In 2017, Char-Broil partnered with Fullscreen to create a year-long social media strategy to support the launch of their "Now You're Cookin'" campaign. In order to support Char-Broil's goal of driving sales with retail partners as well as online, Fullscreen worked to increase brand awareness, differentiate from competitors, increase share of voice online, and provide a social experience that creates engaging conversations leading to purchase.
We measured brand awareness through impressions and reach in key demographics. We balanced that primary KPI by also looking at Engagement Rate (showing that our content resonated with our audience) and Click Through Rate (showing that we could effectively drive to the site and increase consideration for purchase).
Fullscreen created social content across four major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Our content mix included entertaining humorous posts, educational BBQ tips, and inspirational lifestyle photography. Through a mix of organic, targeted and retargeted static and video ads, we looked to move consumers through the funnel from awareness, to consideration and eventually, to purchase. This varied content mix was optimized per platform, putting us in prime position to reach an audience who was hungry (in this case, literally) for our grilling content. Speaking of audience, we dove deep with our Char-Broil fans to figure out exactly what gets them grilling. We combed through audience insights over the past two years to understand the tone and mindset of our fans. We expanded that fan base and were able to reach new audiences using a detailed mix of previously-tested affinities, and combining this with custom purchase data to identify users who were interested in grilling or potentially in the market for a new grill. We continuously tested and refined this audience month over month by adding new affinity groups and purchase data into the mix depending on the season. While our primary objective was to drive awareness, we also kept an eye on engagement rates to ensure that our messaging was still resonating with fans and our tone of voice remained consistent. By aligning with what users were thinking, feeling, and sharing themselves we were able to sound less like a brand. Authenticity in creative a brand tone drove our most engaging content and set us apart from competitors. We kept traditions alive, making audiences laugh with our annual April Fool's Day post (featuring a floating grill dubbed 'The Gloatie'), and celebrated holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas in true Char-Broil style. Proactive community management, surprise and delight activations, and one-on-one conversations with fans allowed us to ditch the corporate persona and reach our audience on a human level, leading to brand affinity and recall. Finally, we made sure that every piece of content was providing our audience value: whether that was by equipping them with simple product or grilling tips, an easy-to-learn recipe to try, or simply a laugh -- we aimed to serve more than just ads, but to provide true value to the consumer. |
We successfully drove 406,753,044 total impressions (81,449,169 organic and 325,303,875 paid) and over 753,000 total clicks to the products page of the Char-Broil site, effectively accomplishing our goals of generating brand awareness and driving users to the site. Meanwhile, we were able to keep our Engagement Rate at an all-time high of 8.34%, and increased brand awareness by +30%, inching ahead of our closest competitor who fell -5% year over year.
