Recipe Strategy
Summary:
For 50 years, Family Features has helped food clients reach their target audiences in the place readers are most likely to seek help from trusted brands: the kitchen. Decades of evidence show the power of recipes in content marketing. They establish trust between consumers and brands, connect home cooks directly with products and can lead to brand loyalty as consumers reach for tried-and-true ingredients each time they create a favorite meal.
Branded recipes are a timeless marketing tactic that continue to prove effective for Family Features’ food clients. Consider these project averages from April 1, 2023-March 31, 2024 in our earned media network, comparing recipe strategy vs. non-recipe strategy.
Branded recipes are a timeless marketing tactic that continue to prove effective for Family Features’ food clients. Consider these project averages from April 1, 2023-March 31, 2024 in our earned media network, comparing recipe strategy vs. non-recipe strategy.
Recipe Feature Average Results:
- 171 earned print placements
- More than 7.1 million earned print impressions
- 496 earned digital placements
- More than 17.5 million earned digital impressions
- More than 600 total earned placements and nearly 25 million total earned impressions
Recipe Premium Release Average Results:
- 80 earned print placements
- More than 3.3 million earned print impressions
- 203 earned digital placements
- More than 6.4 million earned digital impressions
- More than 280 total earned placements and nearly 10 million total earned impressions
Lifestyle Premium Release Average Results:
- 52 earned print placements
- More than 2 million earned print impressions
- 138 earned digital placements
- More than 4.5 million earned digital impressions
- More than 190 total earned placements and more than 6.5 million total earned impressions
Lifestyle Feature Average Results:
- 79 earned print placements
- More than 3.5 million earned print impressions
- 197 earned digital placements
- More than 11.5 million earned digital impressions
- More than 270 total earned placements and more than 15.5 million total earned impressions
Conclusion:
While our robust earned media network portends success for both food and lifestyle content, the allure of recipes leads to Food Features and Premium Releases performing roughly 50% better, on average, compared to Lifestyle Features and Premium Releases. Contact us today to reach readers with your brand’s recipes, or ask how we can assist in recipe creation using your product.
Challenge:
Share the power of peanut protein with consumers who are looking for healthier, quicker, yet still delicious recipes.
Solution:
Through the versatile distribution channels of Family Features’ Premium Recipe Feature program, we created a full-page layout including three peanut-powered recipes, an eye-catching 90-second recipe video and a shortened Release version for editors with limited space in their publications. To further promote the content and recipes, we utilized our Culinary.net social media channels to engage readers directly and conducted a cost-per-click campaign driving traffic to the client’s recipe pages.
Results:
- Earned Digital & Print Media – 592 placements & 79,996,244 impressions
- Paid Media – 3,088 placements & 584,090,336 impressions
- Video – 180,530 total views
- Social Media – 12,138 engagements & 329,607 impressions
- Content Amplification (cost-per-click) – 26,091 clicks & 2,150,317 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $2,499,919
- Total ROI – 108:1
Challenge:
Drive consumers to a produce client’s product locator page while generating high-impact impressions in a variety of media over a 6-month timeframe.
Solution:
Promote the versatility, ease of use and flavor of the product across digital, print, video and social media in scheduled pulses throughout the 6-month window. A full-page Feature was designed to capitalize on the popularity of the product during springtime paired with a half-page Premium Release showcasing its use in meatless meals during Lent. To round out the campaign, a Recipe Video Release captured the product’s ability to simplify hosting in an easy appetizer recipe and a Listicle highlighted the multitude of ways the product can be used in dishes from morning to night.
Promoted through our consumer-facing site, Culinary.net, and its social media profiles, the comprehensive program garnered nearly 1 billion impressions through distribution to our network of more than 4,000 websites, newspapers and magazines. Social media and cost-per-click campaigns helped reach consumers directly while increasing engagements across the breadth of content formats.
Promoted through our consumer-facing site, Culinary.net, and its social media profiles, the comprehensive program garnered nearly 1 billion impressions through distribution to our network of more than 4,000 websites, newspapers and magazines. Social media and cost-per-click campaigns helped reach consumers directly while increasing engagements across the breadth of content formats.
