By Bob Speyer – Web Success Team

You’ve heard the stories about “man bites dog.” Well how about the latest headline grabber: “Social Media bites back!” Here is the story of one company that brands and markets itself with a simple burger.

Recently I was in New York City visiting my tech savvy son. Taking a stroll through the canyons of Manhattan we decided to grab lunch. Choices overwhelmed the senses in this food-fad city. Knowing I do online marketing, he suggested a new and novel fast food joint that serves healthy meals with a social media marketing emphasis. I was hooked.

Yummmm. Digital Menu Display with Personalized Burgers

We walked a few blocks to 4Food. It was like no other fast food place I experienced. True it had all the trappings of fast food – burgers, fries and drinks with order takers dressed alike and anxiously awaiting your “happy meal” order. But that’s where the comparison stopped.

Revolutionizing “Counter Culture”
Above the counter was a digital display of 12 popular 4Food burgers, each with there own unique name. It reminded me of the local deli’s dry eraser board naming today’s special — The Jerry Seinfeld (kosher ham sandwich on rye). A second digital display featured 12 more burgers named by customers ranked in order of the most popular ordered, like California Dreaming. Herein lies their social media marketing genius. Here is how their social media program works:

Anyone can go to their website and register to get $5 in free burger bucks. They also build their own unique sandwich online, selecting from a variety of choice meats, condiments and dressings. Once digitally built, you get to name it. Mine’s called the Web Success Team burger– duh! I can then purchase it using my free burger bucks. My next move is to self-promote it by telling my friends to order it (pick-up or delivery) by name. I get credit for every Web Success Team burger ordered and it goes into the burger bank on the 4Food.com website. On my next order, I can claim the credits and get free or discounted food.

If enough people order my burger, it will appear on the customer burger board in the eatery, which is updated each week. New Yorkers being New Yorkers have embraced this strategy and they are promoting their burger to everybody they know. In turn it promotes the 4Food brand through Social Media.

Creating a Community Buzz
The store does no advertising, just through word of mouth using Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. What’s also fun about 4Food is you can utilize one of several laptops to surf the web while you eat your special burger or socialize with the occupant next to you and swap burger ingredients. It’s all about building a burger community, inside the eatery and online. I also forgot to mention that their burgers – beef, lamb, turkey, salmon, pork, veggie – are donut shaped with delicious condiments added in the middle for a unique taste experience.

4Food’s mission is to de-junk fast food by bring fresh, delicious, and nutritious to all ages, lifestyles, incomes, and ethnicities. No fads, fillers, or anything artificial. They’re revolutionizing counter culture, in real-time. And their advanced, web-based technologies allow them to make personalized recommendations that meet their guest’s nutrition and lifestyle goals.

Be Social – It Delivers!
So next time you are in Manhattan, stop in for a healthy lunch experience and order my Web Success Team burger (hint, it’s turkey with a great combination of healthy toppings). And remember, meals are necessary social events. Bon appétit!

To Your Web Success!