India Gets Krispy Kreme, Thanks to Social Media

US-based donut shop Krispy Kreme has just opened their first store in India. Despite being relatively unknown in India compared to US chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Subway, the company has yearly revenues of around Rs. 1,810 crores.

Krispy Kreme’s successful entrance into the Indian market can be attributed, rather to its reputation preceding it, to a hugely successful social media campaign.

According to Forbes India, Krispy Kreme was able to grow their number of “likes” on Facebook from 3,000 to 21,000+ in one month by giving out free boxes of donuts. Long-time fans and new, both agree that it’s love at first taste; giving out boxes -- which also encouraged people to share, increasing their reach -- allowed the brand to gain momentum even before the doors of its store were first opened.

In addition to offline outreach like mall giveaways, Krispy Kreme promoted enticing discounts through Facebook, such as a free one-month supply of donuts to the first 4th-100th customers, or coupons for “buy a dozen, get a dozen” on opening day.

By targeting a younger audience through doing giveaways at schools and malls, Krispy Kreme made a real connection with the highly influential teenage market. Now, building on that popularity, it’s expanding its demographics.

New food companies entering the Indian market should keep an eye on how Krispy Kreme’s Facebook fans are skyrocketing. The discerning consumer, of course, should keep an eye on their Facebook page in anticipation of that day when a store opens near you.