NatureSweet
Homegrown Challenge
Campaign Objective
To promote awareness of the Glory's product line (small cherry tomatoes), NatureSweet Tomatoes launched the Homegrown Challenge in partnership with Raley's in Sacramento, California, in 2017 as a community-centric event aimed to raise brand awareness by engaging local tomato growers and chefs to showcase their skills through a growing contest and a culinary challenge celebrating local produce while emphasizing NatureSweet's commitment to quality and taste.
Research
After confirming that a tomato takes 60-100 days to grow, influencing the timeline for promoting the contest, primary target personas were determined, including people interested in gardening, families looking for engaging activities, local farmers, and educators. Additionally, Secondary personas were parents and individuals who enjoy organic produce and healthy snacks like Glory's Tomatoes, and typically homeowners with access to indoor or outdoor gardens. Critical demographics were also identified within the Greater Sacramento Area, involving potential participant areas with a high concentration of gardening enthusiasts and families.
target personas
- Age: 30-40 years old
- Occupation: Professional, possibly in health related field
- Income: Middle to upper- middle class
- Family Status: May have young children or planning to start a family
- New Home owner
- Location: East Sacramento- Downtown/Midtown: As a young professional who values convenience and access to health-oriented establishments.
- Prefers to buy locally-sourced and seasonal produce and may participate in community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs
- Age: 45-55 years old
- Occupation: Middle management or skilled trade
- Income: Middle class
- Family Status: Married with teenage children
- Homeowner
- Location: Rancho Cordova: With neighborhoods like Anatolia, Stone Creek, and Sunridge Park, offering a range of housing options that could fit Bob's budget
- Prefers to buy locally-sourced and seasonal produce and may participate in community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs
Strategy
The strategy involved a comprehensive digital marketing campaign to effectively reach and engage targeted individuals with access to a backyard or indoor garden with key elements including a landing page marketing funnel, a robust social media presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and the creation of engaging content for paid social media ads to drive engagement and encourage social sharing by leveraging over $9000 in prizes.
Channels
Deployment
Strategic posting and paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram were scheduled for optimal dates and times to achieve the best Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) and optimize Ad spend with precise targeting to reach gardening enthusiasts, families, and local farmers, using both static and video content to maximize engagement and reach.
Landing Page Funnel
A marketing funnel was created to encourage users to subscribe to the sweepstakes and enter the tomato-growing contest by serving as a mobile-optimized landing page designed to closely mimic the branding of the official NatureSweet website at the time with a Call-To-Action (CTA) button strategically placed to attract attention immediately with the inclusion of social sharing options to promote the campaign through user-generated content and word-of-mouth.
Static Ads
Video/Motion Graphic Ads
Have a Glory’s moment. So cheesy and not mushroom for improvement. There’s also an after party at the salad bar so don’t get left behind!
Campaign Metrics
The campaign achieved 152,000 total impressions, maintaining an average Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) of $15 across social media platforms with engaging content focused on homegrown tomatoes that led to 2,200 post engagements, with an engagement rate of 1.5%, exceeding industry benchmarks. The campaign successfully encouraged social sharing, resulting in 410 social shares, 326 user-generated comments, and 74 total entries driven by the contest format, and $9,000 in prizes.
2,200+ Total engagements
1.5% Average engagement rate
410 Total shares
326 Total comments
74 Total Entries
Final Outcome
The campaign effectively reached and engaged the target audience in Sacramento, significantly boosting brand awareness and community involvement for NatureSweet Tomatoes and Raley's through a well-executed digital marketing strategy that highlighted the quality and taste of Glory's tomatoes, ultimately enhancing NatureSweet's brand presence in the local community.
