Monday, April 4, 2011

Global Facebook approach may cost Ferrero Rocher potential consumer advocates

Ferrero Rocher use one global page to engage with all Facebook users, regardless of language. Although this does not seem to damage consumer sentiment, fans who speak English demonstrate a much greater propensity to recommend the brand. This suggests that, although an international approach might be easier, it may cause a brand to lose out on potential advocates.

Ferrero Rocher’s global Facebook page has attracted a very large number of fans, with almost 9,000,000 ‘likes’. Although the brand post to their page relatively infrequently, their large fanbase ensures each update receives a large volume of consumer comments. Many consumers post in English, but many others respond to the brand in non-English languages including Italian, French and Portuguese.

WaveMetrix analysis shows that Ferrero Rocher’s one-size-fits-all Facebook page does not actively disadvantage the brand - but is not necessarily the most successful approach. Although sentiment from consumers is strongly positive regardless of language, those responding in English show a significantly higher propensity to recommend Ferrero Rocher to others. This corroborates evidence from Clarins and Ben & Jerry’s that localised social media can drive more beneficial buzz.

Consumers engaging in all languages are positive towards Ferrero Rocher:

  • English consumers respond primarily to the brand’s photo posts associating Ferrero Rocher with special occasions: They comment on images about Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day, saying they “love” Ferrero Rocher and that it is “delicious” and “their favourite”
  • Non-English consumers engage most when Ferrero Rocher posts in Italian: Consumers speaking a range of languages react to the brand’s suggestion to try the chocolates with ice cream. However, many others comment on English-language updates from the brand, praising Ferrero Rocher as “delectable”, “rich” and “priceless”
Although similarly positive, English-speaking consumers are more inclined to recommend than those who engage in non-English languages:
 
  • When Ferrero Rocher shares the same post in English and in Italian, 35% of consumers responding in English recommend the brand: However, recommendations are lower from those speaking different languages, with only 13% saying Ferrero Rocher “is the best” and asking others to “try them”
  • The discrepancy on Ferrero Rocher's page is not typical - language does not tend to affect consumers' propensity to recommend: This suggests that Ferrero Rocher’s decision to use one global Facebook page may mean the brand loses out on unprompted consumer advocacy. The idea that localised social media can drive more beneficial buzz is supported by other recent Wave: cases studies – for instance, on Clarins and Ben & Jerry’s
Source


Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Price
Suunto Core All Black
USB Microphone