Dunkin Donuts has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. The chain that “America runs on” started running its mouth on the social networking site on October 24 and now has 1281 followers.
So far, “tweets” concern updates from the “DD Mothership,” responses to followers’ questions, the Dunkin take on the news (i.e. “What election? Results are already in: DD beat SBUX.”) and a picture of the day.
Dunkin Donuts executives say special offers will be posted to the feed occasionally, but that the main purpose of joining Twitter was to give DD fans some recognition and allow them to interact more with the brand.
As Dunkin continues its aggressive campaign against Starbucks, Twittering should prove a boon to the brand. Starbucks, with its house music and cafe feel, has long been establishing itself as a lifestyle choice for fans. Dunkin, on the other hand, makes a good cup of coffee, but is not the sort of place you go for a personal connection. Showing that it has a human side (albeit one that calls itself Dunkin Dave and hides behind a coffee cup icon) should help consumers feel a little better connected with the DD experience.
