Our Ecommerce top picks: #AutumnWarmers

We pandas can’t resist a warming autumn campaign to shoo away the cold weather. Today, we thought we’d write about one of our favourite autumn campaigns so far and the accolade goes to Waitrose!

Using social media to get customers talking, and introducing weekly recipes to bring them back for more, Waitrose really is cashing in on the cravings for comfort foods when the weather outside is less than satisfactory.

Grabbing a new audience

One of the brands newest social media campaigns is #LoveToBake. It’s no coincidence that they introduced this immediately after the final of ‘The Great British Bake Off’, the most watched episode of television in the UK this year. With baking in the hearts of the nation, what better way to get people sharing on the Twitter feed then introducing a new baking recipe every week? Customers can then share and discuss their own attempts at the recipe, reinforcing the campaigns ideals: Autumn is the ‘Warmest Season’. The existing customers will ultimately buy more of the produce, due to the recipe sharing. It will drive demand for the necessary products, increase repeat purchase and , hopefully, lower the time reduce the time between these purchases.  

Social Media engagement

Weekly baking treats are not the only ploy in this seasonal campaign. #AutumnWarmers reinforces the idea of sharing your favourite hearty recipes with the brand, and fellow customers. Posting a photo, and using the hashtag, gives you the chance to win a multi cooker.

The Pinterest feed takes it further, utilising a geo-located Pinterest board so customers can showcase their efforts and compare regionally and nationally. The brand extends its family & community image by inviting customers to get involved in their own communities, with Waitrose as the overseer.  

The key to success? Connect with the audience

• Make the customer smile: Using a Winnie the Pooh reference in the campaign introduces nostalgia of warm autumn nights and foods that make people happy. It will remind them of the home comforts from childhood, warm and safe in their homes. Not only will people want to share their own recipes, they’ll want to try the new ones they see on social media.
• Social Media strategy: A clever hashtag has allowed all the conversation to flow naturally. Looking here, you’ll see most of the activity is customers discussing their favourite autumn tricks and tips when it comes to cooking.
• A seamless experience: An easy way to access the recipes/products the customers see is fundamental. The Waitrose website has its own landing page for the Autumn Warmers campaign, where the ingredients are available to add to the basket on each recipe page. Once again the community aspect is strengthened; Waitrose doesn’t want to share recipes just for attention (obviously). It wants all of its customers to experience the ‘Autumn Warmers’ with ease.
• Brand storytelling: Telling a story which goes beyond a product is important. After all, a meal is a journey from ingredients to a cooked meal. Waitrose tells the story of its products, right down to the suppliers, and the hard work they do this season to get it to the customers. The story doesn’t end there, as the social media pages keep it ongoing as more people join in the autumn fun.

Will you be following the #AutumnWarmers for inspiration? It’s certainly getting nippy out there…

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