NEWS RELEASE: Shoffee.com using the social web to build brand image

Internet single-serve coffee retailer, Shoffee.com has recently turned to some of the web’s most popular social sites to increase brand awareness.

“It all started with just wanting to let our customers review coffees on our site,” said Joe Simonovich, co-founder of Shoffee.com. “We added PowerReviews, than set up a Facebook page, and the next thing you know I’m Tweeting (referring to posting regular updates on Twitter.com).”

Over the past few years social networking using sites such as MySpace or Facebook have moved into the mainstream for both advertisers and consumers.

“We tried MySpace when we first launched, and didn’t have a whole lot of success,” said Simonovich. “We started the Facebook page last month, and the response has been phenomenal.”

Within the first 48 hours on Facebook, Shoffee.com added more than 100 “fans,” and by the end of the first week Shoffee.com built a Facebook application that allows anyone to send a virtual version of their favorite Keurig K-Cup to their Facebook friends.

“I have to admit, the first week I became a little bit addicted,” said Simonovich. “I actually built the ‘Send your Favorite Keurig K-Cup’ application that first night.”

The idea of social marketing is intended to not only bring a sense of community to a group of web shoppers who use the same products or web site.

“In the last year, we had two issues where people went to another ‘social’ site, and posted some damaging, false information about Shoffee.com,” said Simonovich. “I love the idea of people sharing things like information, stories of good experiences, and even stories of not-so-good experiences; but when they are completely false, it is very tough to take.”

Shoffee.com is also in the process of adding more social aspects to the web site, including the ability to share products with your friends on sites like Digg.com and Reddit.com.

“We are one-hundred-percent confident that this is the right direction to go in,” said Simonovich. “We may have gotten a late start in the at-home coffee sales business, but we are determined to be the industry leader within a short period of time.”

Shoffee.com using the social web to build brand image (free-press-release.com)

Shoffee.com using the social web to build brand image (dbuisnessnews.com)

Shoffee.com using the social web to build brand image (1888pressrelease.com)