At first glance, the key tool for Sprouts Farmers Market’s recent experiential marketing campaign in Florida looked a lot like a food truck.
But instead of dishing out tacos or burgers, the “Sunshine State Tour” was about much more than food. It was about building brand awareness by delivering prospective new customers an experience.
To build excitement for a slate of new store openings across Florida this year, Sprouts partnered with Interactions Marketing, an Advantage Solutions experiential retail marketing agency, to launch the 12-week tour.
The tour, which included more than 50 stops across Florida, aimed to build brand awareness, and eventually, store traffic, by delivering experiences to prospective new customers.
Filled with music, activities and giveaway items, the Sprouts-branded truck logged more than 5,000 miles, 170 hours and made 56 stops at sporting events, gyms, yoga studios, local farms, a children’s hospital and a Boys & Girls Club. In all, the tour racked up interactions with some 25,000 consumers.
“As Sprouts continues to grow in the state of Florida, the Sunshine State Tour proved to be a successful way to familiarize customers and communities with our products and mission,” says Alisa Gmelich, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Sprouts. “The tour also served as a vehicle for us to operate on the ground and share more about the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, which supports hands-on nutrition and gardening programs for schools in the community.”
Sprouts, which operates in 23 states, is known for its selection of natural and organic foods, including produce, bulk foods, fresh meat and seafood, vitamins and supplements, seasonal items and products with attributes such as plant-based, paleo, gluten-free and more. Sprouts also prides itself on its sustainable practices and support of local vendors.
Starting in Jacksonville in March, Interactions Marketing brand ambassadors showcased Sprouts’ fresh produce, serving blueberries and navel oranges, while participating vendors dished out samples of Mush’s overnight oats, Lesser Evil’s popcorn and Coco5’s all-natural, fruit-flavored coconut water. Event materials were biodegradable where possible, and the team shared all event leftovers with local first responders.
“The campaign was wildly successful not only in helping Sprouts enter a new market but in helping the brand become a welcome part of the local communities it serves,” says Ashley T. Duff, director of client services for Interactions. “We connected with Florida. We were able to generate a lot of excitement, and our staff and manager were the keys to that success. We received a lot of positive feedback, and vendor sales increased as a result.”
The Sprouts truck distributed more than 27,000 canvas bags and coupons and some 37,000 samples directly to consumers. On top of that, the grocer increased overall awareness of its brand in Florida, paving the way for its new store openings.