Great to have you here, Annette. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about the Co-op?

The Co-op is a household name in the UK. Most people know us from our Food stores as we have one in every postcode area, but we also have Funeralcare, Insurance, Legal Services and, one that many people don’t know about, Co-op Electrical. We are local and diverse but one thing that resonates are our brand values, as we were recently voted the most ethical and responsible brand in the UK in a YouGov survey.

How have you been working with bloggers?

We work with bloggers and influencers to help share the great news and stories about our products and services. We do this by offering unique and exciting experiences giving them insight and access to parts of the Co-op customers don’t really see (sometimes we just send them our delicious food!). Our annual Christmas Blogger Event was the first of its kind in the northwest, and we’re building from there as bloggers form a crucial part of our ongoing engagement with online influencers.

What do you look for when choosing bloggers to work with?

This depends hugely on the objectives of our individual projects – we could be looking for a  a blogger with a very well established blog or an online influencer with an engaged social community of their own. We look for blogs that really strike a chord with their audience. However sometimes it’s the bloggers that choose us and we’re open to offers from bloggers looking to work with the Co-op on their own projects. The aim for all involved is to create something that is engaging and authentic.

What plans do you have for working with bloggers in 2016?

There are lots of campaigns coming up, across all of our business areas. Food and Electrical are the easy ones – everyone has to eat and have something to cook on, but we sometimes struggle to find quality blogs that deal with more serious issues like why it’s important to write a Will, the emotional and financial benefit of pre-planning a funeral, probate and how home insurance is calculated.

How should bloggers get in contact if they’d like to be involved?

In 2016, we’re starting to work more closely with the bloggers on our list. We sent an update to registered bloggers this month and this is something we’re looking to do on a more regular basis. Each update will even feature a blogger spotlight to highlight the great work we’re doing together. To sign up to the opt-in list visit  http://on.coop/1yHhNPF or if you’d like to pitch an idea for how we could collaborate then drop us a line via the form below.

Thanks Annette, we’ll look forward to seeing what your team have up their sleeves, oh and did we mention how much we love your bakewell tarts? #justsaying

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