case study: goodberry's
situation
Goodberry Creamery, Inc., is a cherished institution known for quality, wholesomeness, and community. Founder Harry Brathwaite’s vision was to create exceptional frozen custard treats using all-natural ingredients, setting them apart from conventional desserts. With over 35 years in business, Goodberry’s has mastered serving smiles and delivering joy with its delicious frozen custard and a strong commitment to community. However, Goodberry’s knew they needed help marketing in the changing social media, PR, and community relations landscape. That’s when they hired S&A Communications to provide the strategy, plan, and implementation of Goodberry’s marketing, employing creative social media, PR, and heart-warming community involvement.
solution
Our strategy was to elevate Goodberry’s brand, effectively position it for prospective franchisees, and continue to grow the social media following while building sales, the social media and community-based marketing plan focused on telling Goodberry’s story to a broader audience and bringing that story to each campaign.
Social media
We elevated Goodberry’s pages with fresh photos and video content and tapping into user-generated content. S&A made it a priority to respond to comments and DMs quickly. The plan included two to three organic posts weekly and several stories for Goodberry’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. S&A Communications handled all production of photos and videos. We catered to our current followers by liking, commenting, sharing their posts, and engaging with them via DMs.
Giveaways and contests were executed to organically grow Goodberry’s social following and the community. We developed and marketed limited-time promotions and specialty items exclusively on social media to urge customers to visit Goodberry’s and purchase a unique menu item.
Community
S&A researched, identified, and contacted numerous appropriate community leaders to create new connections for Goodberry’s. Once partnerships were established, we worked collaboratively to oversee all aspects of the marketing endeavor. We continued nurturing existing relationships and found ways to elevate those partnerships. We hosted and marketed Spirit Nights at Goodberry’s locations, where a percentage of proceeds went back to an organization or school. Below is a notable example of a community partnership.
Duke Children’s Community Partnership: Goodberry’s Frozen Custard forged a year-long partnership with Duke Children’s. This collaboration (facilitated by S&A) supports Duke Children’s advocacy for children’s health and excellence in clinical care. The partnership included developing a Duke Children’s Patient Champion and Ambassador. Harper Harrell, Patient Champion and Ambassador, teamed with Goodberry’s to create her own Concrete. One dollar from every sale of “Harper’s Strawberry Delight” Concrete was donated to Duke Children’s.
The fundraising efforts, including the sale of the special Concrete, monetary donations, and the Fountains of Hope donations, all contributing to a brighter future for Duke Children’s. Goodberry’s set the tone for this impactful partnership by hosting an inaugural Pickleball Charity Challenge, which raised $3,500.
results
Goodberry’s was delighted with the results of S&A’s social media marketing and community engagement. Results below are for Meta (Facebook & Instagram). Percentage improvements refer to results versus the prior period before S&A began working with Goodberry’s.
- Impressions – 1,047,325 up 65%
- Engagements – 44,699 up 107.2%
- New followers – 1,208 up 324%