Social Media Plan for Whole Foods

1. Social Media
Plan
Alexia Schmidt
10/7/2017

2. Table of
Contents
Executive Summary
Social Media Audit
Social Media Objectives
Online Brand Persona and Voice
Strategies and Tools
Timing and Key Dates
Social Media Roles and Responsibilities
Social Media Policy
Critical Response Plan
Measurement and Reporting Results

3. Executive Summary, October 2017
Our major social media priorities for 2018 are to maintain a strong presence on
each social media outlet and grow our strength in video posts.
Two strategies to support these priorities:
• Publish content daily to each social media channel
• Post more frequently to YouTube and share this content to other channels

4. Social Media Audit
As of October 10, 2017
The following is an audit of Whole Foods' social
media presence. It includes examination of social
media accounts, web traffic, audience demographics
and a competitor analysis.

5. Social Network URL Follower Count Average Weekly
Activity
Average
Engagement Rate
Facebook https://www.faceb
ook.com/pg/Whol
eFoods/posts/
4,256,225 Over ten posts per
week
4%
Twitter https://twitter.com
/wholefoods/
528,000 Over ten posts per
week
2%
Instagram https://www.instag
ram.com/wholefoo
ds/
2.4 Million About one post per
day (7 per week)
3.5%
YouTube https://www.youtu
be.com/wholefood
s
73,937 Does not post
every week
1%
Snapchat https://www.snapc
hat.com/add/whol
efoods
300,000 10 Snapchat Story
postings per week
0.5%

6. Social Network URL Follower Count Average
Weekly Activity
Average
Engagement
Rate
Pinterest https://www.pi
nterest.com/wh
olefoods/?autol
ogin=true
332,000 Seasonal/month
ly postings
5%
Google Plus https://plus.goo
gle.com/+whole
foods
253,969 Has not posted
to account since
2016
0%

7. Social Media Assessment
Currently, Facebook and Instagram are the channels with the most followers.
YouTube and Pinterest have the least followers and most room for growth due
to their visual nature.
The Google Plus account is not well maintained and does not have any
interaction with customers, and should probably be deleted.

8. Website Traffic Sources Assessment
Timeframe: monthly average from July 2017 to October 2017

9. Source Volume Percentage of
Overall Traffic
Conversion of Rate
YouTube 4000 unique visits 4% 2%
Google Plus 150 unique visits No data No data
Facebook 15,000 unique visits 25% 6%
Twitter 10,000 unique visits 20% 4%
Instagram 12,500 unique visits 23% 5.3%
Pinterest 3000 unique visits 16% 3%

10. Traffic Summary
Currently, Facebook is the highest driver of traffic to Whole Foods' website. It
also has the highest conversion rate (conversion goal = item purchase).

11. Audience Demographics Assessment
Survey distributed in July via email. Total responses: 2000

12. Age Distribution Gender
Distribution
Primary Social
Network
Secondary
Social
Network
Primary Need Secondary
Need
25% 18-30 55% Female
45% Male
50% Facebook
25% Twitter
25% Instagram
60% Twitter
30%
Instagram
10% Snapchat
Buying
quality products
Buying healthy
items
40% 31-40
25% 41-55
10% 56-80

13. Audience Demographics Summary
A strong majority of survey respondents were from the 31-40 age group.
Facebook is overwhelmingly their primary social network. Their primary
focuses on products are quality and nutritional content.

14. Competitor Assessment

15. Competitor Assessment
Competitor Name Social Media Profile Strengths Weaknesses
Trader Joe's N/A Specific dietary lists on
website for kosher, vegan
and gluten-free customers
No social media accounts
run by the company
The Fresh Market https://www.facebook.co
m/TheFreshMarket
Strong branding on
website and social
channels
Fewer social media
accounts
Earth Fare https://www.facebook.co
m/EarthFare/
Great recipes shared on
social accounts using their
products
Fewer social media
accounts and less
interaction

16. Competitor Assessment Summary
The previous analysis featured three brands that sell similar products to Whole
Foods and have similar audience demographics.
Visual content and food recipes are common along all of the brands. However,
Trader Joe's, a huge competitor of Whole Foods, does not use social media at
all. We found this as a huge strength of our brand and something we can use to
our advantage since Whole Foods customers can even shop online.
Room for improvement with these brands includes website design and
increasing channels of social media with the expansion of Instagram, Pinterest
and YouTube accounts.

17. Social Media Objectives
In 2018, the primary focus of social
media will be to direct followers to
online shopping on the Whole
Foods website and engage with them
through visual means. We seek to
build relationships, showcase
superiority of our products, and give
customers channelsto find uses for
our products.
Specific objectives:
• Increase volume of video content
published on Facebook and YouTube
by 15% in the first three months of the
year
• Increase unique visitors from social
networks by 20% in six months
• Enhance brand reputation and
customer relationships by replying to at
least 70% of Facebook comments

18. KPIS
• Number of unique
visitors to Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter
• Number of weekly video
posts to Facebook
• Number of weekly posts
to Pinterest
Key Messages
• Whole
Foods for a
balanced life
• Fuel your
seasons

19. Online
Brand
Persona
and Voice
Adjectives that describe our
brand:
• Earthy
• Classic
• Wholesome
When interacting with
customers we are:
• Friendly
• Positive
• Radiant

20. Strategies and Tools

21. Paid:
Boost most popular Facebook posts on Mondays
through Thursdays, must have organic reach of over
3000.
Owned:
Introduce #FuelYourSeason on Pinterest with boards
about seasonal products. Use this same hashtag
campaign on YouTube videos to demonstrate recipes
with seasonal items customers can find in stores.
Earned:
Monitor Instagram and Twitter for hashtags including
#vegan, #seasonal, #veggies, #healthy, #recipe,
#groceries.

