The Insight
Ergo Chef, a cutlery brand specializing in ergonomically-designed knives, set off on a massive growth trajectory when it launched its first celebrity-endorsed knife line. The release of the Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich Series was not only the brand’s first foray into the high-profile world of celebrity endorsements, it was also Ergo Chef’s chance to get the word out about its signature line and put its name on the map once and for all. But doing so required calling in reinforcement. CVM worked quickly to revamp Ergo Chef’s brand and online presence, and followed this with a multi-faceted marketing strategy, including a public relations program, social media consulting, and content creation.
Minding the Store... and Story
The Ergo Chef story, which started when one of its founders developed carpal tunnel following his graduation from Johnson & Wales and subsequent work as a chef, is one that many chefs—home and professional—can relate to. So as CVM approached the redesign of the brand’s website, we ensured that this story was integral to the company’s branding.
The new website needed to act as the brand is home and a marketplace all in one, in order to support direct-to-consumer sales and act as a hub where retailers and distributors can learn more about Ergo Chef’s products. To address these dual goals, we made content and upfront branding our two primary priorities, and customized their e-commerce platform to enable easy online buying.
Is your man a chef — or at least pretends to be? Get him the perfect present for any foodie: An 8-inch blade made of high carbon German stainless steel.
— Today Show
Chop Talk
Next, we introduced the “Chop Talk Blog” as a means of providing regular content, engaging visitors, maximizing SEO efforts, and encouraging return traffic. In order to keep in regular contact with Ergo Chef’s existing customer database and grow its contacts for future direct marketing efforts. Playing off this more casual branding we also introduced a monthly newsletter. The Chop Talk newsletter is now Ergo Chef's vehicle for getting the word out about new products and company news, as well as for providing subscribers with helpful knife-related tips, such as sharpening dos and don'ts and cutting techniques. A newsletter sign-up prompt on the homepage and blog ensure that Ergo Chef is able to capture the interest of new visitors, regardless of whether they make a purchase. Although a seemingly minor effort, capturing user information for further interaction is a necessity for a program based on attracting new eyes to the site and nurturing the relationship with them going forward.
@ErgoChefKnives
The final piece we put in place in advance of the new series launch was Ergo Chef’s social media infrastructure. We homed in on Twitter as a means of getting Ergo Chef intimately involved in the many passionate food conversations among chefs and other foodies. Because one of Ergo Chef’s founders is a trained chef with extensive knowledge of food, and because Ergo Chef travels around the country to several food shows each year, they were equipped with plenty of newsworthy and food-savy updates that would keep followers informed and entertained, rather than inundate them with overtly-promotional soundbites.
Public Relations
When the Knuckle Sandwich line by Food Network star Guy Fieri was ready for primetime, Ergo Chef viewed it as an opportunity to increase its brand visibility among consumers, boost online sales, and catch the attention of additional national retailers. This meant getting the word out…everywhere.
Start the Press
Ergo Chef arranged for Guy Fieri to accompaning the company at the International Housewares Show in Chicago, where he would autograph his line cards and announce the Knuckle Sandwich Series. Channel V Media coordinated and managed an onsite press conference where Fieri explained the new knives’ features and gave reporters information on his partnership with Ergo Chef. We additionally arranged press interviews with Fieri and the Ergo Chef founders at the tradeshow booth. The day concluded with a charity fundraiser—hosted by Ergo Chef, Harold Imports, and Guy Fieri—which raised $25,000 for the students of C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program).
Gift Guides
Because the line launched close to the winter holidays, we also focused on getting the knives included in relevant holiday gift guides. The wide appeal of the knives allowed us to reach out to a wide variety of publications, including those that target men, home chefs, foodies, moms, and general consumers looking for unique gifts. After just one month, we secured placement in ten holiday gift guides.
The Trades
We next focused on securing general product reviews with online and print consumer publications by sending out samples to a number of test kitchens, high-traffic men’s blogs, food-centric outlets, and kitchen and housewares trade publications. We offered select reporters and editors an interview with Guy Fieri and secured several opportunities to get the knives in front of new audiences by leveraging his star power.We were also able to enhance many of the resulting write-ups and broadcast coverage by offering knives for audience giveaways and contests, courtesy of Ergo Chef.
Results
Within the first six months of working with Ergo Chef, CVM secured over 65 pieces of media coverage, tripled the average website traffic, grew the brand’s database well beyond its core base of past customers, and helped Ergo Chef extend its expertise and story into the social media conversation. The new Ergo Chef infrastructure now caters to ongoing relationships with customers and offers the brand a platform from which it can continue to share its ongoing story with a variety of audiences.
