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Posts Tagged ‘Coca Cola’

Social media for small businesses


November 30th, 2010 by Becky

Facebook is massive, with over 500 million users, whilst its biggest rival Twitter is quickly catching up, as over 300,000 new accounts are created every day. That’s a lot of potential customers.

Companies like Starbucks and Coca Cola have been quick to use this platform to connect with fans in new and exciting ways. Facebook is used like a mini website, with apps, landing pages, competitions and discussion boards all designed to create a buzz around new products and build online communities.

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Smaller businesses can benefit too, through interaction with existing clients, offering advice and feedback, and building a customer focused reputation. The recession has shown that innovation is essential for businesses to stay afloat and a social media presence should be welcomed as a way forward.

A good starting point is to engage with your existing customers, start discussions, reply to messages, keep content up to date. Avoid spamming hundreds of strangers with adverts and discounts. Create a positive forum for those already interested. Word of mouth is so influential and the internet magnifies this with billions of connections made every day, so keep your regulars happy first. Start small and grow your presence through a relevant and consistent supply of information and don’t be afraid to throw in some humour too.

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Have Innocent lost their innocence?


April 8th, 2009 by Nick

This week Innocent announced that it is to sell a 10 to 20 percent stake in the company to drinks giant Coca-Cola. For a company that strives to do business in a more ”enlightened way” going into business with one of the world’s largest corporate organisations will certainly raise a few eyebrows.

As Innocent join a growing list of companies that started small and developed a brand on the back of a values led approach, only to sell out to a large corporate. It may now have to convince its loyal advocates that its eco-friendly values have not been affected by this move. As a brand which strongly promotes itself as being ethical through policies on fruit sourcing and the environment, it has previously been linked with large multinationals such as McDonald’s to trial some of its beverages at their restaurants.

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