Franz Bakery, a 110-year-old thriving business in the Pacific Northwest has enjoyed being the leader in every market in which it operates in every bread category, except one: organic. As such, Franz set out to change that, seeking to capture both market and mindshare with a fresh and unexpected campaign aimed at millennial consumers in Portland, Oregon, in the summer of 2016.
With a tongue-in-cheek, somewhat surprising theme of “Portland Baked,” we developed a holistic approach that involved building a microsite, engaging with consumers online and at events, and developing POS displays. With the call to action for consumers to “Get Portland Baked,” we encouraged the consumer to purchase organic breads that are baked in Portland for Portlanders.
To do so, we utilized an illustration-as-identity as the cornerstone of the campaign, as well as a campaign microsite, theater advertising, social media strategy and execution, and media relations.
Using Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, we drove attendance at Franz events including samplings, “bread drops” and more. We also encouraged user-generated content by utilizing an Instagram giveaway and creating content that was easily relatable and replicable for consumers in Portland.
During the campaign time period, 48% of traffic to the microsite came from the social channels we were managing, and the content we produced enjoyed broad reach and high engagement. Our takeaways from this campaign:
- Ensure that all visual campaign content (POS, digital, print, social) maintains consistency for the maximum impact on mindshare.
- Find what speaks to your community/consumer and develop your own branded take in order to relate to that community while being memorable.
- Take risks! Even an established, legacy brand can find success by breaking with tradition to develop a deeper relationship with its consumers.
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