30 Aug 5 Gum: Facebook Fan Page Example in Detail #23
Next up in our 26 Facebook Fan Page Examples in Detail is 5 Gum, and we sure could use a piece after all that “research” of Taco Bell and Mountain Dew. As far as gums go on Facebook, 5 Gum is the leader of the pack with 6.4 million Likes, but are they giving their fans a reason to stick around? If you’ve been keeping up with our series, you know that page size isn’t the whole story. So let’s see if 5 Gum is giving fans something good to chew on.
5 Gum Wall
As with all brands under the new timeline design, the default landing page for the 5 Gum page is their wall. Posts are focused on energy, music, and engaging the senses, which connects well with their “Stimulate Your Senses” tagline and makes the page feel more like a lifestyle community than a marketing channel. However, their posting schedule can be somewhat irregular ranging from a post a day during key partnerships (e.g. the Switch concert series and Coachella) to once a week. It gives the page an almost seasonal feeling, which is odd given that gum is not a seasonal product.
5 Gum Micro Pack
A great way to entice fan engagement with a brand is by offering exclusive opportunities. 5 Gum is capitalizing on this by offering fans the opportunity to be in the new 5 Gum music video. All they have to do is grab one of the new Micro Packs, go out with some friends, snap a picture of them having a great time with the gum, and then post the photo to the 5 Gum Wall.
Promotions like these with low-barriers to entry are great for engaging fans and getting lots of participation. However, as it’s currently designed, it violates Facebook Page Terms by using native Facebook functionality and features as an entry method. A rather common mistake, even among big brands, 5 Gum runs the risk of the promotion being shut down by Facebook without warning. A simple solution to this issue is to have fans upload their photos within the Micro Pack tab. This would also give 5 Gum the flexibility to feature all of the images in a gallery and offer additional opportunities for engagement through sharing and commenting.
5® REACT™
One of the other apps that 5 Gum features under the new timeline design is 5 REACT™. This tab serves as an aggregate of multiple pieces of content for the brand – videos, photos, product information, and links to other social properties. The tab is very visual, matching the look and feel of all of their other creative. The only drawback is that the content within the tab requires users to scroll horizontally in order to see some of the elements. It would be beneficial for 5 Gum to consider revising this tab to fit within the tab dimensions and provide a better user experience to their audience.
5 Gum Timeline
Ever wonder what it is like to taste and experience flavors like Cobalt, Flare or Solstice? 5 Gum shows you with their timeline. Unlike some consumer brands with rich histories, 5 Gum has only been around since 2007, leaving them with fewer opportunities to fully utilize the potential of Timeline. However, they have done a good job of populating their milestones with the releases of new flavors, which helps provide another outlet for fans to express their love for particular flavors as well as highlight their entire product line.
5 Gum Fan Engagement
5 Gum could benefit from engaging their fans more, but after looking more closely at other gum brands on Facebook, it seems to be an overarching trend in the industry. We examined 5 Gum in comparison to another popular brand, Orbit, and although Orbit has just over a third the number of fans on Facebook, they experience very similar engagement rates.
5 Gum should consider incorporating more posts that contain interesting visuals and open-ended questions. These seem to fare the best with their existing audience and get them engaged with the brand. They should also decide on a more regular posting cadence so that it’s not as sporadic. Additionally, they should really audit their page and remove the apps that are no longer providing any source of engagement for fans and develop new ones with more updated content. Tabs like the H.P. Project and their Events schedule are both stagnant and aren’t providing any additional value to the community. Each of these things would put 5 Gum in a unique position to separate themselves from the pack (last pun, I promise).
Do you see value in what 5 Gum is doing on Facebook? Are your senses stimulated? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
