Sodiê creates cake rotation based on a suggestion taken from social networks

If social networks are essential for the entrepreneur to attract and retain customers, being aware of the discussions that flood the internet is also important to bring new ideas into the business.

It was from a publication that went viral on the networks that Sodiê Doces, a franchise specializing in handcrafted cakes, decided to bet on a new service. In a post on Twitter, geography professor Luiz Otávio de Moura, 27, suggested the creation of a rotation of cakes — as happens with pizza and barbecue, for example.

“Guys, why hasn’t anyone ever created a cake rotation? Imagine you could eat several slices of different cakes, that would be all… That’s the idea for some brave confectionery”, he wrote on the social network in October.

Days later, Sodiê announced that it had embraced the idea, much to the surprise of the professor, who lives in Macaé (RJ).

“The teacher’s request went viral, and we accepted the challenge. We had a test period and then officially launched the rotation. I see great potential for the model to become even greater on the network”, says Cleusa Maria da Silva, founder of Sodiê.

The rodízio costs R$59.90 for adults and R$29.95 for children between 3 and 8 years old. The value entitles you to consume slices of cakes, sweets and savory snacks at will. It goes for the cut cakes that are available in the shop window, savory snacks of all flavors, as well as brigadeiros, kisses, quindins and sugary pies. Drinks, zero sugar cakes, as well as other products sold by the chain, are not included.

Of the 340 Sodiê units, 42 are already working with the novelty. “It’s still very recent, but it has already won the public. It’s a service that has everything to have the adhesion of all franchisees”, evaluates the businesswoman. “Social networks, without a doubt, show us which way to go, based on what people expect from our brand.”

The teacher celebrated the successful acceptance of the idea. “Stores throughout Brazil have adopted the cake rotation, and it is a joy to know that I am helping several franchisees in this difficult time”, he says.

Cleusa says that understanding the customer’s mind has always been a concern of the company and that social networks have become a powerful tool, especially with the pandemic. “It was a period when consumers stopped being in the physical store. Today, more than ever, digital is one of the main communication channels between store and customer.”

The business consultant Rodrigo Garcia, executive director of Petina Soluções em Negócios Digitais, agrees. “Social networks work as a thermometer for companies, whether in relation to brand reputation or in relation to commercial strategy”, he says.

Another businesswoman who draws strategies based on ideas that arise on social networks is Natalia Martins, executive director of Natalia Beauty Group, a group that offers products, services and courses related to the beauty sector, with affiliates and franchises. “Our online audience helps create the company’s future with ideas,” he says.

She says that she dedicates two to three hours of her day to respond to customer demands on the brand’s social networks. Based on these requests, the businesswoman defined the opening of three units in the city of São Paulo —in Jardins, Vila Olímpia and Anália Franco.

In addition, the courses now last four days (instead of three) and the products, previously limited to the professional line, were also launched for end consumers. “I take customer insights and create different things, improving products and services,” she says.

Customer suggestions were also important for the survival of the Quinta do Olivardo restaurant, in São Roque (66 km from São Paulo), which was closed during the most critical months of the pandemic. Chef and owner Olivardo Saqui says he decided to open a delivery service in the capital after orders from customers.

First, he took the entire structure of the kitchen from São Roque to the Vila Mariana neighborhood, in the south of São Paulo, and began operating in the delivery and drive-thru system. The idea worked out, and the businessman ended up opening, in October of last year, a restaurant in Brooklin, which began to meet the demand for delivery and also for the salon based on flexibility.

“It was a great idea and contributed to keep the jobs and the business going,” he says.

It was also by listening to customers during the pandemic that Cervejaria Madalena, located in Santo André (Greater São Paulo), found a way to avoid the loss of goods.

“We had a lot of fresh product, because we had several big events scheduled. We needed to sell this product so we wouldn’t lose them. That’s when the idea came from customers to create a drive-thru system”, says Renan Leonessa, director of brewery marketing.

The service started to be offered at the factory after the first announcement of the restrictive measures in the state. Gradually, the company was closing partnerships with gas stations and other places that could receive the drive-thru. “It became a business wing and now represents 25% of the brewery’s revenue.”