Challenge

With Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen’s 40^th birthday approaching in August 2022 the client was looking to leverage the milestone.

SOlution

PriceWeber proposed a PR plan to boost media mentions, local store sales, rewards program signups and reconnect with the wider community about this local sweet treats tradition. We developed key messaging including a “Free Pie For a Year contest,” visuals and developed and executed a PR and social media support plan, along with website and email support.
The goal was to target Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen repeat customers, particularly those not enrolled in the Rewards Program to entice them to sign up for future promotions and messages from the brand. A second goal was to encourage loyalists who already are subscribers and regular customers to celebrate with the brand, which happened as dozens of people waited in line for the flagship store to open its door on its birthday and receive free swag and discounted birthday cake ice cream as well as their other favorites.

Results

The results exceeded expectations for increased sales, data collection for future outreach and media mentions.

According to Critical Mention, Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen earned an estimated 97 media hits locally and nationally across TV, online/print/e-newsletter, podcasts and social media.

• Television audience reached an estimated 579,830 people.
• Online/print/e-newsletter audience reached more than 84.6 million people.
• Social media mentions from media members reached more than 3.5 million people.

For social media, the analytics increased significantly during the weeks of birthday posts.

• Link clicks increased by 1,516.7%
• Overall impressions increased by 142.3%
• Overall engagements increased by 670.5%

Website

• According to Toast, Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen Rewards increased by 13% within two weeks during the birthday celebration.
• 707 new Pie Kitchen Rewards members from July 19 – Aug. 2
• Piekitchen.com recorded its largest month of traffic for the previous year and its second most visited day of the year on July 20 (behind Pi Day on March 14).