October 2011
 Social networking- a help or a hindrance to the food and drink industry?
Serena Humphrey, Owner, The Deeside Smokehouse
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks have become increasingly important to the way we engage with customers around the globe. We find people want to know how their food is produced, the way it is prepared and the quality of the ingredients involved. People now realise the health benefits of venison and such like and are keen to find new sources such as The Deeside Smokehouse. Despite the fact that social media can be time consuming for small business owners the benefits can provide a good return on investment if used correctly. With people now using social media on a daily basis many food manufacturers and providers have discovered that word of mouth has been replaced by word of mouse in passing on recommendations. It is also an ideal way of listening to what our customers are saying about us so we can provide the kind of products they want.
Jamie Hutcheon, Cocoa Ooze, 225 North Deeside Road, Aberdeen
The internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have been crucial in making people aware of our brand and what we are trying to achieve.
The business has been built up by online sales through our website, although we have just opened our first shop in North Deeside Road, and we have customers from all over Scotland and England. I use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Aberdeen Business Network to keep in touch with customers, to make them aware of new products, to interact with them and to receive their feedback which is very important. I recently used Facebook to help find new staff.
The internet is a starting point for many people - it is like pre-marketing. Some customers do prefer to see the chocolates before they buy but by browsing our website they have a clear idea of what they might like before they arrive at the shop.
Elaine Sutherland, Financial Controller, Gourmet’s Choice, Portsoy
The internet is very important for our business which was established more than a century ago when my husband Maurice’s great great grandfather and his wife went door to door with wicker creels selling cod and haddock caught in the Moray Firth.
Now the business, which has 35 staff, while carrying on the tradition of supplying the local market is also focussed on selling smoked salmon to both individuals and the trade all over the world. The Middle East is our main market and we have won export awards in recent years.
We have an online retail store and the internet is great for communicating with our customers although we still like face to face contact and speaking to them. Now we can do both using Skype. On a personal level I am not a fan of Facebook or Twitter but I do appreciate we shall have to consider them as potential business tools in the future.
Andrew Gordon, Andrew Gordon Butchery and Fine Foods, www.andrewgordonbutchery.com
I am a big fan of using the internet and social networking. I use my personal Facebook page to highlight special offers and at the moment when people come into the shop if they use their phone to check in to Andrew Gordon Butchery & Fine Foods on their Facebook App and show it to my staff, they receive a free gift of something they have not tried before. It is a great way to get people to taste new products.
We are on Twitter (@AberdeenButcher) and we have generated business and grown our professional database.
I am also on LinkedIn and have 230 connections and 21 recommendations.
We have ‘Andrew Gordon TV’ on our website and YouTube on which we show features like a fridge tour and preparing meat for counter trade.
We are going to be expanding and doing more of that and daring things like blindfolded butchery and challenges. The aim is to allow the public to see how professionally we go about our business and to learn about cooking and awareness.
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