Here’s the second post sharing our conversation with Yorkshire Tea’s Dom Dwight. Here he talks about managing social in international markets, plans for 2013, and whether he’s a Miffy or a Tiffy.
SB100: Yorkshire Tea is now available in Australia. What do you consider when entering new markets? We assume the British expat population can be great advocates, for a start.
Dom: With social you’re immediately global anyway, which is both a challenge and an opportunity – so when we recently began to get a bigger presence in Australia, we already had a chunk of fans and followers over there. We began a series of targeted posts, tweaking content so it was more relevant to Aussies. The challenge is that juggling different content for different countries gets complex fast! The other issue is, ultimately, you can’t be sure how well your social media approach, and your brand’s tone of voice, will translate in another culture – so we take it steady, tread softly, and try to listen to feedback carefully.
SB100: What are you focusing on in the coming year?
Dom: Two things – first, we’re aiming to make the most of our recent ECB sponsorship. Being the official brew of the English cricket team with the Ashes fast approaching is an exciting prospect. We want to be a different kind of sponsor – we’ve got a lot of fun plans to make the most of the tea breaks, reach out to cricket fans, and create great content.
Second, we’re working on lots of different ways to build on the celebratory spirit of our new TV campaign – a big part of which we’re doing by asking fans to tell us what they’re celebrating, and then picking a winner each month to help out in some way, usually involving lots of tea!
SB100: Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Dom: I’d like to see more brands focusing on the quality of their engagement rather than the quantity – ideas and approaches driven by a genuine belief that connecting with consumers has value, rather than the gimmicky, advertising-mindset stuff I often see.
SB100: Final question – perhaps the most important – do you add the milk or the tea first?
Dom: If it’s from the pot, I’ve always been a Miffy (Milk In First) not a Tiffy. But if it’s brewed in a mug, it’s milk last – or the whole deal’s off!
You can read part one of this post here. We’ll be sharing other conversations with Social Brands 100 nominees ahead of the shortlist announcement on 23 April. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
