SNS Strategy Supporting FamilyMart in Top Form | CMO Adachi Explains Measures to Improve Twitter Engagement |[Report]Web Manager Forum Meeting 2022 Autumn

FamilyMart has the least amount of advertising investment among major convenience stores. Even so, over the past two years, sales and visitor numbers at existing stores have continued to surpass those of the previous year. One of the factors supporting the strong performance is the use of SNS and Twitter.

“Web Manager Forum Meeting 2022 Autumn”, After working for P&G Japan, McDonald’s Japan, etc., Mr. Hikaru Adachi, who has been CMO at FamilyMart since October 2020, will discuss points to increase the number of Twitter followers and engagement rate, and how to use SNS with examples. I introduced the points to make the organization effective.

Limited ad spend compared to competitors.For FamilyMart, SNS is an important medium with both owned and earned aspects

Mr. Adachi began by discussing the role of social media at FamilyMart, which is “thriving.”

Some may wonder if it’s doing well in the first place, but Mr. Adachi says, “It’s doing quite well (laughs).” In April 2009, it surpassed its competitors in same-store sales compared to the same month of the previous year. The same is true for the number of customers, exceeding the year-on-year comparison from January to September 2022 (excluding February), and from April 2021 to September 2022, the number of customers at existing stores continues to beat its competitors compared to the same month of the previous year. .

What has FamilyMart done in the background of this strong performance? “We have continuously communicated the five characteristics of FamilyMart,” says Mr. Adachi.

How did you communicate it specifically? Mr. Adachi talks about points from the perspective of “what” and “how to communicate.” From the point of view of “what”, I mentioned sending out with edgy communication that becomes a hot topic.

Compared to other companies, the amount of advertising expenses is small, so each individual communication is sharp to some extent, and unless it sticks, it will not be remembered. For this reason, we have made every effort to make communication as sharp as possible (Mr. Adachi).

From the point of view of “how to transmit”, he says that he has made full use of all media and communicated “largely”. FamilyMart has three types of media: owned, earned, and paid. Owned media include not only websites and apps, but also signboards, posters, and cash register LCDs. Earned media includes PR and SNS, and paid media includes TV commercials and digital advertisements. By making full use of these three media and broadly reporting one piece of news, we have worked to raise awareness of the measures.

FamilyMart spends far less money on advertising than its competitors. Since paid media cannot win against the competition, it has been implementing initiatives to “fully utilize owned media” and “strengthen earned media.”

In particular, SNS is both owned media and earned media. We are proceeding with the understanding that it is a very important medium with two sides (Mr. Adachi)

FamilyMart’s SNS strategy, prioritizing Twitter. Twitter is a hot topic “ignition point” and “boost device”

So what exactly did FamilyMart do?

The role that FamilyMart expects of SNS is to increase awareness of each measure, that is, to become a hot topic. There are various types of SNS such as Facebook, Instagram, LINE, and Twitter, but FamilyMart is said to give priority to Twitter. The reason is, “I think Twitter is a topical ‘ignition point’ and ‘boost device’,” said Mr. Adachi.

What is posted on Twitter is reprinted or summarized on other SNS or online bulletin boards. Various online media make it into summary sites and articles. Then, the mass media picked up, saying, “This is a hot topic on Twitter.” The mass media is still very powerful in Japan, and when it picks up on something, it becomes a topic again, and it becomes a topic in various online media outlets and on Twitter. I think Twitter is the only SNS that has such a cycle (Mr. Adachi)

FamilyMart focuses on the number of followers and engagement rate on Twitter.What are the 3 points for increasing followers?

FamilyMart is aiming for both quantity and quality on Twitter. Specifically, quantity emphasizes the number of followers, and quality emphasizes the engagement rate (impressions per post). For example, in terms of the number of followers, the reach of 2 million followers and 4 million followers is about twice as large as the same message. Also, in terms of quality, it is important to increase the reach per post by increasing the engagement rate of the post.

