A move in the right direction.

No longer focusing on the more traditional forms of customer communication, Ben & Jerry’s will become one of the first of many big brands to abandon regular email marketing and instead opt for a focus on social media.

Setting a good example, the ice-cream brand fully listened to the feedback it received from customers suggesting the majority of whom would prefer to be contacted on social media sites rather than through emailed monthly newsletters.

Whilst email marketing has long been established as one of the most successful digital marketing channels and remains a standard marketing outlet for most brands, Ben & Jerry’s have made a conscious decision to move away from the established practice.

This savvy move means that with only one email update to customers each year, Facebook and Twitter profiles will make up the main channels used to engaged with customers on a constant basis, both in-house and through its digital PR team.

A strategic move to focus on building relationships with customers, this approach is seen as being best achieved through social media. Developing friendships and relationships is key for them and thus far feedback has been largely positive. As it stands, Ben & Jerry’s UK has a Facebook fan base of over 76,000. So it would seem some are interested in the digital move.

Nevertheless, there are still those who feel that whilst there are persuasive arguments for focusing on social platforms but perhaps mainly for young people who do not use email in the same way as older people do. And so, to cut off a channel that is still used by large numbers seems impulsive and might need further development.