SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A strengthened Facebook presence is helping Big Y Foods relay health-related information to its shoppers.
Though the retailer created a Facebook page for its “Living Well, Eating Smart” nutrition and wellness program nearly one year ago, it just started using the platform more strategically.
It now updates the page daily, even on weekends. All posts are designed to create nutritional conversations, such as new store programs and services, as well as better-for-you meal ideas.
“It lets us have an immediate conversation with our shoppers,” said Carrie Taylor, the chain's dietitian.
Big Y operates a separate Facebook page for general supermarket information.
The “Living Well, Eating Smart” page is also being used to introduce new health-related products and services. Many of the current postings tout Big Y's just-launched NuVal nutritional scoring system, which rates foods with a score from 1 to 100.
One post, for instance, discussed SunButter sunflower butter, a weekly sale item with a NuVAL score of 41. Traditional peanut butter typically scores around 20.
Earlier this month, the retailer provided an incentive for Facebook users to “like” the page.
Once it received 200 “likes,” it conducted a random drawing for a $25 gift card. Similar giveaways will be used to continue building interest in the page, according to Taylor.
