Dive Brief:

• Lime-A-Rita, an Anheuser-Busch brand of canned margaritas, is expanding its "Meet the Ritas" campaign with a social media advice and gossip column for the modern era called #RitaSays, a news release announced. Along with the advice column, Lime-A-Rita created an integrated social media campaign with branded hashtags, videos and designated pages. 
• Consumers 21 and older can ask The Ritas — "three legendary ladies" with a lot of life experience — questions about anything on the brand's Instagram, Facebook and or Twitter pages using the hashtag #RitaSays. The Ritas will give an honest answer resembling what they might get from their closest friends. Becca Tilley, a fan favorite from the reality show "The Bachelor," will get a first go at the column. Lime-A-Rita frequently shares posts on its social media channels about updates on the popular TV program. 
• The Ritas were introduced earlier this month for Lime-A-Rita's "Have-A-Rita" campaign, created by Fallon New York, and are intended to represent the beverage's 'life's a party' vibe. The campaign has its own Twitter handle @TheRitas, and consumers can follow the conversation with the hashtag #HaveARita.

We’re the Ritas. We drink Ritas. #HAVEARITA pic.twitter.com/a306i6Ad4I

— The Ritas (@TheRitas) February 20, 2018

Dive Insight:

Advice columns are popular running features in magazines, newspapers and online, but expanding the concept to social media — and providing consumers a personalized response from brand characters — is a relatively novel and fun idea that might drive engagement for Lime-A-Rita. The beverage brand is positioning the Ritas as three women who have a lot of life experience and, therefore, solid advice to give, while still treating "every hour like happy hour," per the release. 

Kicking the effort off with a popular contestant on "The Bachelor" is another smart move as the ABC program, now in its 22nd season, continues to be an audience favorite across age demographics, and drives a lot of interest from the social media conversations that happen after episodes air — a trend Lime-A-Rita is already capitalizing on with a particularly active Twitter page. The question-answer approach to #RitaSays might offer the level of personalization and one-to-one interaction that consumers are more frequently demanding.

People are highly responsive to VIP experiences offered by brands, according to a recent survey by InMoment, and more marketers are adopting this type of strategy. For its Valentine's Day campaign, the fast-food chain Wingstop offered lifestyle advice through a 1-844-WING-LUV hotline that provided callers with dating tips, a vocal warm-up routine and a rep to "talk saucy." Honda also recently launched a targeted social media campaign encouraging people to nominate their friends' achievements to receive personalized video trophies such as "biggest armchair quarterback."