Thomas' Teams Up With Philadelphia for Omnichannel Campaign

Most shoppers who buy cream cheese plan to use it on a bagel, according to 2023 data from Circana. That simple insight led Kraft Heinz’s Philadelphia cream cheese brand and Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Thomas’ bagel brand to team up to make sure consumers looking for an easy breakfast paired their products together.

An omnichannel marketing program that ran in April and May targeted Millennial parents who want to make family memories but feel overwhelmed by choices. The campaign presented the bagel and cream cheese pairing as a breakfast more satisfying than cereal or toast but still easy enough for kids to make themselves. The goal for both brands was to grow sales volume while gaining market share and household penetration.

“Our partnership with Thomas’ bagels was a great way to remind fans of both brands of a delicious and simple quality breakfast solution for the whole family to enjoy — especially during a time when increased prices were and still are a hot topic on grocery shoppers’ minds,” Keenan White, Philadelphia senior brand manager, told the Path to Purchase Institute. “Bagels and cream cheese just make sense, so by bringing together two of the most recognizable brands in these categories, we were able to reinforce superiority and help alleviate stress by showing shoppers you don’t need to overthink breakfast.”

Plano, Texas-based shopper marketing agency Twin Oaks did a custom photo shoot to develop the creative, pairing the brands together with a “Spread the silkiness. Crave the crunchiness” message. In-store activations included shelf talkers from Neptune Retail Solutions’ SmartSource, wobblers, shelf strips and floorstands stocking Thomas’ that were positioned next to refrigerated displays for Philadelphia.

Thomas’ and Philadelphia did social media outreach together and also activated the campaign at numerous retailers across the entire path to purchase to drive consideration and conversion. They worked with Walmart Connect and also made retail media plays at Albertsons Cos. and Ahold Delhaize. Circular ads ran at Meijer and Publix. In-store signage at H-E-B offered a free Philadelphia SKU with the purchase of a package of Thomas’, an offer supported by onsite and offsite media. Philadelphia collaborated with Instacart on a Mother’s Day sponsorship package that included a home page banner, email, push notifications and organic social.

Kroger had one of the biggest activations. The partners worked with Kroger Precision Marketing for targeted onsite and offsite display ads and digital coupons as well as in-store activity. They also leveraged Kroger’s sponsorship of JTG Daugherty Racing’s #47 car, giving it a Thomas and Philadelphia paint scheme for the April 21 Geico 500 NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama.

“This omnichannel partnership was a full 360[-degree] activation,” Stephanie Plehn, Bimbo Bakeries USA omnichannel marketing manager, told P2PI. “It was great how both teams worked together at many retailers and across so many touchpoints. We had activation online and in store, from digital media inspiration to click to cart conversion.”

While this was the first national collaboration between Thomas’ and Philadelphia, the brands already plan to partner again next year.

“Pairing the No. 1 bagel brand with the No. 1 cream cheese brand has truly resulted in a win-win-win scenario for our shoppers, our retailers and our brands,” Jinder Bhogal, Bimbo Bakeries senior brand manager, Thomas’ brand team, told P2PI. “The collaboration with Philadelphia has allowed us to bring affordable meal solutions to the market while increasing retailer basket sizes, resulting in brand sales growth.”