Procter & Gamble is a giant in many product categories, but one that it has all but surrendered is food products. The company that once marketed Duncan Hines cake mixes and Jif peanut butter now has Pringles snack foods as its lone food brand. So, why launch a web site that lets visitors acquire recipes, post mobile shopping lists, and get information from expert chefs? That is exactly what P&G has done with its site dinnertool.com. The marketing platform dinnertool.com creates for P&G will be used to promote its products used in the kitchen for cleaning.
It would be simple for a company like P&G to build a site that pushes its own brands. Such a site would be a value-added resource for consumers, but it is all about selling products for the sponsor. Dinnertool.com is about selling products, too, but the approach taken is more subtle. Busy professionals and families can benefit from the information shared on dinnertool.com. And, the site sign-up process allows users to opt-in to receive coupons for products. Given that coupon redemption has increased substantially during the recession, the coupons will add additional value to users’ experience with dinnertool.com.
Are there ways your company can be an information resource for customers like P&G is doing with dinnertool.com? An initiative like this will probably not lead to record sales immediately (or ever). Becoming an information resource for customers is all about engagement and relationship building. Much like a friend would share outstanding recipes and tips for the kitchen, dinnertool.com is P&G’s way of friending consumers online. If you become an information resource for your customers, are you not acting like a friend? And, if your friends need to buy the type of product you sell, they may be inclined to buy from their friend.