Social Forces and Circle K Win International Award for Facebook Promotion

Tampa, FL, November 15, 2013 --(PR.com)-- As one of the largest convenience store chains in the world and a fast-growing organization, Circle K is no stranger to success. In partnership with shopper marketing agency Social Forces, they’ve most recently taken their winning ways to the world of digital advertising design, where their recent “Build Your Blend” Facebook campaign earned high marks in this year’s international W3 Awards competition.

Circle K’s “Build Your Blend” Facebook promotion, completed in conjunction with International Delight, was held in select regions of the US between December 2012 and March of 2013, and was regarded as a success long before the most recent accolades were announced. Over the course of the promotion, the participating stores generated more than 3 million impressions and engaged thousands of new fans on Facebook, and also saw a 75% increase in positive consumer sentiment for their new line of Premium Coffee offerings.

This month, the team at Social Forces received word that the app had one more achievement to add to the list. Chosen among a field of more than 4,000 entries, “Build Your Blend” took home a Silver Award in the W3 Awards, a competition touting creativity and design in digital advertising. This award takes a special place among more than twenty others earned in recent years by Social Forces for their interactive work.

The idea for “Build Your Blend” was originally hatched when the team at Social Forces observed the Circle K online community’s confusion over the store’s new selection of coffees and creamers. Fans simply didn’t understand what had happened to their favorite go-to coffee fix.

"The updates to Circle K's coffee category actually included more flavor variety and better quality ingredients, but the fans were caught off guard; we knew we needed to communicate the added value Circle K was bringing to the table," says Social Forces' account strategist Kris Solberg

Vying for the grand prize of a full year’s worth of Circle K Premium Coffees, fans were encouraged to enter to win by participating in an interactive game-like Facebook app. Step by step, the app used CSS animation and playful design to allow users to create their ultimate coffee concoction with a just a few clicks, and share with their friends even more easily, including the option to send one free coffee to a friend of their choice with every entry. The app was a hit with fans, who submitted more than 1,000 custom coffee creations on their way to learning all about the brand’s new Premium Coffee options on their road to entering the sweepstakes.

Kevin Kite, Circle K's Dispensed Beverages category manager in the Florida region adds, "We count on the occasional cold front during the winter season to boost coffee sales in our stores. In the midst of reorganizing our offerings, we were hit with an unseasonably warm winter this year. This promotion gave us what we needed to keep our sales on track."

Just one of more than fifty social shopper marketing promotions completed by Social Forces, their previous work includes social program activation for the likes of Red Bull, Boston Beer, Mars Chocolate, and Monster Energy.

Social Forces account director Kate Whatley said she's excited for the agency's latest collaborative win with Circle K and continuing success in the industry, saying, "When SoFo began, we set out to lead the charge in helping brands connect with shoppers through social media. Thanks to campaigns like Build Your Blend, we've worked with some of the biggest brands in the world and helped connect millions of consumers with the brands they love."

Social Forces is a digital advertising agency specializing in Social Shopper Marketing for retailers and retail brands. Through their work with world-class consumer brands including Circle K Stores, Coca-Cola, Mars Chocolate, Monster Energy, PepsiCo, and Red Bull, the team has championed a results-driven approach to engaging shoppers before, during and after store visits on their journey along the social path to purchase. For more information on the team's award-winning strategies, visit their social retail blog at http://socialshopperlab.com