Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – Associated British Foods
Posted on 21. Feb, 2008 by Chi-chi Ekweozor in Social Media Strategies
This article forms part of a study on social media usage amongst FTSE 100 companies.
Each company in the FTSE 100 index was reviewed on its usage of such social media tools as RSS feeds*, blogs, online video, podcasts and social media platforms like Flickr and Facebook on its main website and on occasion, on websites of well-known subsidiary companies.
*RSS feeds are a simple way of delivering fresh versions of a website’s content to online readers automatically.
According to the Guardian.co.uk Business Glossary:
“The FTSE 100 index comprises the 100 most highly capitalised blue chip companies on the London Stock Exchange, representing approximately 81% of the UK market.”
Here’s how agricultural and retail bellwether, Associated British Foods (ABF.L) measured up.
| FTSE 100 Company | RSS | Podcast | Blog | Online Video | Audio | Facebook, Flickr, etc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associated British Foods | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
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Online Video/Webcasts: Yes
Annual Results Announcement, no sign up required
Usage of Social Media platforms: No
(Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, del.icio.us, Twitter, Digg etc)
According to Yahoo! Finance:
“Associated British Foods (ABF) became known when it launched when it sliced white bread on the market in the 1930s. The product was an immediate success.
Today ABF is a huge Group, specializing in a variety of foods. The Group sells its popular brands, such as Ovomaltine, Ryvita biscuits, Nelsons jam and Twinings tea, in supermarkets.”
Commentary:
Parent company of consumer brands as diverse as Kingsmill bread and high street clothing store, Primark.
Once again, very little use of social media for distributing corporate information. A branded Internet TV channel featuring video content that is “available on request to broadcasters” would very quickly improve user engagement of the website and provide information in a much more accessible format. Automatic updates exclusively by email.
Recommendations:
- Start blogging. Associated British Foods has a rich and varied history and would benefit from sharing some of this online using a blog linked directly to the corporate website. Posts that cover aspects of its history, for instance a section on the invention of sliced bread, would add depth to the website and foster closer engagement with the consumer brands it represents.
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What do you think?
Are you a customer, employee, shareholder or stakeholder of Associated British Foods? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this review. What would you like to see Associated British Foods doing more of in terms of social media? More online video? A CEO blog, perhaps?
Share your opinions in the comments.
Need any help?
Do you work for Associated British Foods and want some insight into some of the ideas published here?
Or perhaps you look after marketing for Associated British Foods and would like a quick chat about putting some of those recommendations into practice. Contact us.
Related posts:
- Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – British Land
- Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – British American Tobacco
- Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – British Energy
- Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – British Airways
- Social Media Usage in the FTSE 100: Company Profile – Admiral Group
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