FreeThink: PR-Driven WOM: Kettle Foods People's Choice Case Study

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PR-Driven WOM: Kettle Foods People's Choice Case Study

Challenge
Kettle Foods, makers of all-natural Kettle brand Potato Chips, built a loyal following of devoted customers not through marketing, but by making quality products with distinct flavors. As Kettle Foods faced increasing competition in the natural snack marketplace, however, it realized the necessity to increase brand awareness and drive product trial to avoid losing its No. 1 salty snack market position.

The company faced a big challenge in that it had no advertising, Web, or consumer outreach programs developed. Kettle Foods was also virtually unknown to the media despite its vocal consumer fan base and market leadership. The company turned to Maxwell PR to create a program that generated media coverage that connected the Kettle brand with flavor, leveraged the cult following of its brand, created buzz among consumers and, most importantly, produced a new product that would increase sales.

Solution
The annual People's Choice campaign was created in 2005 to let fans of Kettle brand Potato Chips choose the next potato chip flavor to be produced. Of the hundreds of new flavor ideas submitted by fans to the company each year, five are chosen to be voted on by consumers. Fans were invited online to rate each flavor on a scale of 1-5, with the flavor receiving the highest average rating chosen as the winner. Traffic was driven to the Web site via a consumer newsletter called "The Dirt," media relations, and blogger outreach.

The first annual People's Choice campaign launched with Chai, Cheddar Beer, Moroccan Curry, Spicy Thai and Strawberry Cream flavors on the ballot. The votes were so close that Kettle Foods had to call a tie between Spicy Thai and Cheddar Beer, both of which were launched at grocery stores that fall. The second annual People's Choice campaign resulted in another tie between Buffalo Bleu and Tuscan Three Cheese, which recently arrived on store shelves. The third campaign is in progress now at http://www.passporttoflavor.com/.

A critical component to building buzz among consumers was the introduction of Party Packs in the second round of the promotion. Selling $20 sampler packs of the limited-edition flavors exclusively through the Web site gave consumers a good story to pass along both online and offline through blog chatter, the newsletter's "Send to a Friend" feature, and at tasting parties held for friends and family in their homes.

Results
The People's Choice promotion has become the company's most buzzed about marketing program, both among consumers and media -- and it was all done without advertising.

Sales: The objective of increasing sales was met in spades, far beyond Kettle Foods' expectations. The launch of Spicy Thai last fall has been the most successful product introduction in the company's history, having exceeded sales projections with more than three times the sell-in to retailers and product flying off shelves nationwide. The buzz generated by the first People's Choice campaign resulted in an increase in sales of the core line of Kettle brand Potato Chips and aided the company in inking new deals with three major supermarket chains.

Web: The campaign was extremely successful in attracting new consumers to the brand, on top of the already loyal fans. After the first People's Choice campaign, the existing consumer fan base of approximately 10,000 expanded by 60%, as measured by the number of people who opt-in to receive the newsletter, and the program drove at least 10,000 unique visitors (casting a total of 50,000 votes) to the site during the voting period. Those numbers have increased each year by tens of thousands. The annual People's Choice promotion has become a significant Web program as the company's primary traffic driver to the Web site and is responsible for the majority of newsletter sign-ups.

PR: Local, national, trade, and Web media coverage has appeared throughout all three promotions, including two appearances on Good Morning America, and stories in Parade, Saveur, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, USA Today, and the New York Times. Saveur magazine named Spicy Thai as Best New Snack in its "Saveur 100" issue, and the editor-in-chief was heard on an NPR radio program saying that he enjoys eating Spicy Thai potato chips when he’s relaxing at home. The History Channel's "American Eats" show positioned Kettle Foods as innovators in flavor development and included several mentions and photos of the new flavors in an episode about salty snacks. Blog mentions ranged from the influential Coolhunting.com and Uncrate.com showcasing the Party Packs to individual potato chip fans blogging about the new flavors.

The People's Choice promotion is now a core marketing initiative embraced by the company as an annual campaign given the success of the media outreach, word of mouth buzz, and outstanding product sales.

Client Testimonial
"First, the service we receive is A+. The team works just as hard as we do and are totally aligned, always pushing hard for the brand. Secondly, they've leveraged our core brand in a way that's both authentic and wildly creative, creating a marketing program that's significantly enhanced our overall brand message regarding quality, innovation and fan intimacy."
- Michelle Peterman, Kettle Foods

posted on November 17, 2006

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