New Technology for An Old Tradition

It’s Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Do you know where your turkey is?

Well, if it hasn’t been thawed out by now, you’re outta luck. The in-laws (or out-laws) are on the way over and you’re up to your elbows in frozen poultry. What a culinary conundrum.

You or your friends probably know people who are completely overwhelmed at the thought of cooking a turkey. After all, you probably do it only once a year, right? Know anyone whose mom left the package of “parts” inside while it roasted? Ever order a pizza because the turkey wasn’t finished cooking after eight hours?! We all have stories like these, the key as a marketer in the new age of online marketing is to offer solutions to life’s puzzles – turkeys not excluded.

I just discovered Butterball Turkey’s amazing Web site, Butterball.com, that even the most seasoned turkey roaster would love. Butterball has established a great brand, due in large part to their toll-free Turkey Talk Line. Now, Butterball has taken it a thousand steps further with Butterball.com, offering a completely interactive and informative experience for their users. To name a few, visitors can sign up for text messages that give thawing reminders and temperature guidelines, read blogs written by “seasoned home economists,” participate in live chats or watch how-to videos.

How turkey talk becomes turkey chat.

Butterball.com is stuffed with goodies like juicy tips (turkey is fully cooked when the thigh’s internal temperature is 180 degrees), precise tools (I can find out what size turkey to get if I am feeding five adults and two kids and love leftovers) and other tasty sides to gobble up, including an online Recipe Box, ready-to-print personalized shopping lists, recipes and access to the community forum, where you can share ideas with other home chefs.

Even though I’ve prepared and served up a few turkeys in my adult life, I can still find valuable help and information on the site. I can only imagine how beneficial it is for the first-time home cook staring anxiously at the giant frozen blob in the grocery store freezer.

Give thanks for meaningful brand experiences.

It’s no coincidence that Butterball.com has seen a spike in site traffic over this time last year, now with over 40,000 unique visitors a month. The company isn’t talking at customers, they’re talking with them and becoming a resource by offering invaluable advice that truly hits home in such a deep and meaningful way. Think about the companies that you do business with or have patronized in some way, albeit infrequently. It’s when you lack familiarity that you are more likely to become frustrated or anxious.

Establishing a connection before the frustrating experience or offering a resource to solve it is today’s equivalent to yesterday’s coupon.

Razorfish’s latest consumer experience report, FEED, speaks to this very issue saying, “as consumers continue to spark things that are useful, enhance their ability to connect with others and make a meaningful connection with the product or brand, the advertising industry may find itself leading an inventive, not just creative, revolution.”

Dish up some good info for me, please!

I think about this in the context of a medical procedure, for example. Imagine your doctor telling you that you need a hip replacement. Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to chat with other patients who’ve gone through the experience? To get a text message reminding you about what time to arrive for surgery, and a text telling your spouse that you’re out of surgery? To print a list of everything you’ll need before, during and after the procedure, like clothing that’s easy to slip on? To download an electronic prescription for pain medication from your doctor?

These changes in the way we do business are not that far into the future. A recent New York Times blog post highlights a new health care Web site, American Well, that has set out to change health care as we know it by allowing doctors to directly speak with patients via Web cam or chat. Pretty cool idea.

Many brand experiences like roasting a turkey or getting a hip replacement don’t happen with frequency, and that’s why a highly interactive site can make all the difference to a prospective customer. The key is using your imagination because today, anything is possible. And as for this year’s turkey, I already bought mine, but you can bet I’ll be sharing Butterball.com with friends and using it myself if I need any help with my Thanksgiving meal.