Not all fans are created equal, I get that, but is there such a thing as a bad fan? The prevailing attitude until now has been the more the merrier. Of course you want to maximise the hardcore; those true believers that will actively share and promote your brand to their likeminded networks. But surely every ‘like’ is at least a small positive?
Well Burger King in Norway disagree. Their page had amassed around 38000 fans, but it seemed all the fickle bunch were interested in was free food? How dare they?! After all the wonderful things Burger King has done for the world’s waistline, who would have thought all consumers would see was a free lunch?
So Burger King decided to put the loyalty of their so called fans to the test, and offered them an almost impossible ultimatum; either show your allegiance to the crown and become a “true fan”, or receive a free Big Mac. Yep, that’s right, a Macdonald’s Big Mac.
Well as it turned out it wasn’t a difficult decision at all, with over 75% of the “fans” choosing the Big Mac. Burger King, however, insist the campaign didn’t backfire, arguing that a smaller, more loyal fan base is better than an army of hungry cheapskates. And maybe they’re right. Perhaps through a lack of engagement or the wrong kind of engagement, your fan base can actually do more harm than good?
It’s certainly food for thought.
Dan
