How FMCG Brands Can Use Social Media To Grow Their Brands 📱| Beyond Meat Case Study

Brands are increasingly taking advantage of the digital era by utilizing social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to not only sell their products but also to understand and anticipate consumer trends. And the FMCG industry is no exception. In this article, we will be exploring the impact of social media on the FMCG industry.

Social Media Monitoring

Before the generation of social media, businesses relied solely on focus groups and surveys to gather customer feedback, which is a very time-consuming process. However, in this new digital era, businesses and individuals can now gather information in 24 hours than the traditional method can in one week – with polls on an Instagram story! This line of direct communication can enable an FMCG company to adapt quickly to customer feedback and engage with their customers daily to show their loyalty towards customer satisfaction and indeed increase brand loyalty.

Using Influencers to Influence Decision-Making

The rise of social media influencers has been a game changer in the FMCG sector, where consumers follow trends and perceptions of influencers. According to Zefmo (2021), The FMCG industry has been the biggest investor in influencer marketing, increasing its marketing budget by a whopping 62%, which is 32% more than its annual budget for marketing.

“But aren’t FMCG products inelastic?” – a common question that has been asked. In short, this means that consumers don’t change their demand for these products even if the prices are constantly changing. The answer to this is that brands want their consumers to change the way they shop by redirecting them to engage on their online platforms. Fast-moving consumer goods are relatively cheap which helps the consumer understand that an influencer's recommendation is low risk and that trying out a new product would not have a significant negative impact on the consumer.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC is the type of content that has been incorporated by people outside your company. These contributors are individuals who have tried the product, are happy with it, and want people to know about it. By doing so, they offer consumers a more personalised experience of the product.

This marketing technique is a bit different from traditional methods and is often cheaper to implement. Consumers can compare the content posted online of the product ‘in action’ to see how the product could make an introduction in their lives. Furthermore, customers seeing reshares and uploads of the products online would drive them more towards looking for the product. This would create a sense of validity and visual sensation, which in turn would increase the number of sales. Building a brand community is critical for retaining brand loyalty. With so much competition in the FMCG sector, companies must think outside the box to stop them from losing their customers. Implementing a strategy like UGC would be a successful method in ensuring a sale by creating a personal connection with their consumers.

While there are an immense number of reasons why any company would like to go viral, these reasons can’t always be positive. The potential benefits of brands going viral are enormous, but they must tread carefully. Authenticity is the most crucial aspect of jumping on a trend. Furthermore, if a company starts relying only on virality, the brand perception in general would shift from their focus.

Case study: Beyond Meat

The entrepreneur and influencer (Kim Kardashian) came on as the company's first “chief taste consultant” and will be featured in a new campaign touting her recipes for using Beyond Meat and other creative content. Credit:

Beyond Meat understands the concept of influencer marketing. They have successfully collaborated with several celebrities, micro-influencers, and chefs to increase their sphere of influence among the current generation. These celebrities share their personal experience after trying the product would increase the brand name's credibility and boost a customer’s purchase intent which would directly increase the return on investment.

Beyond Meat uses its Instagram stories/highlights to engage with its audience directly using these features to gain customer feedback and educate its audience | Credit:

Additionally, Beyond Meat has extensively been participating in trending discussions including health benefactors, sustainability, and the future of food. Beyond Meat’s approach to these simple tactics has been commendable and should be taken into consideration by other companies to glorify success. They have indeed built a strong online community and cemented their position as pioneers in the plant-based food revolution by utilizing influencers, capitalizing on UGC, and moving along and across with the current market trends.

Beyond Meat uses the platform Kale where creators earn rewards to talk about their favourite brands, creating a community for Beyond Meat lovers! | Credit:

Social media and the FMCG sector have a synergistic relationship. As social networks expand, so will their impact on the consumer environment. Brands that can capitalize on the promise of these platforms, be completely transparent with their consumers, and stay nimble in their strategies will prosper in this new digital age.

–Mirfat Khamis, Digital Marketing Specialist, Imagine

-Harsh Kaurani, Intern, Imagine