Metro has launched an integrated campaign highlighting the grocer’s commitment to local food and local growers.
Metro Ontario was the exclusive grocery sponsor of the inaugural Taste of Toronto Festival, which took place July 24 to 27. The company’s on-site presence included the Metro Market & Lounge, where guests could relax with refreshments and then shop at a virtual pop-up market for fresh, local ingredients needed to complete one of three summer recipes. Items purchased were available for pickup upon exit from the festival grounds.
In addition, the grocer created an interactive area called Metro Master Class where visitors could cook and sample dishes using fresh Ontario produce. Toronto chefs took guests through recipes and taught them how to prepare restaurant-quality dishes at home.
In stores, Metro and Foodland Ontario are holding a series of in-store “mini festivals” to celebrate new seasonal produce until the end of August. The festivals are being promoted through in-store signage and sampling, weekly print and digital flyers, and content on Metro.ca. The website will feature new recipes, tips and special offers each week.
“Taste Summer is probably the most integrated effort we’ve launched to date. We wanted to ensure we maximized all of our customer touch points – our stores, local community events, our digital platforms and mass media,” said Nancy Modrcin, senior director of marketing for Metro Ontario Inc. “We opted for a balanced marketing mix that maximized paid and earned media impressions and created opportunities to directly interact with our customers.”
Metro has also partnered with culinary personalities and bestselling authors of How to Feed a Family: The Sweet Potato Chronicles, Laura Keogh and Ceri Marsh. Former fashion and style editors, Keogh and Marsh will act as ambassadors for the brand in broadcast and print media, and share new recipes and tips for how to incorporate fresh, Ontario produce every day.
Public relations and event planning for Taste Summer was led by Toronto-based agency A&C.
