Home > Features and Commentary > Features > Going global > BurgerFuel gets social in the Middle East
February 2012By NZTE Editor
As I arrived at the reception area of BurgerFuel’s Auckland headquarters, I observe to the left, an open plan office. To the right is a ping pong table, snooker, inflatable cushions, a fridge full of cold drinks and a bottle of vodka. That’s culture, that’s looking after their people. But it’s serious business, with an attitude that is both ambitious and meticulous.
Nowhere is the company’s audacity more evident than in the Middle East. BurgerFuel has just opened a seventh store in the region – this time in Iraq.
CEO Josef Roberts and Marketing Manager Alexis Lam talk here about how BurgerFuel is using digital technology to augment their global moves.
Two years ago BurgerFuel went through the Digital Enablement programme provided by NZTE. It was a programme that would revolutionize the way the brand thought about technology.
Interview with Josef Roberts (CEO) and Alexis Lam (Marketing Manager)
How has your business changed since you took part in the Digital Enablement programme? Alexis: When we first went into the Digital Enablement Programme our systems were quite basic. For us it was really about identifying issues and the key areas that we needed to focus on and then implementing new strategies.Since then we have redeveloped our web CMS (Content Management System) and around Christmas we launched our new, far more dynamic web site.Josef: POS (Point of Sale) is definitely the long term project and that is the one we are working towards pending securing the budget. We want new till systems that enable us to better understand our customers. Currently the systems in all the stores are not linked, so literally when we make a change, we have to make a change individually at each store. Being better digitally enabled will eradicate this problem.
What were the biggest wins for BurgerFuel going through the Digital Enablement programme?Alexis: The biggest change for us is how we operate the business and how we plan. The core pillars of every business used to be finance, marketing, sales and operations. And then IT was always this other thing, this bolt on. But we know now that technology is crucial to our success and something we need to address right from the start.
BurgerFuel uses social media tools Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Foursquare. Tell us about a specific social media campaign by BurgerFuel.Alexis: One we do with Twitter is called Tweets and Treats. We take our favourite tweets of the month, usually the most entertaining ones, and those go up across all BurgerFuel stores on our screens, from Ponsonby to Dubai. If you are in store and spot your tweet you get a free burger. And a lot of the time people see their friends’ tweets and then they want to join in on the banter and the community starts to build. But essentially we tend to look at social media rather as a social media programme than separate campaigns. Social media really is about relationships. Josef: We’re not interested in gimmicks. It’s about sustainability. We’re creating a force. It’s about taking a solid and careful approach, as opposed to spikes. Spikes go up and come down. We’re here for the long term.
There seems to often be a fear mentality from many New Zealand businesses when making the plunge to joining a social network like Facebook. That could have something to do with things like the Facebook wall being open to complaints. What is your view on this?Josef: I come from that 80’s era where especially in those days often companies tried to control what people said and thought of their brands. They see social media as a risk because they don’t understand it. I think for us it’s about not being scared and to rather engage. I’d rather know if there is a problem, than not know. Alexis: If someone posts on the Facebook wall that the experience was less than what they expected then at least we can deal with the problem. It’s either that or they’re telling their friends instead. And fundamentally, if you have a good product the complaints are going to be very few.
Where do you see social media in New Zealand heading?Alexis: Smartphone penetration in New Zealand is going to change social media a lot, and innovation from New Zealand companies is something I see that has the potential to put us in the global spotlight.
How does the internet and social media help the BurgerFuel brand expand into new territories like the United Arab Emirates and Saudia Arabia?Alexis: With Foursquare we launched in New Zealand because the customers in Saudi Arabia were checking into the app when they were in our stores. We are more popular in Dubai and Saudi Arabia on Foursquare, where our brand is still in its infancy, than in New Zealand. It’s the customer feedback we’re getting that is proving so useful. We’re in a brand new market and so we need to know what the points are that really sing out to them. It also amplifies the experience. If one person has this great experience instead of just telling his buddy, straight away when he has that experience at lunch time he sends a message on Foursquare and tells everyone on the platform. It definitely spreads positive word of mouth.
What is next for BurgerFuel in the digital sphere?Josef: The next step for us is definitely going to be POS. (Point of Sale)Without the Digital Enablement programme we went through with NZTE, we would be nowhere near where we are now. We wouldn’t have thought of it in a structured way with a long term approach. We want to offer a personalised experience. Through a non invasive POS system, we want to give recognition to the people that support us.
What advice can you give to New Zealand businesses wanting to become a digitally enabled force to be reckoned with? Josef: Businesses need to take a long term view. The fundamentals of classic marketing theory still apply. Research and understand your product and your customer. Then empower the right people to manage the system and get involved with the process from the start.Be credible and stay true to your brand values.
About the Digital Enablement pilot programmeThe DE pilot programme takes participants through a structured process that shows them how digital technology can be used to create competitive advantage. NZTE has developed a methodology to help businesses take a strategic approach to the investigation and adoption of digital technology and ultrafast broadband.This pilot programme has been running for 18 months and 14 companies have participated.Expert facilitators help participants to map current business processes, and then identify how technology trends and new ways of generating revenue through technology can be introduced to their business models. The programme has been developed to provide independent advice and guidance for New Zealand businesses wishing to apply technology to refine their business models, or to invest in new technology.
BurgerFuel is a finalist in two categories of the New Zealand International Business Awards taking place 21 March 2012:
Best commercialisation of intellectual property in international business
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