22. Tools
Approved Tools:
• Hootsuite
Rejected Tools:
• N/A
Existing Subscriptions/Licenses
• Photoshop

23. Timing and Key Dates
Holiday Dates
• Valentine's Day- Feb. 14
• Start of Summer-June 21
• Thanksgiving- Nov. 23
• Christmas Day- Dec. 25

24. Timing and Key Dates
Internal Events:
• Whole Foods Global Communication Conference: Dates TBA
Reporting Dates
• Reporting will on the first of the month in February, May, August and
November.

25. Social Media Roles and Responsibilities
• Brooke Buchanan- Global V.P.- Global Communications
• Sonya Gafsi Oblisk- Global V.P.- Global Marketing
• Betsy Harden- Director of Corporate Communications
• Kristen Chiles- Communications Strategist and Project Lead
• Jeff Alexander Giordano- Global Social Media Manager

26. Social Media Policy
Social media is essential to uphold our reputation as a quality brand with superior products.
Since you are representing Whole Foods at all times on social media, it is important to
follow these guidelines:
• Give each consumer the attention he or she deserves
• Respect differing viewpoints
• Refrain from saying anything that could be taken as insulting or derogatory
• Always discuss the brand in a positive light
• Ensure the customer that their satisfaction is our priority
• Be genuinely interested in the customer – not just in sales!

27. Social Media Policy
Whole Foods respects each of its customers and their views. Violation of
Whole Foods social media policy may result in termination of employment and
even legal action. When in doubt of compliance, contact your manager. Always
remember that you are the face of the company to the customer you are
interacting with.

28. Critical Response Plan

29. Scenario 1:
Recall of groceries from Whole Foods stores required due to contaminated
food
Action Plan:
1. Inform the public and news media immediately and be as
transparent with info as possible. Make sure they know exactly
which products are affected to ensure consumer safety and
prevent any illnesses.
2. Social media managers work together to evaluate mentions
and public perception of the issue.
3. Have the CEO of Whole Foods release a statement of the
quality of products and rarity of the situation.
4. Brooke should manage all direct contact with the media.

30. Scenario 2: Inappropriate Facebook post published by
employee
Action Plan:
1. Delete Facebook post and apologize to the
public if deemed necessary.
2. Discuss issue with HR and terminate
employee if necessary/applicable.
3. Brooke to manage all direct contact with the
media.
4. Social media managers work together to
monitor mentions.

31. Measurement and Reporting
Quantitative KPIs:
• Reporting period: 3 months
• Data as of July 2017

32. Website Traffic Sources Assessment
Source Volume Percentage of Overall
Traffic
Conversion Rate
Facebook 16,000 unique visits +10%
growth
27% (+1%) 2% (+1%)
Twitter 11,000 unique visits (+10%) 20% (no change) 4.5% (+.5%)
Instagram 13,500 unique visits (+8%) 23% (no change) 7% (+1.7%)
YouTube 6,000 unique visits (+50%) 7% (+3%) 2.2% (+.2%)
Pinterest 4,000 unique visits (+33.3%) 16% (no change) 4% (+1%)
Monthly average, data from November -February 2017

33. Social Network Data
Timeframe: As of February 2018

34. Social Network URL Follower Count Average Weekly
Activity
Average
Engagement Rate
Facebook https://www.faceb
ook.com/pg/Whol
eFoods/posts/
5,000,000
(+17.47%)
Over ten posts per
week
8% (+4%)
Twitter https://twitter.com
/wholefoods/
530,000 (+.48%) Over ten posts per
week
2%
Instagram https://www.instag
ram.com/wholefoo
ds/
2.45 Million
(+2.08%)
One post per day 4% (+.05%)
YouTube https://www.youtu
be.com/wholefood
s
78,000 (+5.49%) Biweekly Posts 5% (+4%)
Snapchat https://www.snapc
hat.com/add/whol
efoods
310,000 (+3.33%) 10 Snapchat Story
postings per week
0.5% (+0%)

35. Social Network URL Follower Count Average
Weekly Activity
Average
Engagement
Rate
Pinterest https://www.pi
nterest.com/wh
olefoods/?autol
ogin=true
335,000 (+.9%) Biweekly
Postings
8% (+3%)
Google Plus deleted 0 deleted 0%

36. Social Network Data
as of February 2018
• Facebook engagement increased 4% and followersincreased more than 17% due to
shareable video content. This is also due to enhanced utilization of our YouTube
channel, which increased in followers by more than 5% and began posting much
more frequently. At the start of this plan, YouTube had not been posted to in 2
months.
• Our team has met our goal of replying to at least 70% of audience commentson
our Facebook posts.
• We decided to delete the Google Plus page. Since it did not have great quality
content or engagement, it was tarnishing the brand instead of helping it.

37. #FuelYourSeason performance
• Between October 2017 and February 2018, the hashtag was mentioned 7000
times on Twitter and Facebook combined. It was mentioned 6000 times on
Instagram.
• Whole Foods published 25 Instagram posts from November- December
2017 with the hashtag.

38. Qualitative KPIs
Sentiment Analysis
An analysis of 50 Tweets, 50 Facebook posts and 50 Instagram posts revealed:
• Sharing of consumer photos with hashtags
• Positive feedback about store associates
• Positive feedback about the quality of products

39. Proposed Action Items
• Continue #FuelYourSeason into the spring with spring recipes and ideas
• Prepare a strategy for continued video content and brainstorm original video
content for YouTube and Facebook postings
• Consider new items for Pinterest boards
• Consider Whole Foods for a Balanced Life campaign