Social Media Analysis Report

Compiled by: Sarah Kasper

May 7, 2015

PURPOSE Nugget Markets is a family-owned grocery store chain with nine locations located in northern California. Since 1926, Nugget Markets has prided themselves on providing high-quality products at affordable prices as well as excellent associate experience. They boast on their website and social media platforms that their devotion to their employees is what helps to provide a world-class work environment and guest experience. Nugget Markets was ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the best places to work for 2015. Each of their nine locations has their own cheese specialists, healthy-living specialists, and professional wine stewards on site to create a unique and catered experience to each of their customers. These roles as well as other associates help people find every day staples and even hard to find specialty items at great prices. Nugget Markets seek to provide options for every diet lifestyle whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. The purpose of this report is to analyze and evaluate if the brand that Nugget Markets have been cultivating since the mid 1920s is reflected in the utilization of social media. Nugget Markets have created a sense of positive and loyal commitment from their associates and customers, but is that apparent in their output and interactions on social media? This report answers this and evaluates what social media platforms Nugget Markets use, the quality of the content and engagements on said platforms, how Nugget Markets social media performance compares to competitors, and the strengths and weaknesses of their social media output.

METHODOLOGY To be able to determine the effectiveness of Nugget Markets’ social media usage, I analyzed their content and engagement on the three social media platforms that were advertised on their main website:

• Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest

To find more platforms and better evaluate their performance on social media, I utilized the following tools to measure their presence and impact:

• Keyhole • HowSociable

I analyzed Nugget Markets’ performance and overall impact online through the listed tools and websites:

• Google/Yahoo search findings • Wikipedia • Google trends • KLOUT

These findings were cross-analyzed with the performance of Nugget Markets’ two major competitors: Whole Foods Markets and Safeway, Inc. A SWOT analysis was then applied to illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, and improvements needed by Nugget Markets in terms of their social media presence.

RESULTS Facebook

• 1 main page + 9 pages for each individual location • 15,582 likes (main page) • avg. 1,700 likes per store page

Content: The content has consistent bright, vibrant images (see Figure 1) with each post often showing enticing food options. Nugget Markets primarily use Facebook to advertise events such as wine and cheese tastings, post links to their blog “Daily Dish which features food and products they offer, share recipes created by their chefs, and advertise their specials. Their recipes generally are received better than their advertisements since they average about 120+ likes compared to the average 3-4 likes for their various advertisements. They also share photos of their staff at events in stores and links to articles about Nugget Markets. They utilize Facebook as well to communicate store closings, which generally center around holidays when they close early so associates can spend time with their families. Figure 1

Source: Facebook Engagement: Nugget Markets respond to comments in a somewhat timely manner. The responses vary in time from one hour to one day. The same format is used to begin each interaction, which can hinder the personalization of the interaction. They do however make a point to then add a personalized message along with it to show genuine gratitude and excitement.

Nugget Markets post polls regularly to get feedback and also consumer participation on names for recipes and cocktails. There are no official reviews present but plenty of posts with positive feedback on their shopping experience. I could only find one negative review and it was for a refund that a customer wanted after buying food for a party and then the party was cancelled. She didn’t feel as though it was handled in the manner it should have been and they responded that day with a plan to resolve the issue and sincere regrets about her experience. The customer responded with gratitude and assurance that they would still remain a loyal customer. Overall, the engagement shown on Facebook between Nugget Markets and its consumers is very positive and reflects Nugget Markets’ brand image efficiently. Twitter

• Followers: 3,774 • Following: 616 • Tweets: 1,706

Content: Nugget Markets consistency has a similar format to their Facebook content but lacks the vibrant images along with their tweets that highlights the content of the post. They are present but in less volume. Though the consistency of posts is the same, the interactions on Twitter are considerably less. When they choose to interact or respond to tweets it is generally to retweet positive mentions about their stores to deal with customer service issues. They tend to handle these efficiently and offer direct contact with store managers (see Figure 2) Figure 2

Source: Twitter

Engagement:

Source: Keyhole Using Keyhole, I analyzed how a typical week of Nugget Markets’ usage of Twitter. They posted about once every day, sometimes twice. Their reach and impressions were a considerable amount more than their followers, which I felt was important since that meant they were able to reach other audiences. However, the top domain for mentions was not Twitter but rather Instagram by a small margin. Nugget Markets do not have an active Instagram account and therefore cannot monitor or contribute to the reach they hold on this platform. The amount of retweets is small and could be improved upon. Most of their content is self-produced and has little feedback from followers and Twitter users. They average about 0-2 likes per post. By engaging more with consumers outside of strictly responding to customer service feedback, they might be able to gain more direct interactions with their self-produced content. This would help to better reflect who they are as a brand. Pinterest

