Social marketing principles and applications

Social Marketing

Marketing

Social marketing, loyalty and community branding: Pillsbury

Social marketing, loyalty and community branding: Pillsbury

Of all the hobbies that are ill-suited for the Internet, baking might seem to top the list: its homey image seems to contradict the sleek, high-tech image of the Internet age. However, the Pillsbury Company has established a strong web presence. While most major companies have websites that advertise the brand and provide links to press releases about new products, Pillsbury has tried to create a community of bakers.

On Pillsbury.com, loyal (or casual) customers can register to participate in Pillsbury's baking and cooking forums. Community members can share baking tips and tales of their creations. Often these creations are versions of the recipe suggestions on the Pillsbury website. The website strives to give the consumer new ideas about using Pillsbury products in unconventional ways. The presence of an online community is an effective emotional reinforcement for the customer: while the baker's product might be eaten quickly and forgotten, online the Pillsbury consumer can speculate as to what he or she should cook, post photographs of his or her baked goods to online friends, and then detail how the dish was received. Consumers who register for free on the website receive online coupons, can set up a personal recipe box of their favorite on-site recipes, get email newsletters, compose customizable grocery lists, and are sent special, members-only recipes. As well as running its own informational Pillsbury Bake-Off blog for would-be entrants, Pillsbury also sends promotional products to popular bloggers who can then describe their reactions to the Pillsbury product.

But establishing a unique brand as a commercial, generic baking company is difficult: Pillsbury must distinguish itself vs. Betty Crocker and Dunkin Heinz. Unlike other companies that are purely organic or gluten-free, Pillsbury targets a fairly generic market. Pillsbury's million-dollar prize for a Bake-Off recipe using its product has garnered the company long-standing fame, along with its Pillsbury Doughboy and wider selection of frozen foods (such as its biscuits) compared with its competitors. Creating an online community where consumers, often mothers seeking appreciation for their extra efforts, can share their experience does add value to the product. Yet Pillsbury's online offerings are not substantially different than other brands where individuals swap recipes. Pillsbury's major competitors have similar forums and promotions.

Encouraging consumers to share experiences and tips on discussion boards, while useful, is not the core of Pillsbury's 'loyalty' reward, rather it is the allure of Pillsbury's contest. It is difficult to say what makes a uniquely 'Pillsbury' consumer, versus a Betty Crocker consumer, for example, other than the fact that a Pillsbury consumer might be more apt to enter the Bake-Off. Identity is often part of a branding strategy: contrast the wholesome, clean-cut image of a wearer of Ralph Lauren Polo clothing or Abercrombie & Fitch with that of a Hot Topic teen. Consider Coca-Cola's all-American image vs. that of Pepsi's more teen-friendly branding as the drink of the next generation of soda drinkers. Pillsbury's branding of wholesomeness and home-cooked yet fast and easy to prepare meals and the 'cuteness' of the Doughboy, while iconic, does not necessarily stand out in the crowded atmosphere of today's marketplace.