Why User-Generated Content is What Consumers Crave

Beverage Marketing: Why User-Generated Content is What Consumers Crave

Fans create brands. And when it comes to brand marketing, there is nothing stronger than peer-to-peer promotion. Brand ambassadors and fans motivate other people to choose and use your products and services, like your beverages. In marketing, this is called user-generated content (UGC), and it’s what beverage companies need to offer their consumers because it’s how they want to be marketed and what they crave. Beverage Marketing is strong in peer-to-peer promotion.

UGC Increases Engagement

User-generated content relies on a successful content strategy. In turn, follows the latest industry news and allows for such marketing efforts to be included. It also relies heavily on the technology behind promotional channels beverage business use. There are a lot of different types of UGC content:

Blogs – relieves some of the pressure from the marketing team and gives consumers a highly personal perspective on the brand;
Comments – increase engagement on websites and social media and promote the brand through peer-to-peer communication about the brand;
Reviews – impact consumers psychologically by increasing trust and credibility, and have the potential to affect 46 % of consumer decisions.
Images – establish visual contact between consumers and the brand through the direct use of the product and its promotion of personal and official online channels;
Videos – increase brand awareness and brand perception through different interpretations of the brand and the direct use of the product.

Content like this requires promotion, so consumers become aware of its existence. Targeting different channels, allows more users to take part in and generate content.

Additionally, beverage companies should consider including consumer incentives for consumers to create content. Campaigns can include prizes, like discounts, special offers, a free supply of drinks, or branded material like flash drives, T-shirts, and even concert tickets. Just remember to make them useful.

UGC Builds Valuable Relationships

Brand identity relies a lot on the relationship a company has with its audience. Brands have to look towards aligning their value proposition with their brand message – core beliefs, mission statements, and goals. This type of communication is customer-centric and focuses on establishing a shared system of value on which a brand can build a relationship with its audience.

User-generated content can make this happen for beverage companies. It essentially allows consumers to take part in the development of the brand. For example, if your company wants to develop a new drink, it issues a campaign that gives an opportunity for customers to come up with a name for it. It empowers consumers, and they are more likely to consume the drink regularly (interact with the brand.)

UGC Inspires Loyalty and Creates Fans

According to marketing professional Kevin Kelly, a brand only needs 1000 true fans to succeed. In that sense, beverage companies need to focus their attention on returning customers and allow them to create user-generated content as a reward. In turn, this creates a loyal following of faithful fans, who know the company values their efforts.

It also creates trust – an essential element of loyalty. And with mutual trust coming from both sides, fans will become brand ambassadors of your company promoting the company to other consumers (what you want,) while you continue rewarding their loyalty (what they want.)

Conclusion on Beverage Marketing

A brand is only active if it has a strong following. And for a beverage company, beverage marketing is following the latest trends in the industry and creating user-generated content campaigns can be a great way to create a loyal backing. After all, it gives consumers the type of promotion they want and crave – created by them and created for them.

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018

Help Make A Difference In Medellin

City of Change

Medellin Colombia used to be known as the murder capital of the world. Also was considered the drug cartel capital as well. Nowadays, that has all changed. I was lucky enough, or at the time didn’t think I was lucky, to travel to this city years ago when all I heard about were those stories.

When I arrived in Medellin, all of those stories meant nothing to me. The city blew me away with the beauty and the people. It is a city full of color. From the buildings to the topography to the people.

The people of Medellin made that trip so special that even years later this city still holds a special place in my heart. It’s residents are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

The Ghettos

The government have worked diligently to change the entire place to a innovative safer environment for its residents. The so called ghettos of Medellin didn’t compare to the ghettos of the United States. Today, the crime rate is considered much lower than most major cities in the US.

The innovative ways that has been implemented in the city have brought a great deal of prosperity to their people. The city put in outdoor escalators and aerial tram systems to carry people around. In some places, it would take 10 hours to get to and from work that was located just a few miles away.

Medellin is named one of the world’s most innovative cities next to New York and Tel Aviv. Although this new title is a huge step in the right direction, there are still things that need to be helped.

Lending A Hand in Medellin

There are many areas that don’t look like innovation has or will ever come to that area. The housing still look like shanty towns as some might call it. The homes in these areas often do not have a decent roof. Their roofs are just sheet metal just laid across so barely any protection from the heat, rain and sun.

This is where I am asking for your help. One thing that will hugely improve the lives of these wonderful people is their living situations. The roofs will provide them with better living conditions. The children should not have to lay-down on water soaked beds at night. Nor should the temperatures inside their homes rise because of a metal roof.

Go Fund Me

I decided to start a Go Fund Me page to help build roofs for the people of this city. All of the funds generated by this page will go directly to the purchase of the necessary materials and for the installation of new roofs, hopefully throughout the city.

The roofs are not going to be fancy in any manner, just a good solid roof to protects its occupants from the outside elements.

The initial goal is to raise $100,000.00. This should be able to install about 75 to 100 roofs. This is a great starting goal. I am asking for you to donate whatever you can, from $5, $10 to $20 or whatever you wish to provide.

Help make this world a better place one roof at a time. Click on this link below for the page…

https://www.gofundme.com/help-colombia039s-poor

Medellin Columbia post by William Sipper photocredit unknown

May 22, 2018May 22, 2018

Food and Beverage Company Faults

A Food and Beverage Company that doesn’t make Good Use of Social Media is Shooting itself in the Foot

The intense competition that exists in the food and beverage industry can make it difficult for smaller brands to gain the attention of consumers. Using social media marketing effectively can make a difference. People tend to try out new foods and beverages based on personal opinions, recommendations, and reviews. This shows how important it is for brands to interact with consumers on social media.

Influencers

Just one post by an influential food blogger about a specific product can generate countless impressions with high conversion rates. A social media presence gives brands the opportunity to connect with such influencers.

Brand personality

The personality of a brand is becoming more and more crucial when it comes to marketing. Relating to consumers on social media helps to build that personality and create loyal followers. Companies are seeking out creative ways to relate to their customers and get feedback their feedback.

Social media interactions

Millennials love sharing dining experiences and will post about interesting beverages they have tasted. They want multi-sensory experiences and food and drink play a big part in this. Well-presented or well-packaged food is likely to be shared on Instagram or Facebook. Social media interactions provide a way for brands to be recognized and to create a loyal customer base without having to resort to more direct forms of advertising.

Companies that do not use social media to their benefit are definitely shooting themselves in the foot. A strong social media presence is no longer an option for food and beverage brands –it’s an absolute necessity.