Kraft Foods started the summer off by making some new friends. In an effort to boost its social media presence, the company launched a week-long "Taste What's New and Delicious" campaign at the beginning of May, aimed at getting customers to join the Kraft Foods' Facebook page.

Those who joined and signed up for Kraft's "Recipe by E-mail" program could choose one of four free sampler packs, each with a summer theme like "Picnic in the Park" and "Road Trip." The packs included coupons, samples and rebates for products like Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese, Wheat Thins and Kraft Deli Deluxe Slices.

"We want to connect with consumers in ways that are relevant to how people are living their lives today," says Valerie Moens, senior manager of corporate affairs for Kraft Foods. "We're committed to engaging even more directly with our consumers by leveraging social media and stimulating a participatory culture."

The effort seemed to work. The Kraft Facebook page, which was started in October 2009, had 88,653 fans when the promotion kicked off. By the time it wrapped up at the end of the week, the number had increased to 252,709.

The Facebook page allows Kraft to announce new promotions and stay in touch with its customers. The page offers "Lunch and Learn" video-chat programs where fans can learn how to use Kraft products to cook, and includes discussion threads of cooking suggestions and hosting tips.

The campaign was promoted through Kraft's website (www.kraftrecipes.com) and Twitter account, as well as the Facebook pages for its brands like Macaroni & Cheese, Philadelphia, Wheat Thins and Oscar Mayer.

Moens says this kind of cross-platform promotion is indicative of the company's broader efforts to connect with customers through multiple touch points. "Our goal is to provide consumers with delicious experiences, be it in-home, out-of-home or in-store, and to offer value propositions that fit their needs," she says.