Since launching their Fantographer campaign in July, Applebees has seen follower growth and increased engagement on Instagram by encouraging patrons to post pictures of their food and dining experiences at their restaurants.
Consumers are asked to share their photos on Instagram using the hashtag #Fantographer. The brand then selects the best pictures to feature on their own channel. Since launch, Applebee’s has seen an increase of 4,500 new followers as well as engagement growing by 25 percent. The brand is also supporting the social campaign by cross-promoting on their Twitter and Facebook accounts through posts and ads to reach even more users and drive to their Instagram account. Over the past 3 months, Applebee’s has collected more than 700 user-generated images, selecting about 70 to share from their Instagram account.
The brand also plans to tie the campaign into other promotional efforts moving forward by encouraging diners to share pictures of particular food items. More details about Applebees’ success and other brands leveraging user-generated content on social media are on AdAge.