1.
Mellow Mushroom Literally Follows Back
In 1984 James E. Grunig and Todd T. Hunt developed four models of
public relations that have become one of the most widely recognized theories in
the discipline today. Grunig and Hunt's two-way symmetrical model is a process
that seeks to establish a dialogue between an organization and a public. In this
model, responses are just as critical as the information being transmitted. Mellow
Mushroom, a pizzeria that operates as a restaurant franchise, hired Atlanta-
based public relations agency Fitzgerald + Co. to conduct the "Follow Us and
We'll Follow You" campaign. The unique social media campaign converged
branding with entertainment by asking its Twitter users to follow them in
exchange for the opportunity for Mellow Mushroom mascots, Mel and Dude, to
follow the fans back—in real life (see email attachment).
Although Mellow Mushroom followed only hundreds of its 8,981 followers
in real life, it maintained its two-way symmetrical approach through its Twitter
account. Mellow Mushroom's target public is consumers. The company retained
this specified public by following its followers in return (Image 1). This active
public is information seeking because it chose to follow Mellow Mushroom first;
that is, this public actively sought out the corporation's message and/or materials.
The open dialogue between the public and Mellow Mushroom increases the level
of involvement within the relationship. According to a study conducted by Maritz
Research (Image 6), only 29% of responders stated that a company responded
to their Tweet. For the individuals who received a response, 83.5% liked or loved
the fact that the company responded, and 74.4% were somewhat or very
2.
satisfied with the company's response. The secondary research reveals that the
majority of consumers are satisfied with the balanced interaction.
In addition, Mellow Mushroom carried out a symmetrical dialogue with its
followers. For every comment, praise, or even complaint, Mellow Mushroom
replied to each individual (Images 3-5). This balanced interaction reinforces the
company's brand through relationship building. By simply following and replying
to its followers, Mellow Mushroom increased brand awareness. In turn, the
company's response to some of its media public's complaints (Image 3-4)
demonstrates that Mellow Mushroom took advantage of the opportunity to speak
for itself and eliminate its public's perceived obstacles. For example, image 4
illustrates that because Mellow Mushroom was willing to address an individual's
complaint, the individual lowered his constraint recognition by acknowledging that
his issue has the opportunity to be resolved. As a result of continuous and
balanced dialogue, the overall public likely developed a positive perception of the
brand because of Mellow Mushroom's concern for its active, information seeking
public's contentment with the business.
Mellow Mushroom's interactive media campaign resulted in successful
branding. The company noticed an increase of followers throughout the
campaign; I, myself, was one of these followers who dined at the restaurant a
week into the campaign simply because of my increased awareness of the
brand. The campaign also integrated other media channels, including YouTube,
where real-life interactions with Mellow Mushroom's mascots were documented.
To top it off, the campaign received national press from the New York Times,
3.
Huffington Post, and PRWeb (Images 7-9). Mellow Mushroom's incorporation of
the two-way symmetrical model with its social media campaign produced an
increase of brand awareness, even with non-targeted publics.
