Facebook first for Heinz

Heinz today have done not one, but two firsts for the company. Not only are they launching the first ever limited edition Tomato Ketchup (with Balsamic Vinegar), but they are also launching it through a very unconventional avenue... Facebook.

They will be looking to sell the first 3,000 bottles through the site, in an exclusive deal with Facebook UK with the remaining 1million+ bottles hitting the mainstream shelves from the 23^rd March.

This isn't a flight of fancy for the company, in fact its part of a significant investment in the digital domain over the previous 6 months and brings them closer to their 40,000+ fans on Facebook.

Other online retailers such as Ocado are viewing with great interest to see how successful the launch goes, whilst it is only a single product and unlikely that people will utilise Facebook for their weekly shopping, any evolution of online social media is not to be taken lightly by any company at the moment.

The reason for the launch through Facebook? Well its all about customer base, with each one of the 3,000 people who buy a bottle considered to have a ‘friends' list of, on average, 130 people. It means that Heinz have a targeted and instant presence instantly with almost 400,000 people, and with Facebook not taking a cut of the sale price its an extremely low cost advertising solution for Heinz who hold almost 80% of the UK Ketchup market share.

With the door now open on Social Media utilization for product launches, the question isn't whether this will take off, more who will be next..