Fair Trade: Pass the Bacon for the Instagram Buzz?

It isn’t uncommon practice for companies small and large to take advantage of social media platforms in the form of delegated campaigns, much less organic than a movement but closely resembling such. What isn’t as common? Trading meals for insta-success, but somebody’s got to do it.
 
The Picture House in London recently teamed up with Birds Eye, the household freezer veggie brand, to spice up their social media following. The promotion was for a new line for frozen entrees, and the campaign included a free meal at The Picture House if their uploaded pics included the #BirdsEyeInspirations hashtag, leveraging the major increase in foodie pics shared online and social engagement with an audience.
 
This raises interesting questions as to what the current practice is for asking your audience for a S/O (that’s “shoutout” for those unaware of the shorthand lingo) and what is that hashtag worth? Sometimes it’s a free meal, but what could others offer in exchange for this social media support? Is this the newest way to building an audience?