• Create fantastic Hummingbird cupcake photography
• In addition to traditional foodie media, Gabrielle Shaw Communications sold Hummingbird into a myriad of surprising places and non-traditional avenues, taking the product out of the food category e.g fashion shoots
• This was not only visually pleasing, but served to catapult the Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes into the realm of being on the same footing as designer clothing and expensive jewellery – press and consumers began to see it as an indulgence and a luxury
• Create numerous opportunities for photographic 'bites of the cherry' by working with the Hummingbird bakers to create cupcake NPD for PR - holiday themed, opportunistic, themes e.g. US election cupcakes, Fashion Week Cupcakes, Red Nose Day cupcakes
• Most of all, we were bold, making the gorgeous cupcake the new cover model. We always went for the pictorial cover story, whatever the angle
Pillar 2: Amplify Authentic Passionate Advocates
• Gabrielle Shaw Communications used smart, inexpensive advocacy to bring celebrities and big name foodies into the mix without undertaking a formal contract with any of them
• We ensured that Hummingbird was present at a number of events where celebrities were invited
• We created “cupcake adorers” through them seeing and tasting the product, us asking them for comments at the events and through enticing them with in-kind sponsorships at their own events
• We also did outreach to diary editors post any event where Hummingbird cupcakes and celebrities were present so that famous names would be linked with the bakery and drive awareness of the brand name
Pillar 3: Be a Genuine Thought Leader
• Once the craze for Hummingbird cupcakes had begun (cinched by the word “cupcake” being the most googled word of 2008), we wanted to take authentic ownership of the category and create situations where we could leverage and expand the engagement of public and press, open doors for new product development and bring in new partners and media opportunities
• GSC suggested a cookbook with beautiful photography and went through a list of publishers before suggesting Ryland, Peters and Small to our client, as representing the perfect balance in content and photography
Results
• Over 200 pieces of quality coverage with a PR value of over £5 million (excluding broadcast and radio) and with a return on investment of 200:1 for the client
• The circulation of all press coverage totals over 305 million (excluding broadcast and radio)
• Hummingbird cupcakes appeared in many surprising places: high profile fashion shoot for Vogue featuring Naomi Campbell and the front cover of Sunday Times Style
• Features placed in Telegraph and Mail on Sunday with images and interviews with the bakery owner around the launch of the Sex and the City film
• Broadcast coverage: CNN international, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” product and credits aired worldwide in Europe, the US, UK, Russia and Asia
• Radio coverage: due to drops at the station, on air mentions were achieved on Capital, Magic and Heart
• Through advocacy, celebrity fans who have gone on record stating their love of Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes include: Gwyneth Paltrow, Mariah Carey, Claudia Winkleman, Cat Deeley, Kelly Brook, designers Matthew Williamson and Stella McCartneyand personal trainer to the stars Tracey Anderson to name a few
• The Hummingbird Cookbook which launched in May 2009 has to date sold over 110,000 copies and is stocked internationally as well as featuring on the top 10 best seller lists of 2009
• Building on the demand for and success of the cookbook, a range of Hummingbird Bakery envelopes, note cards, address books and diaries all with strong imagery is being launched later this year |
