How Bimbo, Boston Beer Partner to Win Grilling Season

Bimbo Bakeries and Boston Beer Co. teamed up for the first time last year on a "Grilling MVPs" program, leveraging summer occasions.Running May 1-June 30, the national campaign positioned Bimbo's Ball Park buns and Boston Beer's Twisted Tea as the perfect pair at major retailers and online.The program came together once Numerator data revealed Twisted Tea shoppers were over-indexing on grilling and backyard occasions, says Brittney Noonan, shopper marketing manager at Boston Beer.As a result, shoppers spend more per basket when Twisted Tea and hot dog buns are in the basket, versus buns alone."Ultimately, the plan was to leverage this powerful partnership to incentivize shoppers to buy the top bun brand and the fastest growing beer brand that dominates the retail floor during key summer grilling occasions," says Stephanie Plehn, senior manager, omnichannel marketing strategy and partnerships at Bimbo Bakeries.OnlineThe brands worked with retailer media networks such as Walmart Connect, Target's Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing, Instacart and Albertsons Media Collective.The program focused on sponsored product placements, digital circulars and retailer-approved seasonal moments, such as Memorial Day and summer grilling hubs. Recipe and grilling content was leveraged on Instacart.Twisted Tea's in-house creative team did a photoshoot featuring its products with Ball Park buns to inform the key visual in the campaign.The media was geo-targeted to retailers executing the in-store program, ensuring physical and digital worked together to drive conversion, Noonan says.In StoresThe program had a national "Get $8" offer. Shoppers who bought participating Twisted Tea products along with one 8-count Ball Park package and uploaded receipts received $8 via Venmo or PayPal.In the 14 states that did not allow beverage-alcohol purchases as part of the offer, a $.75 off Ball Park buns offer was used.A QR code for the offers were printed on floorstands and danglers. Shoppers who scanned the code had to enter their age and state to confirm offer eligibility.The POS materials were flexible and worked across grocery and mass merchant retailers, Noonan added.The secondary displays were positioned in key areas, including upfront and liquor departments.The brands were merchandised in a variety of ways at the store. In some Walmart locations, the left side of an endcap had Twisted Teas SKUs while Ball Park buns filled the right side."Strong brand strategic alignment and early collaboration drove successful national execution," Plehn says.Addressing BevAlc State RegulationsTo follow various BevAlc regulations, the program was built to be modular by state, Noonan says. This included using:• Alcohol-only POS materials in areas where cross-merchandising was restricted.• Thematic but non-co-located signage in control states.• Copy focused on "pairing inspiration" versus direct inducement.• Review of all assets to ensure no alcohol discounting and no mandatory purchase language.• Full compliance with local regulations.Results + Looking AheadBall Park bun features and displays at retail were up 24% year-over-year in May and June, when the program was in flight. Even though the bun category declined during the two-month timeframe, the Ball Park brand grew share by 4%.The brands are partnering again, this time extending the program through July 2026 to incorporate the Fourth of July holiday. The campaign's creative this year will have more of an Americana feel to celebrate America's 250th anniversary."Our partnership with Ball Park and Twisted Tea drove meaningful category share gains and boosted secondary displays across the store," says Annie Meehan, director of brand marketing, Bimbo buns and rolls. "When brands come together with a unified strategy, the results speak for themselves."

How Bimbo, Boston Beer Partner to Win Grilling Season

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