How has the number of followers changed? Over the past two years, FamilyMart has been able to increase the number of followers by 1 million per year. Mr. Adachi introduced three points for increasing the number of followers.

Points for increasing followers ① All-out media mobilization (PR x SNS) & becoming a trend → Expanding reach

For example, at the “Famima Summer Curry Festival” held in 2021, we took measures to change the signboards of three stores nationwide to the color of curry. Although it was a measure devised by the PR team, they also used SNS and posted the following on Twitter.

A post that tweeted only the curry-colored photos of the three stores and the numbers (GPS coordinates of the three stores) received a high engagement rate of 22.4%. By combining PR and SNS, we were able to get a high engagement rate as people wondered, “What is this all about?”

Mr. Adachi cites “trending” as another point for the increase in followers. If it becomes a trend, many people will go to see the post and ask, “What is this?”

Points for increasing followers ② Implementation of continuous campaigns

According to Mr. Adachi, although it is necessary to become a hot topic in order to increase followers, as in point 1, continuous campaigns are very important. Family Mart regularly implemented coupon measures, and the number of followers increased little by little.

Points for increasing followers ③ “High-quality” posts that do not reduce followers

The next important thing is not to reduce the number of followers that have increased. Even if the number of followers increases through a retweet campaign, many users unfollow after the campaign ends. In order not to lose the number of followers, it is important to make high-quality posts on a regular basis.

Maintaining a high engagement rate even with an increase in followers.Two points for quality posts

Next, let’s take a look at high-quality posts and efforts to increase engagement rates. As the number of followers increases, the number of users with low engagement also increases, so the engagement rate generally decreases. However, FamilyMart maintains a high level of engagement rate. According to Mr. Adachi, there are two points for high-quality posts, that is, high-engagement posts.

WHAT TO SAY

At FamilyMart, we are disseminating information related to the first five keywords, but even if we post the five keywords as they are, engagement will not increase. Therefore, according to the framework of “IMPAKT Design”, he is trying to post as many items as possible.

This “IMPAKT Design” was created by Dentsu PR Consulting and is a collection of PR perspectives for getting content to become news.

HOW TO SAY

Just as important as what you post is how you say it. FamilyMart is implementing the following initiatives.

Creative development according to the concept

In the past, FamilyMart used to post images and videos used in pops and advertisements on SNS as they are. He found that engagement did not increase. Therefore, we are currently developing creatives for Twitter according to the concept instead of diverting existing measures.

For example, during the campaign “Price as it is!! 40% increase strategy”, the word “increase” is associated with “gigantic”, and the word “strategy” is associated with original images and videos that are reminiscent of “special effects”. was developed for Twitter.

Build anticipation with teasers

Teasers, which are intended to attract consumers’ attention by gradually revealing information, have not been widely practiced in the distribution industry. It was thought that there was no point in announcing products that were not sold in stores. However, on social media, “it is very important to create a sense of excitement, wondering what is coming and what might come,” says Mr. Adachi.

For example, in the example below, the character on the left is represented as a silhouette to create a sense of excitement, while the image on the right shows the product in the noise of the TV screen for a moment, creating a sense of excitement. I’m doing a lot of ingenuity. It is important to use SNS to make a buzz before the product goes on sale. It is said that before the release, on the day of sale, and after the release, plans are made and posts are designed.

Development and validation of a wide variety of methods

FamilyMart has developed and verified a wide variety of methods to improve engagement. Mr. Adachi identified 12 methods that are expected to be effective during his two years of efforts. These are effective methods for increasing engagement in the convenience store industry, especially in the food industry. If the product or industry is different, what will increase engagement will change. Mr. Adachi said, “I would like you to devise the content and presentation method according to the industry and company of the person who is asking, and verify it.”

12 techniques that are effective in improving engagement.Introducing the case of FamilyMart

Next, Mr. Adachi introduced several examples out of 12 methods that are effective in improving engagement.

