Virtual sales trucks

When it comes to social media, Migros is best known for Migipedia. The online platform for customer dialog about products was launched a year ago, has already won awards and now has around 19,000 registered users who can use it to discuss 6,000 products for the time being. However, the social media commitment of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives goes beyond this initiative. "Dialogue is part of Migros' origins," explains Leila Summa, Social Media Director, in an interview with Werbewoche. From 1925, the popular sales lorries were used to drive to customers and communicate with them, but today the company relies on the internet for dialog and social media is now building the bridge virtually. "We go to the customers by wanting to be present in social networks and, on the other hand, bring them back into our realm with Migipedia so that they can also exchange ideas there." With the launch of Migipedia, it soon became clear that if you want to create a social media platform, you first need a social media strategy, a holistic approach that includes Migipedia and Facebook, Twitter and other channels, Summa continues. Listening and engaging in dialog is just the beginning. The aim must be to live a 360-degree feedback loop: To pass on feedback from customers to those responsible in order to have optimized products on the shelves and in turn keep the community up to date on this optimization.

Today, this interaction between the channels works well: if someone from the social media team of around ten people (not all of whom are full-time employees) publishes something on Facebook, this triggers comments on Migipedia and, in turn, reactions that are spread via Facebook and Twitter. There is not only the official Migros page on Facebook (with 43,000 fans), but also numerous other fan pages for Migros products set up by customers. The best known is the fan page for Migros Ice Tea with around 91,000 fans, which is now managed jointly with the administrator. A recent count at Migros revealed around 90 such groups, of which around 30 to 40 are active and all of which have more than a quarter of a million followers. Such pivotal groups are included in Migros' social media monitoring in order to be able to provide a response or react to ideas. However, they cannot be promoted beyond this, says Summa, adding: "Groups that have grown organically also want to continue to grow organically, and Migros should not be too dominant."

Breaking away from old thought patterns

Summa emphasizes that when introducing social media, it is often underestimated how much the organization also needs to be developed. All areas of activity need to mature at the same time: Along with the advances in technology, customers must be willing to participate, and the company must have the will to follow this path in the long term, which must find a place in the corporate strategy. A company must mature and break away from old ways of thinking if it wants to search for ideas with its customers, involve them in brainstorming and decision-making and thus optimize the product range. Only when employees have been convinced of the benefits of social media is it possible to actually respond to customer suggestions and make changes accordingly. For example, it is not a given that a category manager will openly accept a customer's idea and introduce it to the producers. Internally, this requires interdisciplinary teams (product managers, corporate communications, marketing, customer service and customer & web intelligence) and new positions that bring know-how into the company. In the first one to two years, she is primarily concerned with solving such change management aspects and thus promoting social media maturity both within the company and among customers. "That's a lot of work in-house." She praises the fact that there is "an extremely high level of attention and a firm commitment" to online and social media at management level.

Leila Summa sums up by saying that they have "already made extremely good progress". The first example that showed how things can work was ice tea last fall. The suggestion came from the community to offer the cult drink not only in Tetra packaging, but also in PET bottles for on the go. The idea was implemented, which led to "enormous joy" among the community. And for Migros, it led to increased sales, as no less Tetra has been sold since then. Two new jams, "Erdbeermund" and "Herbstsünde", which were developed with Migros customers from the idea to the decision, will be launched on Migros shelves at the beginning of September. The next step will be to develop a baked goods product using crowd sourcing, Summa reveals, adding that they are working on finding out which products are particularly suitable for development with the community. Christoph J. Walther

WHAT DOES COOP DO?
Perhaps it's about the often-circulated difference between Zurich and Basel: while Migros (headquartered in Zurich) is actively involved at the forefront of social media platforms, arch-rival Coop (headquartered in Basel) is much more reserved in this regard. Media spokesman Urs Meier explains that Coop only uses social media elements "in a targeted and campaign-related way". For example, for voting in a fine food TV commercial. The Xing platform is "occasionally used" in the personnel area to advertise jobs or to contact people directly. Yes, Coop has a social media concept, but this "is and remains internal". And no, there are currently no employees at Coop who are exclusively responsible for social media. Meier sees the biggest risk in using social media as doing a little bit, but then not doing it properly, thereby suggesting a promise to customers that ultimately cannot or can only partially be kept. Nevertheless, Coop hopes that social media will become "an effective dialog channel that we believe is used in the right way".