better yet, free samples. They manage to maintain a loyal band of followers with very little help from social media, or traditional marketing for that matter.
The crux of their popularity stems from the quality of the product. Harmony Kettle Corn is just plain good! They do have a modest website and a whopping six followers on Twitter, but the appeal of the brand is the product itself. It’s made fresh, it’s cheap, and it always satisfies. Anyone who tries some always shares it with their friends, which ultimately gets them hooked as well. Their success mirrors that of those Hollywood blockbusters, like the Blair Witch Project and the Dark Knight, who initiated viral campaigns in lieu of typical publicity tours. They generate very little of their own content and let their fanatics stir up their own hype. With every friendly recommendation comes a new, loyal follower.
Could Harmony benefit from implementing a social media campaign? Of course! My point is, though, that they don’t need to; what they produce is so good that it stands on its own. Social media, good social media that is, requires a huge investment of time and capital. Organizations that don’t have the resources to do so should stick with what they do best and put their faith in their product. Companies that decide to go the way of Tom Dickinson and Blendtec, however, better make sure their social media efforts are well thought out and executed, and that their product measures up when it’s time to perform.
I like your recent approaches, i.e. noticing that social media is not a bandage to heal all woes and can, in fact, facilitate negative publicity. I agree that social media is not right for all organizations all of the time; however, in the case of Harmony, would the brand really find no value in using social media? Perhaps, this takes us back to the criteria for organizational social media use: What are the business objectives associated with social media use? In other words, would social media serve to accomplish any of Harmony's business goals? How would this relate to other similar small businesses in terms of your recommendations?
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying but I don't completely agree. Harmony may not need to advertise or run promotions to reach new costumers or to remain top-of-mind with existing costumers, but I do think that they stand to benefit from social media. In particular, I think that social media outlets would be a good platform for Harmony to use to gain useful feedback from costumers or to be able to answer questions and disseminate information i.e how to get it shipped and points of sale. I don't think that they need a massive presence, but being somewhat active and answering questions could be a good way to maintain great relationships. A little but of work could go a long way.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with the base of your argument - many small businesses or organizations feel compelled to just have social media presence for the sake of it BUT what they really should be doing is focusing their energies on making a truly great product. Businesses trying to live off of hype alone usually fade fast when times are tough and money is thin.
ReplyDeleteI have to respectfully disagree. I don't think Social Media is either time consuming or resource heavy. If anything I think a simple social media plan can save you both time and resources, and not just in advertising. A piece of cardboard, a pen and a twitter account can turn your small shop in to one that has global reach. I know that example isn't very specific, but I think all companies, including the one you use as an example can benefit from a social media outlet. It won't be long till that corn is on social media, mark my words.
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