(1) Image division (4 divisions)

Split screen (4 split) is a method in which 4 images are attached to 1 tweet, and in the tweet, 4 images can be seen as 1 image as shown in the lower left of the above figure. Image division (4 divisions) is a method developed by FamilyMart. Tap each image to expand it vertically and display it in full size. In the example above, tapping the upper left corner of the image in the tweet will open the leftmost vertical image.

When there are many products and you want to explain a lot, the user taps to open different images and explanations, so that the surprise remains even after tapping (Mr. Adachi).

(2) Invisible unless tapped

Adachi says that the general idea is that it’s better for users to be able to understand everything from the images in the post without tapping, but recently discovered that there is a way to intentionally not show it. You can aim for high engagement by hiding the contents of things that you want to know, such as limited character designs and rankings, and getting them to tap.

③Ingenuity with one picture (tap to extend vertically)

If you attach a vertical image on Twitter, tap the image to display it vertically. This is an example of posting a single picture of something that has an impact when it is stretched vertically, taking advantage of its characteristics. For example, if you tap an image of noodles or an image of melted cheese, the image will expand vertically, and product images and product information will appear.

④ Combining video and still images

This is an advanced version of image division (4 division), and only one of the 4 division images is a video. Of the four, only one is moving, so it makes me want to tap it unintentionally. “The point of posting on Twitter is to create a sense of incongruity, and I think combining video and still images is an effective way to create that sense of incongruity,” says Mr. Adachi.

⑥ Mutual efforts with manufacturers

Convenience stores sell products from various manufacturers, but manufacturers also have SNS accounts, so if you retweet the campaign on the manufacturer’s account, the reach of a single post will be greatly expanded. When doing so, it is recommended to retweet each other’s accounts as much as possible in order to approach the fans of each account.

Three suggestions for creating an organization that utilizes SNS

Lastly, Mr. Adachi gave suggestions for making the organization more effective on SNS. There are three points.

①Integrate SNS and PR

In WHAT TO SAY, a framework called IMPAKT Design was introduced, but the point of discussion is the same for SNS and PR. For example, when a new product is released, it is better to think together about which points to promote through SNS and PR. “At FamilyMart, the person who thinks about brand PR and the person who thinks about SNS are in the same department, and the same people are doing both,” says Mr. Adachi. By putting out one idea on both PR and SNS, the overall feeling of unity including owned, earned, and paid is created, so it is easy to produce results.

②Do not use SNS as Dejima

Dejima is said to be in the Edo period, where trade with foreign countries is done only in that place, and no foreign trade is done outside of Dejima.

Surprisingly, there are many companies where SNS is handled by the person in charge of SNS (there is no knowledge of other departments), but this is really no good. SNS is undoubtedly effective, so it is necessary for people in various departments and positions, such as those in charge of product development and the marketing department, to understand SNS, not just those in charge of SNS. No (Mr. Adachi)

At FamilyMart, we conduct monthly reviews with all parties (marketing and merchandise departments) and all agents to ensure company-wide understanding and improvement. It is said that reviews (posts with high and low engagement rates, results by measure, etc.) are being conducted. By doing this, I have deepened my understanding of what is effective and what is not suitable for SNS.

(3) Do not neglect in-house marketing

Mr. Adachi says that although he understands the importance of SNS, it is a common complaint that management does not understand it. There is also an age difference, and the media that the management is in contact with is different, so there are some unavoidable parts. However, since this is done using the company’s resources, it is necessary to continuously communicate that “SNS is meaningful and has produced results.”

If you don’t deepen the importance of SNS within the company by telling management about the measures and results you are doing at every opportunity, there is a possibility that the budget will suddenly be reduced. It’s going well. If you’re doing this, it’s very important to continue marketing to management (Mr. Adachi)

Finally, Mr. Adachi said that in addition to Twitter, TikTok has also started, and he concluded his lecture by saying that he would like to continue to pay attention to FamilyMart’s Twitter and TikTok and look forward to their efforts.