Brand Watch: Bob’s Red Mill Unites Media, Shopper
Bob’s Red Mill customized its approach with key retailers this year in a cohesive campaign for its rolled oats products.
The “Start with the Best Oats” campaign, which ran from Jan. 10 through March 24, combined the brand’s media and shopper marketing efforts for the first time. The program was created by agency Blue Chip with the goal of increasing sales with high potential shoppers and priority retailers such as Albertsons Cos., Kroger and Walmart.
The brand sought health-conscious women ages 25 to 54 with a high propensity to be future Bob’s Red Mill consumers in the Florida cities of Miami and Orlando as well as locales such as Baltimore, Boston and Hartford, Connecticut.
“We can grow substantially by outsmarting, not outspending, our category competitors,” says Ally Borozan, Bob’s Red Mill chief growth officer and leader of the brand’s revamp. “We are unifying our marketing to give our best consumers a consistent, relevant brand experience that supports their complete product journey. One audience, one agency team and one focus give us significantly more punch.”
The brand’s integrated media strategy relied on video to tell the story, audio to drive traffic and paid Facebook and Instagram placements for food curiosity and inspiration. Offsite display ads on websites such as Allrecipes.com were used for retargeting. Near-store and in-store media rounded out the mix to drive sales.
Photo and video creative from the Bob’s Red Mill team highlighted the value of the oats’ premium taste and texture. In Kroger chains, a SmartSource shelf talker positioned next to Bob’s SKUs had detailed oatmeal imagery and “the best breakfast is in the blue bag” messaging. The campaign’s offsite display ads were used to court curated audience segments based on first-party data from 84.51.
Bob’s prioritized incentive-based platforms such as Prodege for Walmart’s price-conscious shoppers. Then at Albertsons, an ongoing sales lift study will test iROAS for future campaign considerations.
“Engaging potential consumers from their kitchen to the breakfast aisle is key to growing household penetration in the crowded breakfast category,” says Erich Parker, senior vice president, integrated media, at Blue Chip. “By meeting consumers wherever they are on their path to the aisle, we can build brand health, motivate purchase and increase the lifetime value of Bob’s Red Mill consumers.”