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BASKIN-ROBBINS: ENGAGING CUSTOMERS
SITUATION
One of the highest-rated brands in history is located in small town Canton, Massachusetts, but reaches all corners of the world, with more than 5,600 locations. Sixty-year-`old Baskin-Robbins, now the largest treats brand in the country, sits firmly in the middle of a raging share battle between "treat" giants McDonald's and Dairy Queen and newcomers like Cold Stone Creamery. Limited and flat Baskin-Robbins budgets were being eroded by inflation, top-of-mind awareness for the brand was adversely affected, customers were increasingly switching to try other brands, franchisees were not engaged in the marketing effort and the ability to promote varied and innovative new menu items were hamstrung by all of these hurdles. In the meantime, other brands were executing product-based marketing initiatives with more impact.
FOUNDATION
The RAZOR solution focused on making Baskin-Robbins more relevant to customers, to tap into and strengthen emotional triggers and position BR as an everyday occasion. RAZOR recommended more targeted external media strategies for addressing key issues and building transaction but, given the need for customer/franchisee engagement and budget limitations, it was important that in-store communication deliver as both a branding and transaction driving channel.
BLUEPRINT
RAZOR due diligence on developing an engaging, internal Baskin-Robbins communications program included:
  • Developed brand and store assessment to uncover key facts that would lead to benchmarks, opportunities and limitations for POP
  • Reviewed existing consumer research and conducted research on what compelled customers to purchase
  • Evaluated recent and historical signage
  • Audited formats and production approach to capture efficiencies
  • Created a clean slate design approach
  • Created a new bank of photographs and POP elements
New POP balances both brand and product messages. Its look is highly retail, brighter, and has appetite appeal. It's also cleaner and more visually engaging than historical or competitive work. New POP also includes elements like strips of chocolate dripping from ice cream cabinets and a die-cut beverage merchandiser. Baskin-Robbins in-store merchandising now must go through a checklist of critical requirements before it is released for client approval to ensure that all work addresses the value equation missing in historical efforts. And, more new approaches for new POP elements are in the pipeline.
RESULTS
Baskin-Robbins sales are positive for the first time in several years. And for the past six months, sales have out-paced the previous year and created record-breaking spring numbers (four consecutive 20% and one 30% weeks out of five in newly-transformed stores). RAZOR production audit surfaced $1.1MM of annual efficiencies, which represented 38% of Baskin-Robbins' total marketing budget. Better yet, franchisee are excited about opening each new package of POP, and feedback has been better for POP than ever before including franchisee comments like these: "Layered sundaes are FLYING off the shelves in stores" and "The POP is selling more products in my store – visuals sell!"
Baskin-Robbins
CUSTOM BUILT MARKETING SOLUTIONS
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