Comm0015: Blog Post 2: Strong and Weak Organizations

When people think about social media being done well, they usually think of big marketing campaigns for household brands like Dove, Tide or Doritos.

I’ve chosen, instead, to look at how three local businesses use social media. Two of which do so effectively, and one of which has lots of opportunity for growth.

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.

Twitter: @beausallnatural,  19 000 followers

Facebook: BeausAllNaturalBrewingCo, 15 000 likes

Instagram: beausallntural, 4 219 followers

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. is a small, but growing, family-run brewery based in Van Kleek Hill, Ontario (population 1 196). Since the company first launched in 2006, they have expanded rapidly; initially only available in eastern Ontario, Beau’s is now shipped across the province and exported to New York state.

The company prides itself on being a family business, and treating its customers like guests — regular visitors to the brewery are known on a first-name basis, as are the employees featured in the company’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts. Beau’s is also incredibly community-oriented. The company partners with other local business for its special events, such as its annual Oktoberfest, and works with the youth of Operation Come Home to provide work experience through its bottle return and “Buy Your Beau’s Online” programs. Recently, the company partnered with the marketing agency Public to encourage young Torontonians to vote. All of this equates to a relatable brand image with which fans, followers and consumers are eager to interact.

Terra20

Facebook: terra20, 4500 likes

Twitter: @exploreterra20, 2100 followers

Terra2 is an Ottawa-based “eco” department store. The company’s motto encourages its customers to “explore a better way.” Blog posts on the company’s website elucidate just how that can be done, offering consumers tips on everything from organic diapering to litterless lunches. For potential consumers unable or unwilling to travel to the company’s two physical Ottawa locations, ecommerce is available.

The company is the brainchild of two friends, and their story and philosophy are clearly articulated on the company’s website.

The company uses Facebook and Twitter to showcase products, as well as to celebrate the achievements of the individual vendors from whom they source their wares.

Alice’s Village Café

Twitter: @alicescafe,  900 followers

Facebook: alicesvillagecafe, 1300 likes

Alice’s Village Café is a family café and restaurant in Carp, Ontario (population 2 000). The food is made entirely in-house from locally sourced ingredients (whenever possible). The restaurant is perhaps most famous for its “Big Nasty”: a caramel-enrobed and pecan-encrusted cinnamon bun.

Unlike Beau’s, Alice’s is not effectively using its digital presence to tell its story or create a relatable brand. The restaurant’s “bio” on its website’s About page is limited to its location and opening hours. Photos of staff uploaded to Facebook and Twitter may help to put a face to the brand, but the people pictured remain nameless. This may not be problematic for longtime, regular customers who are already on a first-name basis with the girls serving them their morning coffee, but it isn’t helping expand the restaurant’s customer base. Up to now, much of that expansion seems to have been based solely on word of mouth.

Alice’s next step should take some pointers from Beau’s and Terra20’s social pages. The company should do a better job of telling its story and engaging different elements of the community. Its website should be kept more current, and its staff and products should be featured more prominently. Alice’s should embrace its small town location and friendly neighbourhood atmosphere in establishing and promoting its brand.