Party With Your Buds

Consumer Promotion

www.partywithyourbuds.com

In an effort to direct suppliers' development funds to mutually beneficial marketing initiatives, Pyramid Foods engaged The Alchemedia Project to establish an integrated approach to consumer promotion. Executed in a co-creative manner with key suppliers, we developed a Super Bowl 2009 promotion centered around the thematic "Party with Your Buds," which engaged consumers online and via SMS text to try LTO $8 party foods. Supported by TV, radio, and in-store audio,

the food and beverage offers were presented in-store via a promotional demo and a text-to-win plasma screen. This approach was the first coordinated clean-store initiative which met Pyramid's branding goals while respecting the national brands with prominent placement and support. A win-win (even for trumped Cardinal's fans).

Key Components:

• Mobile marketing, though in its infancy with supermarket shoppers, will be a key medium moving forward in connecting brands to people
• Entertainment element online enhanced viral value of the promotional microsite
• Perimeter grocery store departments are poised to capture share of ready-to-eat food sales; enhancing the experience drives impulse and overall brand image
• We forecast shopper marketing will continue to evolve to more retailer-initiated activity

Results:

• National brand sales of specialty-sausages were up 200% across the chain; re-enforcing the supplier’s brand with Pyramid consumers
• Beverage sales posted gains of 9% and 1%, respectively in beer and CSD (this CSD number was cause for celebration as this category has been hard hit by sales of alternative beverages)
• Prepared foods sold through the Deli department were up 5%--and the stores are maintaining that lift as emphasis in the offering continues to be a priority for the chain