Williams Fresh Cafe has launched a grassroots marketing campaign promoting its new line of organic yogurt smoothies.
The new product line is part of an ongoing shift by the fast casual dining chain towards fresher, locally sourced ingredients. The smoothies use organic yogurt and fresh frozen fruit – an alternative to high-sugar purees commonly used in smoothies.
Much of the marketing is focused on the chain’s new Green Machine Smoothie, one of two limited-time offers (the other is an Avocado Banana Smoothie) being sold throughout the summer.
“[The Green Machine] is the product in this line we’re putting a lot of emphasis behind,” said Williams’ marketing manager Andrea Lukac. “We’re really looking to differentiate ourselves from a lot of the standard flavour offerings currently in the market.”
The tagline for the Green Machine Smoothie, “Reboot your system,” is being used in Facebook ads and point-of-purchase materials. Developed in-house, the campaign also includes outreach to targeted food, business, health and lifestyle publications, as well as bloggers and what the chain calls “food-related influencers.”
Headquartered in Brantford, Ont., Williams currently operates 39 stores in Southwestern Ontario – 11 of which are on-campus locations. According to CEO Corey Dalton, the chain is looking to expand with the addition of campus units and additional stand-alone stores over the next 12 months. The chain is also renovating approximately six of its stores this year with what Dalton called a “2.0 café design.”
“Our desire is to give our guests the best possible food for them and run businesses that are profitable at the same time,” said Dalton. “It’s a constant balancing act – and it is possible.”
Williams caters to a segment it calls “foodies on the go,” primarily women 18-45 with a secondary target of women 45-55. Its customers are educated about food, ask detailed questions about ingredients and are careful about what their children and family eat, said Lukac.
Launched as Williams Coffee Pub in 1993, the chain rebranded about two years ago – expanding its product line to include sandwiches and salads. “Williams Coffee Pub really just offered coffee. To stay competitive and really provide what our guests were looking for, we needed to expand our menu,” said Lukac. “We had to change things around, improve our food offering and expand our kitchen.”
The company has launched four new products since January, all meeting the chain’s new mandate for fresh, healthy menu items. “We are evolving our concept and we believe this is what our guests are looking for,” said Dalton. “It matters to them where the food comes from in terms of how it was grown and how it was raised.”
