Fisher Promotes Baseball 'Freshness' in Chicago

Elgin, Ill. — Knowing baseball and peanuts go hand in hand, John B. Sanfilippo & Son's Fisher brand has been a longtime sponsor of Chicago's two Major League Baseball teams. This year, with the Cubs and White Sox both entering the season with rookie managers, Fisher launched a "Freshness You Can Win" campaign with Supervalu's Jewel-Osco chain. When Dale Sveum's Cubs and Robin Ventura's White Sox win on the same day, Fisher will donate $500 to each team's charities.The strategy was to support both franchises in a celebratory, non-divisive way by building an integrated marketing platform to increase brand awareness and reinforce brand equity, according to Fisher's Howard Brandeisky, vice president, global marketing innovation and customer solutions. "It's a perfect way to bring the two teams together and promote our products to all baseball fans, not just fans of one team or the other," he says. "Our brand is throughout Chicago, so we don't take sides."Northbrook, Ill.-based Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide created the idea and executed the program in collaboration with the Fisher team. "Consumers from both sides of town and both loyalties buy the product," says Stanton Kawer, Blue Chip CEO.Fisher launched the campaign in March during the teams' spring training and promoted it via Sunday FSIs and radio spots. Additionally, "point-of-purchase is a key part of the program," says Brandeisky. Shippers with header cards and aisle blades are the primary in-store materials.Kawer says the program was developed with consumer and shopper insights, competitive analysis and research within Jewel-Osco stores. He says there had not yet been a campaign bringing the two baseball teams together.Fans can win as well. With purchase of any Fisher product using their Jewel-Osco loyalty card, shoppers are automatically entered into a sweepstakes that awards two grand prizes of 20 tickets to a game and a party at either Wrigley Field or U.S. Cellular Field, with a chance to meet the respective team's manager. Secondary prizes include tickets to games, $50 Jewel-Osco gift cards, and free Fisher product and apparel. Fisher distributes 50 free-product coupons at Jewel-Osco each time either team wins during the season. "We spent time trying to come up with ideas to recognize and provide a prize, or in this case, a benefit, for each time the teams win versus when one beats up on the other," says Kawer.Blue Chip will work with Fisher to measure the campaign using a proprietary tool at the agency that computes a composite score based on various factors. "We're hoping to see increased sales and consumer involvement with the brand as consumers buy our products and use their Jewel card," says Brandeisky. "We want to not only increase sales of the Fisher nuts brand, but also help build the Jewel category as well."Fisher is running a similar promotion with the Milwaukee Brewers, partnering with Milwaukee-based Roundy's Supermarkets and its various banners. Fisher pledges $500 each time the Brewers win two straight games. The campaign features a sweeps with prizes similar to those in the Chicago promotion.

Fisher Promotes Baseball 'Freshness' in Chicago

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