MRS FIELDS COOKIES

CHALLENGE

How to recapture this 25 year old luxury food brand’s
top of mind awareness? How could a publicity
campaign re-ignite the passion of long time
customers and find new ones?

STRATEGY

In the same way that we approach all of our client’s challenges, we always look to identify the existing or
potential customer first and then find ways to persuade them to take a desired action. In this case, the company was suffering from a malaise that stemmed from a time worn brand that badly needed a face lift. The brand also suffered due to the fact that their sole distribution method was retail stores in aging shopping malls. In consideration of Mrs. Fields limited budgets and resources, we looked for an existing program to expand upon. We chose an amateur cookie contest, which was a regional mall program and developed it into a national partnership with NBC’s “Days of ourLives” and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “The Winning is Sweet: So Are the Days of Our Lives” promotion was a year-long no-cash endeavor that created:

  • A new Mrs. Field’s “Days of Our Lives” cookie in 450 stores
  • An opportunity for the Leukemia Society to fundraise in 450 stores and on national television
  • Distribution and recognition for Mrs. Fields into “Leukemia Walk–a-Thon” events in 220 cities
  • Awareness for Mrs. Fields Cookies on national television
  • The use of the Days of our Lives celebrity cast for Mrs. Fields and Leukemia Society marketing

RESULTS

For Mrs. Fields cookies, the promotion resulted in:

  • Sales stabilization during a decline
  • $20 million in advertising equivalency
  • Capturing 20 billion new impressions
  • A 600% return on investment

Coverage for this promotion resulted in 1000’s of press clips nationally.

A Highlight of Outlets Included:

Associated Press   •   BrandWeek   •   CBS Nightly News   •   The Hollywood Reporter   •   Franchise Times
ABC Marketplace   •   Soap Opera Digest   •   Chicago Sun Times   •   Reuters  •   Dow Jones   •   USA Today
Entertainment Tonigh   •   Yahoo news   •   TV Guide   •   Wall Street Journal   •   Los Angeles Times   •   NYT

TIPS FROM THE TOP

Alyson Dutch, CEO / Founder

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