When you’re launching a new store brand, how do you use social media to make a splash where trust in private labels is low? Food Lion had an idea: Bring the groceries right to consumers’ doorsteps and use social media to spread the word. To launch its new value-focused private brand, my essentials, Food Lion infiltrated neighborhoods in multiple cities with entire shopping carts full of groceries. Using social media as the main driver of contests and conversations, Food Lion was able to give its customers a voice — letting them choose the location of each “Grocery Drop." Operation Grocery Drop, a local, social/guerrilla campaign, successfully launched a new product line thanks to a strategic use of social media. Food Lion needed to make a splash with its new private-label brand, my essentials, in three key competitive markets without alienating its customers in other locations. The solution? Leverage Facebook for its ability to geo-target messaging & use Twitter as a mass communication channel to spread messaging to the brand’s entire footprint. Facebook: Engaging on a Local Level Facebook was used to connect with customers in Raleigh, Richmond & Charlotte. Local shoppers were encouraged to enter a contest telling Food Lion what made their neighborhood special. A compelling story earned them a chance to win their very own Grocery Drop. Capitalizing on Facebook’s local features, Food Lion geo-targeted content to customers in its three key markets and engaged with them on a more intimate, relevant level. With no paid support, Grocery Drop content was spread organically as fans shared photos & videos of previous drops in anticipation of winning their own experience. Twitter: Reaching the Full Footprint Twitter, on the other hand, was used to spread messaging about Operation Grocery Drop to Food Lion’s entire customer base. Following each Drop, Food Lion hosted challenges and scavenger hunts using the hashtag #GroceryDrop. Food Lion customers across the brand’s footprint were invited to participate in the #GroceryDrop conversation for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Connecting Online & Offline Experiences The online Grocery Drop experience went offline as Food Lion employees poured through the streets of the winning neighborhoods with shopping carts full of my essentials — encouraging product trial, instilling consumer confidence & making a difference in communities. Food Lion then successfully brought the offline experience back to the social space sharing the photos, videos & testimonials from the Drops. Program Goals: 1. Generate buzz & awareness around my essentials 2. Encourage trial of my essentials 3. Digitally seed engaging content to drive interest in additional markets Operation Grocery Drop met its goals in spades by: 1. Securing 8.2+ million media impressions & a social reach of 1.4+ million 2. Delivering 6,000 my essentials items to about 300 homes across its three key cities 3. Earning 10,000+ unique visits to the Grocery Drop microsite housing all of the videos & photos, & receiving hundreds of posit
