Beef was in the news – and it was often bad news. Stories on obesity, e. Coli, pink slime and antibiotic resistance created a negative perception. Laura’s Lean Beef benefited from the negative press by being an alternative and loyalists loved the brand’s commitment to wholesome foods. But how could they further capitalize on a strong position and establish themselves as a nationally-recognized brand, to a broad audience?
To spread the enthusiasm, Laura’s Lean Beef hired Freeman Communications to develop a comprehensive content marketing and PR strategy. The idea was to engage consumers across social and digital marketing channels with compelling recipes and health education – and to tell the brand’s story of lower-fat, naturally-raised beef through the media.
We expanded the Laura’s Lean Beef blog with new writers and fresh editorial ideas. We sought coverage with key mommy and food bloggers through product reviews and recipe contributions. We launched a viral Facebook sweepstakes to increase followers. And we took the brand on a national media tour, where we developed relationships with food and health editors at the largest lifestyle magazines in the U.S.
In our first campaign alone, we grew the brand’s Facebook fanbase by 87% in a span of just three months. We landed more than two dozen third party blog articles. And we got Laura’s Lean Beef editorial coverage in numerous, high-profile publications, including Health, Prevention and Family Circle. In total, we delivered 1.3 billion earned media impressions in 4 years.
