Ahead of re-opening plans, the High Street suffers another sad blow as Thorntons look set to exit the High Street. Over the last 12 months, Thorntons chose to de-prioritise social media. Meanwhile, Hotel Chocolat's social media feeds have continued to sweeten customers with its scrumptious social media content. Where Thorntons could have stayed front of mind by offering a social experience to their customer base, they have instead lost relevance and most likely sales too.
How Hotel Chocolat’s social media serves sweet inspiration to stay connected and relevant
by Amy RountreeHotel Chocolat's sweet social media engagement
Despite its stores not being open for business since December, Hotel Chocolat has continued to engage, inspire and sell to customers online. They've kept their social content super sweet and have been busy promoting their creations as gifts for every occasion. They've thought outside the chocolate box to educate customers on how to use their chocolate to cook with at home as well as celebrating key dates including World Chocolate Day.
To drive interest for Easter, Hotel Chocolat has taken to Instagram to give chocolate-lovers a glimpse of how their delicious chocolate eggs are crafted.
View this post on Instagram
Why is staying engaged important?
Sadly on a less sweet note, it looks like Thorntons will soon be exiting the High Street. The last time the chocolatiers posted to social media was in April 2020 and their Instagram has been inactive since 2017. For the last year Thorntons has only used Twitter and Facebook to respond to customer enquiries, complaints and feedback.
Since December 2020, Thorntons has created no social media content to promote their Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or Easter online offerings. Where they could have utilised their social channels to keep their products in front of customers, instead they have lost relevance and likely online sales along with it.
Key takeaway
It’s always best to stay connected. If you are struggling for content ideas try refreshing old content, learn from your competitors' content, give a behind the scenes look at your products being made or introduce your team. Do whatever you can to drive excitement around your offering and put yourself in the minds of your customers, especially as you prepare to re-open your store.
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