Instagram is full of #foodporn. To stand apart in this saturated space, we created a unique food-focused campaign that brought out our fans' inner Top Chef (#Instachef) while driving them to tune in to the show.
Given that this was Top Chef's first foray into the Instagram space in its 13 seasons on the air, we wanted to be sure launch with a splash and position Top Chef as an authority in the Instagram food space with content that is intriguing, Instagram-specific and hooks a growing foodie community on the platform.
With all this in mind, we created our first-ever Top Chef Instagram account with three core goals:
●Whet fans' appetites for Season 13 by posting favorite moments from Seasons 1-12 with a delicious and artistic twist, from commemorating Dave Grohl's guest appearance in Season 5 by sculpting his face from mashed potatoes and gravy (#GravyGrohl) to reimagining Season 3's Aspen Finale by freezing the winning ingredients in ice.
●Second, our creative tied Season 13 to episodic humor, #foodporn, and engaging hashtag competitions. As we built our Instagram community, we created a space for fans to engage in unique ways, from showing off their Soigné to letting us know which Cheftestant was their top pick!
●Third, we aimed to be the first cooking competition show to tap Instagram as their #foodporn homebase. We created a haven for everyone, from diehard Top Chef fans to casual cooks, to show off their creative chops in the kitchen with initiatives like #TopChefTraditions and #TopChefFresh.
Our strategy focuses on engaging actively with fans on Instagram, allowing each Instachef to be an integral part of Season 13.
Each piece of content and strategic tactic that we've launched to-date focuses on building a community:
•The launch of the account was timed to the Season 13 press release back in October where we pre-loaded the account with our Season 1-12 content sets so that core Top Chef fans could discover and immerse themselves with the handle at launch.
•Your feed is fine. Fresh. Fierce. Submit to #TopChefFresh. You've got this on lock. Utilizing engaging hashtags, we encourage foodie fans to submit their homemade delicacies to #TopChefTraditions, #BrunchWithTopChef, and #TopChefFresh. Favorite photos are regrammed and the winning submission receives a Top Chef Cookbook.
•We'd swipe right on this fresh feast! @BravoTopChef is immersed in the #foodporn culture on Instagram, creating and regramming delectable photos of food.
●Who's hungry for @ToupsMeatery's #banannaise? The perfect condiment! The feed is filled with episodic humor, inside jokes, and nods to favorite moments from the show.
●Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to dis a brie? #NationalCheeseLoversDay. And if you want to taco 'bout food puns, you've come to the right place. Food typography puns are a staple on the @BravoTopChef feed.
●We woke up like this. #Flourless. Follow @TopChef for more holiday treats & #TopChefTraditions. Paid media ramped up around holidays with two stop-motion animation videos and our #TopChefTraditions campaign. We saw many diverse entries from food bloggers and fans around the world.
In only three months, we added nearly 40,000 fans, with 23,000 added during the month of January alone!To-date, we have grown to +56k fans since launching in October of 2015.
●27.5M Total Impressions from 1/1 to 1/31 (off of #TopChef)
●1,105 Total Comments from 1/1 to 1/31 (on @BravoTopChef's posts)
●In the first week of January 2016 @BravoTopChef was averaging 510 likes per post. By early February the account averaged 972 likes per post.
●From January - February @BravoTopChef had an average daily follower growth rate of 810 followers.
●From January - February the hashtag #TopChef has had a reach of 9.6 million, with an average of 1 million impressions a day.
