Luxury Appliance Makers Sub-Zero and Wolf Market to Customers on Facebook

Sub-Zero and Wolf, makers of luxury kitchen appliances, are claiming strong results from a Facebook Page that has just under 81,000 fans. The reason, as the company tells us, is that these fans are actual customers, who already associate with the lifestyle image of the products, and who are helping to drive more business to the company. Sub-Zero, for those not familiar, makes freezers, refrigerators and wine storage equipment; it bought cooking equipment maker Wolf in 2000, and both brands operate distinctly today. Facebook has become the third most important non-search engine site sending traffic to the company's site during the past six months, according to Christopher Parr, the manger of the company's interactive marketing efforts. During this period the average time spent on the web site was 3.1 minutes, with 7.5 pages viewed. Apparently lots of people are looking at images of fridges, ranges and other products. While Parr didn't provide more details on how the Page is helping to drive traffic to the site, or how its prompting more sales. But the company's overall strategy makes sense for a luxury brand on Facebook -- focus on a smaller, exclusive audience, and build up their passion for your product. As with many forms of brand advertising, the goal of many Pages is to prime consumers to buy, eventually, rather than trying to get an immediate click-through to a sale. “We’re not about having 1 million fans — we’re more about having real customers so they can talk to each other (on Facebook),” Parr tells us. “We want true Sub-Zero and Wolf fans.” The Page was created in September of last year and really took off during the holidays, he explains. Perhaps the Page took off because more people were looking around for gift ideas, or trying to signal gift ideas to loved ones around this time? The company has also pursued other ways of promoting the page. It sent emails to customers encouraging them to join Facebook. Then, Sub-Zero and Wolf bought Facebook ads targeted at their customers, who tend to be older and affluent, as well as their customers’/fans’ friends on Facebook. Once on Facebook, Parr tells us these fans often jump over to the main web sites after receiving information on new products, recipes, viewed or uploaded photos of Sub-Zero and Wolf kitchens. Now the Page includes three types of fans: actual customers, people who plan to become customers and kitchen designers/architects who use these products in their work, Parr tells us. Parr explains that, for his customer base of older and affluent individuals who are late adopters of Facebook, the email strategy worked in terms of getting more fans. Our most recent analysis of Facebook demographics found that users from 45-65 years of age made up about 20% of the social network’s population. It's among this group that the company is apparently finding more users to purchase some of Sub-Zero and Wolf’s built-in refrigerators, wine storage and cooking equipment. The rest of Sub-Zero and Wolf’s Page includes several photo albums featuring products, more than 100 fan uploads, content on design, products and creating an environmentally-friendly kitchen. The Page is also set to be the launching point for new content, such as outdoor grilling secrets videos, Parr adds. It’s this content, as well as the conversational tone of the Wall, that Parr says helps the Page’s fans/customers become part of the luxurious lifestyle he says embodies the Sub-Zero and Wolf brand. For strategies to help build up a loyal following on your Page, take a look at our Facebook Marketing Bible.

Social Pro Daily

Luxury Appliance Makers Sub-Zero and Wolf Market to Customers on Facebook

Sara Inés Calderón

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Sara Inés Calderón