RIPPLE100 Micromarketing

Whole Foods Market has hit our 4-way test out of the ballpark. The company lays out their values, shows action and is constantly interacting with & reaching out to people.  Their campaigns reach a variety of kitchen table topics including poverty, environment, education, and of course health- all while utilizing social media.

A+ for Authentic. What I love about these guys is that they not only spell out their values (check out bullet 4- very honest), they say how they are accomplishing them and what actions they are taking.  These actions are generally campaigns that support the values + different communities.  A lot of brands get lost, don’t stick to their values and get knee deep in campaigns that don’t make sense (and don’t add as much company value).  Here the brand focuses its do-gooding efforts on campaigns that make sense for a high quality natural & organic food chain such as a local producer program, seafood sustainability and taking a stand against genetically engineered food.  They also have different layers of campaigns from local communities to a world campaign to “alleviate poverty”.  Even the use of “alleviate” is more authentic than the generic campaigns boldly (and unrealistically) stating to end world poverty- unfortunately there will always be poverty.

A+ for Inclusive. Generally, brands score weaker in this area but I think Whole Foods has this one down.  They have all the big “social media outlets” including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and a company blog- and they are using them well.  On Twitter they reply to people, addressing concerns and questions. What’s more is they have sub-accounts for specific stores, topic or metro area.  On Facebook they post news, contests, blog posts, articles, pictures, video… and so on.  Overall it seems very systematic (most companies struggle with this) plus all the different parts work together to send traffic back and forth- helping the user get the info he/she wants.

A+ for Constructive. Here’s where the campaigns come in again. Plain and simple: through these causes Whole Foods helps others.  They give donations, have a foundation, support local buyers, and provide a ton of information on just about everything you need to know about organic and natural foods.  Whole Foods is constantly educating people about healthy eating through tips, recipes, comparisons, articles, even hosting cooking classes.  The company supports sustainability through the relationships it establishes and making decisions based on the guidelines laid out here.

A+ for Mutually Beneficial. When you add up all that I’ve talked about above you get a better consumer-brand relationship.  Not only that but Whole Foods keeps it real; one of their values is to make a profit.  Companies need money to survive + grow, there is now shame in that!  As a result Whole Foods is opening up new stores in troubled times (= jobs), while gaining followers (@WholeFoods +854,000) & fans (+91,000 Fan Page).  In return the community receives support, knowledge and a chance to have their voice heard- at least by Whole Foods .

Even businesses whose core function isn’t as “wholesome” as this, can take social media notes from Whole Foods and how they’ve developed their online presence. Some good news for you local Greater New Haven folks, there’s a new store opening up in Milford, CT.