Donna Palinhos, head of content and community at NATIVE, says efforts to create an Appletiser community have definitely produced positive results with the Facebook site having attracted over 11 131 active users and 256 followers on Twitter from 8 August to 16 November. “While the numbers are pleasing, what’s more important is the level of interaction and conversation between Appletiser and the community, the community with Appletiser and within the community itself. We were encouraged to see growing excitement around the It’s the weekend baby concept and how the phrase is getting used in the online space,” she says.

Denese Pillay, group brand manager at Appletiser for South Africa, says Appletiser has always been about having fun in abundance while leading a great lifestyle. “That will be visible in the content our community will see on Twitter and Facebook, and the manner in which we will interact with the various communities,”

The main topics of conversation during the first month were centred around Appletiser’s new plastic bottle, and the new Appletiser above the line campaign which focused on the TV advertisement. “There were quite a high number of repeat visits during the month which means visitors had enjoyed what they experienced first time round and came back for more. The poll question – 'The best time of the week is: 1. The weekend 2. Really it’s the weekend 3. No seriously, it’s the weekend', was really well received and we also saw a spark in interest when the update – 'The only thing to like about Wednesdays is that it begins with the same letter as “weekend"!' was posted,” adds Palinhos.

Of the community on Appletiser’s Facebook page, 62% are women and 37% are men with the majority of participants being between 25 and 34 years of age. “This indicates that the female target market is taking a liking to the page and gives us reassurance that our content strategy is effective,” says Palinhos. NATIVE has also seen a keen response to the 'Plan your Weekend' application competition. “The 'Plan your Weekend' application went live on 25 August and by 16 November, 153 events had been created and 195 photos had been uploaded. We are really excited about this quick uptake and are looking forward to seeing these numbers increase as the months roll on.”

Another aspect to the Appletiser social media launch was an internal campaign aimed at Appletiser employees. “We wanted our employees to start participating in the dialogue too, explaining that the reason we’re now using social media is to communicate with a wider audience on a range of different subjects – serious and otherwise,” says Pillay. “Our aim is to go all out and make some good, long-term online friends, including our own employees. We’ll host fantastic competitions and share great tips and information.”

While it’s still early days for the new social media strategy, NATIVE is confident it has a winning formula. “The concept of encouraging people to look forward to the weekend and celebrating life’s moments is an engaging concept that appeals to a wide community. We are enthusiastic about creating a community that is as healthy and vibrant as the Appletiser brand itself,” concludes Palinhos.