• 18 boards • 534 followers • 46 following

Content: Nugget Market uses Pinterest to not only highlight their products and produce in stores, but shows consumers how to use them for various purposes. There are boards for recipes for food and drinks. They highlight products by categorizing them into season with a board for fall, winter, summer, and spring items. Outside of food, they show off beauty products, wine and spirits, products they love, and health/fitness. Since their brand is all about creating a customized experience for each consumer, their boards help to reach a variety of audiences. There is one board however that shows backyard ideas for gardening and has no self-produced content (see Figure 3). It does not reflect their products and promotes a practice that would actually hurt their overall revenue. Though they support local produce and products, with even a separate board to prove this, promoting gardening at home does not support the economy of their company or the local farmers they partner with. It also creates some dissonance with their overall brand image on Pinterest. This particular board has the most individual followers and pins but it does not have a clear indicator that it is affiliated with Nugget Markets. Figure 3

Source: Pinterest

Engagement: There is no interaction present. Nugget Market has zero likes and does not comment on pins related to their products or stores. Though their boards reflect their brand, they simply use Pinterest as a one-way communication outlet. The content they produce also is hard to trace back to their page, which might be hindering their interactions. They link their website to their pins, but they also have a lot of re-pins that do not provide their website. This does not allow for web traffic of their content to be directed to website, which is the most valuable tool Pinterest provides for companies to utilize. HowSociable When perusing the Nugget Markets main website, there are only links to the three social media platforms previously mentioned: Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Source: Nugget Markets website Using HowSociable, I was able to see that Nugget Markets have created other social media profiles on other platforms that are not advertised on their website. HowSociable creates a score ranging from 0 to 10 by analyzing activity from a variety of popular websites (see Figure 4) so that one can better identify a brand’s strengths and weaknesses as well as set goals and improvements for their social media activity. Figure 4

Source: HowSociable Upon entering Nugget Markets into the search engine, a detailed report and scoring was produced to help get a sense of the social media brand magnitude for a particular week

Source: HowSociable

It is important to note this measures the overall impression the brand produces and not the quality of the content. Since Nugget Markets has only nine locations in one central location, their magnitude and reach is not very high due to the volume of their clientele and size of their company. This helps to explain why Nugget Markets scored an overall magnitude of 3.2 on a 10-point scale despite the positive and engaging content they have on their Facebook and Twitter. They also only post and update on a regular basis on three platforms out of the over 36 platforms HowSociable uses to culminate their score. This also does not include their blog “Daily Dish” since they have it formatted as just a section of their main website and does not have an independent blog format or platform. It was a surprise to find that Nugget Markets actually have a YouTube and Google+ account that is linked to their brand. When you look at the three mainly utilized social media platforms, there is consistent branding using a uniform profile picture, banner picture, description, and most importantly name. The YouTube and Google+ accounts are linked to one another sharing the name “nuggetmkt” which differentiates them from their other social media accounts, which clearly indicate they are associated with the brand “Nugget Markets”. They also have no logo, profile picture, banner picture, or description of the company that are present on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest (see Figure 5.1 and 5.2). They subsequently have little to no followers on these platforms. Figure 5.1

Source: YouTube

Figure 5.2

Source: Google+ Google/Yahoo Search Findings Google: Eight out of the top ten finding when you enter “Nugget Markets” into a Google search engine are directly linked to the company. The first finding is their website followed by the respective Wikipedia page which mentions points of difference between Nugget Markets and it’s competitors but does not contain a negative summary of the brand or company. The Wikipedia page serves as a good reflection of the culture of the company while mentioning that there is a false stereotype perpetuated that Nugget Markets are high-end and expensive. The only other finding not directly related is a Fortune magazine feature about Nugget Markets ranking as one of the best places to work for 2015. This creates a positive impact since there is no content from competitors that take away from Nugget Markets’ presence. There are no banner ads present but rather a Google spotlight on the company (see Figure 6). The only mentions of possible competitors are

highlighted in this spotlight under “People also search for” but this is not a threat to the Nugget Market content on Google. Figure 6

Source: Google search results Yahoo: Yahoo search engine results have strictly Nugget Market related links and created content. There are also two banner ads which are related to job postings for Nugget Market on non-related websites (see Figure 7). Nugget Market content dominates a related search and there are no possible threats or spotlight on competitors. Figure 7

Source: Yahoo search results Google Trends Google Trends, not to be confused with a basic Google Search, shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages for a brand or company. I analyzed Google trends

for Nugget Markets then compared these finding to competitors Whole Foods Market and Safeway, Inc. Nugget Markets:

Source: Google Trends Starting with the first content created by Nugget Market dating back to 2005, there is a steady rise and fall of search interest. In 2009, the interest peaked significantly which consequently is the same year that Nugget Market created a Twitter page. However, since 2009 the search interest has begun to fall with 2015 showing some of the lowest interest since 2005.

