Interaction with the consumer
She indicates that Jazz has around 3700 friends on the Belgian/Dutch Facebook page, and around 2400 on the German page. "Everyone is responding very positively to the Jazz apple. We often hear that they already know the Jazz apple and that it's their favourite. The actions and competitions we organise online are also well received. Social media is a useful channel to inform the consumer in a fun, short and sweet way of facts about the Jazz apple, but also to keep the consumer involved with the brand itself. This is why we regularly post on Facebook where we will be present at fairs and events. We also post facts like when the New Zealand Jazz season starts, and ongoing actions and campaigns. But the consumer can also easily contact us with questions such as where exactly the Jazz apple can be bought, for instance."
Successful action
Various actions are organised online. "The Jazz memory game that was on last summer, was a big success for us. We gained a lot of likes in a short period of time and a lot of people played faithfully every week to be able to beat their fastest time. We had almost 10,000 participations over the course of the campaign, so I believe we can say it was a huge success. But smaller actions and campaigns also always cause a rise in the number of friends and followers. The Jazz fans are faithful fans, who like to share actions and competitions with their friends."
New action
"As of the 1st of July we will be starting a new online action both in Belgium and Germany. It will be a game in which you have to look for the Jazz apple. When it has been found and the question has been answered, there is a chance to win a travel cheque worth € 250. We will give away two travel cheques in Belgium every week during the months of July and August. In Germany the competition will run every first week of the months and until December 2014. They will give away one travel cheque worth € 250 every month."
Measuring consumption through social media isn't something that can be noticed right after an action. "We can't measure a rise in sales right away, but we do notice the popularity of the Jazz apple continuing to grow. She also looks towards the future with optimism: the use of social media has an increasing impact on the day to day life of the consumer. This is why it's so important to make the consumer curious about your product or brand."
