Social Media Case Study: Frank’s Redhot Sauce

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A North American icon has increased its market share by wholeheartedly embracing social media marketing strategies

 

 

 

 

Most Australians are probably unaware of the near-divine taste that is Frank’s Redhot Sauce. Sold across the US and Canada, Frank’s is one of the most popular hot-sauce brands on the market – and in a region where they love their buffalo wings, this is a pretty good market to be leading.
It’s not just the taste, however, that has people addicted to Frank’s crack-like condiments. An extensive and well thought-out social media campaign has cemented the brand in the hearts and minds of Americans and Canadians, with many ex-pats staying engaged with the brand even though it may not be readily available where they now live.

Tick Yes has put together a few key pointers on how and why Frank’s social media strategy works so well.

 

 

Consistency

Across the board – from its website to its Facebook page, TV commercials and mobile marketing – Frank’s voice and message are consistent and unchanging. All too often the voice of a brand becomes watered down or warped through different media – or, worse, changes completely. Frank’s irreverent, silly and slightly zany catchphrase – ‘I put that sh*t on EVERYTHING!’ – is echoed across not only its social media offering, but every other aspect of its marketing as well.

 

 

 

 

Emotional association

Long before Frank’s had a Facebook page, it had an incredibly strong presence in bars across North America. Many bars and pubs not only feature a bottle of Frank’s on each table, but a hot-wing recipe that uses liberal amounts of the condiment as well. With buffalo wings one of the biggest selling bar-snacks in the US and Canada, Frank’s has developed an emotional association with good times at the bar.
What is truly exceptional, however, is the way the brand has utilised this in its social media strategy. Not only does the website feature dozens of recipes (including many for ‘tailgating’, a popular college-kid pastime which involves parking bumper-to-bumper outside a college football match and partying before the game), but there is also a newly-created iPhone app that allows users to type in their location and  discover the closest bar serving hot wings made with Frank’s sauce.

 

 

Thinking outside the box

It’s not just online that the Frank’s brand is getting social, but offline as well. The Frank’s to the People Tour is a Facebook marketing initiative that involves a giant branded bus touring the US and Canada and handing out free Frank’s products and merchandise.
It’s worth mentioning that the Frank’s Facebook page is also incredibly well executed, with over 150,000 likes and hourly engagement from fans. There are the standard promotions and competitions from time to time, but completely aside from this there is an atmosphere of real celebration and engagement – over hot sauce.
It may taste like the nectar of the gods, but Frank’s has skilled social marketing to thank for its ongoing success.

 

A Tick Yes digital and social media blog