Source: Google Trends

It was not surprising to find that the regional interest for Nugget Market content was limited to just the United States given that they only have stores in a small region of one state within the United States. This has an effect though on their overall impact on the Internet and social media and limits their audience.

Source: Google Trends The related searches were not general terms but specific ones related to the company name and locations. The fact they have no topics to show is evident of how little of influence and standing they hold in relation to other companies on the Internet and social media. Whole Foods Market:

Source: Google Trends

Whole Foods Market search interest rises steadily and has a higher amount than Nugget Market; it has also declined recently whereas Whole Foods Market interest for 2015 shows the highest volume of interest.

Source: Google Trends Just by looking at the variation in regional interest outside of the United States, you can get a sense that Whole Food Markets reaches more audiences than Nugget Markets.

Source: Google Trends Whole Foods Market has about the same relevance and content for related searches but they have topics that are related to their company in searches, which Nugget Markets lacks. Whole Foods Market has a higher total search-volume than Nugget Markets.

Safeway, Inc.: The Google trends findings for Safeway, Inc., another supermarket company, were similar to those of Whole Foods Market.

Source: Google Trends

KLOUT A KLOUT Score is a number between 1-100 that represents your influence on social media. The more influential you are, the higher your score. There were no findings of a KLOUT score for Nugget Markets. Based on my personal KLOUT score of 65 and the fact that I use more than three social media platforms, it can be assumed that a score for Nugget Markets would be lower therefore suggesting they do not have a strong influence. Competitor Analysis Whole Foods Market: Whole Foods Markets has a much higher amount of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Facebook.

• 1.7 million likes on Facebook • 4.07 million Twitter followers • 234,034 Pinterest followers

This does not take into account as well the followers they have on other social media platforms they advertise on their main page (see Figure 8). Unlike Nugget Markets, they have active accounts on Google+, Instagram, and YouTube. Figure 8

Source: Whole Foods Market website Their correspondence is faster than Nugget Markets and they respond within an hour to most comments and feedback across all their platforms. They also have the bright images and photos accompanying tweets that Nugget Markets lacks on Twitter. Nugget Markets and Whole Foods Market have a similar approach and format to responding to consumers. Safeway, Inc.: Safeway also has a higher amount of followers on social media though not as many as Whole Foods Market.

• 1.1 million likes on Facebook • 65.3k Twitter followers • 9,617 Pinterest followers

Safeway, Inc. advertises the same three platforms on their website as Nugget Markets but also includes links to personalized apps for their stores (see Figure 9).

Figure 9

Source: Safeway, Inc. website Safeway also created an Instagram account seven weeks ago and has already accumulated 3,196 followers and has 26 posts. The content and engagement on their social media platforms is similar to that of Nugget Markets.

CONCLUSION

A factor for higher influence from competitors is due to the fact that Nugget Markets is limited to a section of one state within the United States (northern California). The content and interactions shared among all three companies are similar in nature and quality so the Nugget Markets regional location could be what is limiting their influence on social media and the Internet in general.

Their brand and culture is successfully conveyed in their content and engagement on Facebook and Twitter. They show commitment and loyalty to their customers. The poorly advertised and barely utilized Google+ and YouTube accounts however take away from the positive image cultivated on these platforms.

Nugget Markets strength on social media is that the customized and catered experiences they strive for in their stores is evident in their content and engagement. By creating personalized posts on their blog “Daily Dish” and responses to consumer feedback, they are able to convey their mission as a company and establish loyalty with customers.

Nugget Markets weakness is that though they have strong content and engagement on Facebook and Twitter, they do not engage with Pinterest users and take full advantage of what it has to offer their company. The lack of content and branding on Google+ and YouTube shows that they need to focus more on other social media platforms outside of Facebook and Twitter to grow more influence.

A great way for Nugget Markets to build on their weakness would be to create an Instagram account. They could better manage and engage with the heavy volume of content consumers have created about their company on this platform as well as highlight the strengths they have utilized on Facebook and Twitter by sharing recipes and vibrant images of their products.

Sources Nugget Market website- http://www.nuggetmarket.com/ Blog - http://www.nuggetmarket.com/articles

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nuggetmarkets/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nuggetmarkets

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nugget_Market/ Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101319796291476781747/videos YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nuggetmkt Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nugget_Markets Keyhole - http://keyhole.co/preview HowSociable- http://www.howsociable.com/nugget+markets Google Trends

Nugget Markets- https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=%2Fm%2F09bjq9 Whole Foods– https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=%2Fm%2F02xf2l Safeway– https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=%2Fm%2F03lpnx

Whole Foods Home - http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wholefoods/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wholefoods/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholefoods Safeway- http://www.safeway.com/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/safeway/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Safeway/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Safeway Klout – http://klout.com