DiVAs 2016: Best Use of Social Media (Operator)

Vapiano

Vapiano set out to personalise the guest experience through Instagram posts to appeal to its young customer base. It engaged its audience so that customers would do the job of promoting the brand for the Italian restaurant group.

It used both online and offline channels to reach its audience, who posted on social media such as Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook. One of its most original ideas was a selfie mirror in the toilets, to appeal to its young and selfie-obsessed guests.

Vapiano interacted with every single Instagram post for #myvapiano with likes and comments, and puts its success down to the simplicity of the campaign, which was easily grasped by its loyal guests.

In the first month of the campaign, followers grew 19% (against a target of 16%) and posts using the hashtag have only been positive.

The judges said that Vapiano was a spontaneous, fun and humourous brand and its choice of social media campaign perfectly demonstrated this personality. It knows its audience inside out, so the combination of Instagram and a selfie competition has delivered impressive results. This campaign was a prime example that you don't need to invest lots of money in social media strategies to have a huge impact.