New starter Eleni Sardi joined Coca-Cola GB as a Communications Manager, after having managed the company’s digital Consumer Interaction Center (CIC) for just over a year. Earlier this month she attended Blogfest – an event run by online parenting network Mumsnet – where she got to answer some frequently asked questions from our consumers face-to-face for the very first time.

I have probably read, reviewed and replied to more questions on social media than I can remember, while working for Coca-Cola GB’s Consumer Interaction Centre. As a result, it’s put me in a good position to take on the responsibilities of a Communications Manager, a role that I’ve been in for two months now.

It’s safe to say we get a complete mix of questions from our consumers. Some are brilliant and can really tickle the team, others can be more discerning and require a little more thought before we respond – especially when we’re limited to 140-character tweet! But no matter what the question, we always make it a priority to give people the best possible experience and information they need.

But despite all the training I’ve had in this area, and the fact that Coca-Cola GB has been at Blogfest for the last three years, the prospect of meeting consumers face-to-face and answer questions on the spot was definitely a new and somewhat intimidating experience for me.  I spent the previous night frantically trying to memorise all 44 locations of our Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour, just in case I needed to recite them!

As it turns out, dealing with consumers online and offline isn’t all in all that different. One of the most frequently asked questions we get on social media also turned out to be the most popular question at the event, ‘What’s the difference between Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar?’. So immediately that left me feeling reassured, and I was well-prepared to answer it.

It’s one we get time and time again, and have tried answering in multiple ways, including a video, infographic, FAQ and even a blog post from our expert nutritionist. So having the chance to explain the difference in person at Blogfest is another great way we can approach the FAQ, and provide even more information and resources for consumers.

Aside from answering questions all day, Blogfest was a fantastic event and we got to meet a lot of inspiring mum and dad bloggers from the Mumsnet community. When it comes to next year’s conference I’ll definitely recognise a few of these faces and hopefully get a bit more sleep the night before too! 

Find out more about Blogfest 2016.