Duncan Hines is on the leading edge of reaching 667,000 fans on its Facebook page. That number is even more impressive when you realize that the page is all about one thing, and one thing only … baking, which ties to the brand’s popular Baker’s Club. It just goes to show us all that if you understand and tap into something that your customers are truly crazy-wild for, you really can have your cake and eat it too.
Andy Reichgut (right), Duncan Hines’ senior vice president of marketing, chats with us about the brand’s social media strategy.
PROMO: How, in general, has social media impacted your retail marketing strategy and plans?
REICHGUT: Duncan Hines primarily uses social media as a way to engage with bakers. Consumers in this category are incredibly involved and passionate when it comes to baking. We want to provide them with a genuine platform for conversations with our experts and with other bakers like them to drive brand affinity through all moments of truth—those times when bakers will choose our brand while in the grocery aisle.
PROMO: What have you found to be the most successful promotion, or content you have run on a social platform?
REICHGUT: In general, content that is meaningful to today’s baker has resonated the most. What works best are programs focused on relevant solutions for them, as well as approaches that give them a voice to share their ideas with others.
PROMO: How do you measure the impact of social on sales at retail?
REICHGUT: We measure social media impact on multiple levels, from conversations to sales.
PROMO: In the area of budgeting, have you increased your budget in social media?
REICHGUT: Yes, we are committed to investing in social media as a way to develop stronger and long-lasting relationships with our baking community.
PROMO: When you are in marketing strategy meetings, what role does social play?
REICHGUT: The role of social media varies with each product and program. Unlike more traditional mediums, social media is incredibly fluid and flexible, thereby allowing us to use it in many different ways.
PROMO: Is there so much focus on social that other promotions/marketing efforts are taking a back seat?
REICHGUT: No. Social media is an enabler for existing programs, as well as an effective vehicle on its own.
PROMO: As a marketer of a major brand, what keeps you up at night?
REICHGUT: Every night is something different. Duncan Hines has an incredibly robust and innovative product line up, so I am always thinking about how we prioritize all the wonderful opportunities and making the right choice on how to go to market. It’s a great problem to have.
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