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.

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.

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.

However, the reality is Coca Cola have only taken a minority stake in the company. And the primary reasons given by Innocent’s founders are to add financial backing and the ability to get their brand into Europe and the wider world. This did work well for other ‘’start small” brands such as Ben & Jerry’s with Unilever and Pret A Manger with McDonald’s.  On both occasions the smaller brands were given the help they needed to further expand across the world.  Perhaps the Innocent/ Coca Cola partnership will court more controversy though due to the ‘purity’ of the Innocent brand.  People still associate the product to its ’stall at a music festival’ routes and now it could be perceived by some to be climbing on the corporate band-wagon.  However this definitely can work for Innocent providing that Coca-Cola leave the brand well alone and don’t try and stamp their own identity on it.  Financial backing – yes, multi-national marketing savvy – yes, but let’s leave everything else as is, please!

Has Innocent lost its innocence?  Or is this a shrewd business move to further grow the brand in areas it would have otherwise struggled to gain a share? Only time will tell, but let’s just hope it keeps its integrity by sticking to the core values, and not ending up losing their halo.