Building emotional affinity
THE NEED
FreshMenu, the brainchild of entrepreneur Rashmi Daga, was set up in 2014, way before the concept of a cloud kitchen or dark kitchen, as it is widely known – became a byword. Customers may order home-delivery from such a virtual ‘restaurant’ supported by a cloud kitchen, through an app. There is no dine-in option. FreshMenu cut the clutter in many ways: it pioneered the concept of a fresh menu of international and Indian food every day and promised meals made of painstakingly procured healthy ingredients, cooked by specially trained chefs and delivered in a short time from a neighbourhood kitchen. All the activity and promotions around FreshMenu was naturally digital. Soon, a rather peculiar situation unfolded. People ordered online when hungry, or in a hurry. The attention span on digital mediums which was limited, to begin with, was therefore further reduced. The brand found it was unable to hold the attention of the consumer enough to be able to tell their incredible back-story to enhance loyalty or ensure more buy-ins. The challenge was to bring emotional affinity (love) to a category that was all about behavioural affinity (habit)
THE DBC CONCEPT
Don’t Be Content (DBC) proposed an immersive print product to be sent along with orders to loyal consumers. ‘Food For Thought’, the sleek, quality publication was to highlight the USP of the brand – no microwaves in the cloud kitchen so no reheated food, for instance. The content of the publication would also equip young corporates with knowledge of new food trends and global foods – a popular talking-point. The magazine was to contain long-form articles and snippety bites of food know-how, all attractively peppered with tempting visuals and interspersed with brand information, chef talk and expert speak that underlined what set it apart from the players in the market.
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THE EXECUTION
The quarterly project was undertaken for a year – with the 4th edition being an A3 size, show-stopper Valentine issue. The content was decided between DBC food experts, brand managers and chefs. Articles comprised interviews with chefs, loyal patrons; research pieces on cuisines; write-ups from food and etiquette experts on how to order meals, pair food and more; interactive pieces, fun snippets; and guest articles from known writers and foodies.
Other contents that made the magazines special and sought after were the personalised pieces from thought influencers such as author and former editor of Harper’s Bazaar India Nishat Fatima on her experiments with eating well and healthy; and Kavita Devgan, celebrity nutritionist and author of several books, on how she never tells her patients to ‘diet’ to lose weight. “Eat mindfully and you will reach your optimum weight,” she writes. The beautifully designed pages and visuals were carefully constructed to engage with the consumer, hold their interest and ensure there were valuable takeaways. Packaged in quality paper with an attractive cover, the issues became collectables and were grouped under themes.
THE IMPACT
Food for Thought created an organic chatter about the brand among foodies with an elegant on-ground launch in Bangalore, the home of the brand. The coverage of the event too triggered conversations and conversions. The magazine, and in turn the brand, garnered positive word-of-mouth through the people who contributed and featured in the editions. Several other clients of DBC – customers of FreshMenu in Bangalore – too affirmed they had read the magazine which was delivered with their orders and said they were pleasantly surprised to learn what went into ensuring they got their platter of a warm, healthy and delicious food. Food for Thought enhanced brand affinity across the country with the digital magazine being seeded through various platforms, including the host website. Erstwhile loyalists who dropped off the brand were also reactivated with copies being delivered to them. The immersive reading helped to comprehensively underline the brand’s unique proposition and firmly set it above the competition.