Results:
- Earned Digital & Print Media – 780 placements & 29,459,176 impressions
- Paid Media – 4,317 placements & 900,990,596 impressions
- Social Media – 15,038 engagements & 385,939 impressions
- Video – 287,954 views & 385,373 impressions
- Content Amplification – 6,759 clicks & 532,391 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $3,641,749
- Total ROI – 108:1
Challenge:
Boost commodity awareness and brand exposure for an apple variety with sweet, tender flesh that naturally stays white after cutting by positioning the apples as a simple way to freshen up the flavor of classic recipes and make dishes look as delicious as they taste.
Solution:
Designed a fully customized program using a mix of content formats – as well as various media formats for distribution – to reach consumers over a 4-month timeframe. Used recipe strategy with apples as the key ingredient in formatted and unformatted articles, social media posts and a recipe video to highlight versatility. Implemented features like a QR code to stay on-trend and drive traffic. Leveraged our proprietary consumer-facing site, Culinary.net, for social and cost-per-click campaigns, which directly increased engagement and reach, and boosted website traffic for the brand. Results also included traditional print and digital media placements, both paid and earned.
Results:
- Earned Media – 463 placements & 15,367,605 impressions
- Paid Media – 1,956 placements & 255,258,596 impressions
- Social Media – 4,660 engagements & 126,417 impressions
- Video – 177,505 views & 268,996 impressions
- Content Amplification – 16,957 engagements & 161,229 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $1,065,492
- Total ROI – 70:1
Challenge:
Promote an interactive tool allowing users to “spin” a virtual wheel on the client’s website to help consumers choose a family-friendly recipe to try.
Solution:
Create a QR code allowing print readers to connect directly to the meal wheel. Integrate the QR code into a half-page Premium Release layout and distribute the content to print and digital publications using earned and paid tactics. Further promote the content directly to consumers via social media amplification.
Results:
- Earned Media – 404 placements & 15,847,024 impressions
- Paid Media – 1,241 placements & 313,452,585 impressions
- Social Media – 5,329 engagements & 106,989 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $1,310,397
- Total ROI – 218:1
Challenge:
Visually showcase the versatility of sweetpotatoes as a key ingredient to enhance flavor and nutritional content for busy families during the summer months.
Plan:
Utilizing Family Features’ Recipe Video Release program, which combines a traditional mat release with a 60-90-second “hands-and-pans” video, our in-house video production team created an engaging video that made sweetpotatoes the star and let consumers truly see the recipe come together. The video, and accompanying copy, were then promoted to millions of consumers through social media and our proprietary digital network to enhance brand awareness and foster consumer engagement.
Results:
- Earned Media – 192 placements & 52,532,500 impressions
- Paid Media – 942 placements & 133,925,811 impressions
- Video – 156,789 views & 780,349 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $747,904
- Total ROI – 124:1
Challenge:
To raise awareness of a line of microwavable rice cups that can be prepared in 1 minute for ease and simplicity in the kitchen.
Plan:
Develop two separate hands-and-pans Recipe Videos – each just 20 seconds long – highlighting how quickly the product can be prepared then combined with other simple ingredients. Promote the videos via Family Features’ Culinary.net social channels along with unformatted content and still images provided to print and digital publications.
Results:
- Earned Media – 212 placements & 8,048,223 impressions
- Paid Media – 1,062 placements & 70,554,894 impressions
- Recipe Videos – 176,080 views & 349,752 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $292,013
- Total ROI – 41:1
Challenge:
Promote a boxed snack product’s sustainable packaging and satisfying flavor within a lifestyle project.
Solution:
Construct a formatted full-page Feature providing lifestyle tips for consumers to improve the world around them including the product’s viability as a sustainably packaged snack. Create a recipe using the product to highlight its flavor and ease of use then photograph the completed dish to use in layout. Using earned and paid tactics, distribute the content to publications nationwide and promote it through social media and cost-per-click strategies.
Results:
- Earned Media – 271 placements & 7,314,990 impressions
- Paid Media – 1,927 placements & 457,408,587 impressions
- Social Media – 6,069 engagements & 137,646 impressions
- Content Amplification – 7,021 clicks & 361,354 impressions
- Total Program Ad Equivalency – $1,923,173
- Total ROI – 107:1
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