Twice as many foodservice directors running on-campus c-stores have turned to social media to reach their customers, and it might actually be working. In the last five years, social and digital media usage has jumped to 75 percent among collegiate foodservice professionals, compared to just 32 percent in 2010, according to a study from youth-focused consulting firm Y-Pulse.
Although most c-store FSDs now are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with more than 80 percent on Facebook and Twitter and 54 percent on Instagram, the biggest surge came from the use of websites to connect with students. According to the study, 72 percent of college and university c-stores have a website to attract customers.
Alongside ramped-up social media efforts, c-store FSDs have been able to capture more student business since 2010, according to the study. In fact, 76 percent of students surveyed said they were purchasing more food at convenience stores on campus, up from 22 percent in previous studies.
Overall, operators appear to be more comfortable with employing social media strategies for their convenience store operations, as the study found nearly twice as many FSDs have a clear understanding of the goal of social media as compared to 2010.