Arla brand Cravendale milk has significantly increased its online following in just three months through two creative social media campaigns in the UK, enabling it to engage directly with consumers, the company says. The brand has used two tactics to achieve this: Free Milk Friday and Active Customer Service, which together have resulted in a 32% increase in traffic to its Facebook and Twitter channels.

The Free Milk Friday campaign, launched on 1 July, is now in its second cycle and offers a set number of customers a free bottle of Cravendale milk every week through the brand’s Facebook and Twitter pages. In only seven weeks, the channels have seen an increase of 6,056 Facebook fans and nearly 800 Twitter followers.

Cravendale has also been reaching out to new audiences with proactive customer service through Active Customer Service, a campaign dedicated to the medium of Twitter. The brand has extended its reach beyond current followers and has actively sought out those who tweet about split or sour milk and in response sent them money off vouchers for Cravendale. To date, 300 Active Customer Service gestures have successfully been executed. As an extension of this activity Cravendale has also been looking out for those Twitter users who are posting about bad days at work, offering them Cravendale vouchers to help with their work day cups of tea.

Sam Dolan, senior brand manager for Cravendale, comments: “We’re committed to making the nation more passionate about milk and Free Milk Friday is a great way of engaging with our customers online as well as encouraging trial of our product. The increase has been huge over the past three months and we’re hoping it will continue.”