Dive Brief:
- While General Mills' sales continue to be unremarkable, its brand Annie’s has seen double-digit growth and has continued to capture consumer attention since it was acquired by the food giant in 2014, according to Food Navigator. The better-for-you brand's household penetration skyrocketed from around 10 million at the time of the acquisition to almost 25 million today.
- Annie's has driven strong e-commerce sales growth by targeting millennial parents with interactive advertisements that are highly sharable. In October, Annie's launched a digital ad campaign aimed at this demographic that advertises its new organic cheddar puffs and popcorn products.
- Annie's marketing director Dan Stangler told Food Navigator that Facebook is a key social media platform because of its broad reach, and the fact that the brand's target consumer spends a lot of time on the service. "We want to be relevant, reach people when they are receptive and approach them with a lot of empathy," he told the trade publication. "Strong fun content with a helpful message are powerful and appreciated when they are done well."
Dive Insight:
The quality and taste of Annie's products like Cheddar Bunnies and organic Mac and Cheese aren't the only reason the brand has experienced meteoric growth over the years. Annie's power seems to come from intimate knowledge of who its customers are — insight it has leveraged through dynamic, often humorous digital campaigns its consumers can then share with their social media communities.
In its latest marketing blitz to spread the word about new salty snacks, Annie’s reminded parents that kids don’t always make the best choices, demonstrated by a short video of a toddler happily eating a handful of sand. The overlay text reads, "This is why you choose their snacks."
This ad spot certainly delivers on the empathy for parents that Stangler described. By poking fun at the weird things kids do when left to their own devices, Annie's has created something that is very shareable. Consumers can easily repost the video on Facebook with their own anecdotes about the odd things their children have snacked on. Messages like this one resonate with consumers because it taps into a common experience without judgment, making the brand appear familiar and relatable.
Chobani has used a somewhat similar strategy to reach its target consumers on social media. The yogurt company focused on the lifestyle of its customers and joined conversations that were already commonplace on social media. Chobani learned what its consumers wanted (recipes, snack ideas and tips on staying fit), and gave it to them where they already were — on platforms like Pinterest.
Chobani's efforts paid off, just as Annie's have. The yogurt maker now controls 38% of the Greek category, significantly outpacing former heavyweights like Yoplait and Dannon. These results hold powerful opportunities for both emerging and established brands hoping to improve their customer reach. Social media is teeming with valuable information about consumer interests, shopping behavior and communication patterns. If companies take the time to learn their customers' online language, they could create dynamic campaigns that may yield similar success.