Article
No Place Like Home: Culvers rebranding effort touts heritage
New “Welcome to Delicious” campaign focuses on small-town hospitality.
March 22, 2011 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com
Smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin sits a small town of no more than 3,500 people called Sauk City. It was here where, in 1984, George Culver and family, including wife Ruth, son Craig and daughter-in-law Lea, opened their first Culver’s Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers.
The company now encompasses more than 400 units throughout the Midwest. Culver’s story is what American dreams are made of – relevance achieved through simplicity in food and service.
Now, Culver’s is embracing these original elements with a new brand campaign titled “Welcome to Delicious.”
The campaign was created based on extensive research that showed guests are looking for authenticity in their food.
"The honest-to-goodness quality of our food, customer service and small-town hospitality are what we’ve always been good at – and what our guests have grown to love us for," said David Stidham, vice president of marketing for Culver’s. "We summed up all of these powerful strengths in one simple idea: 'Welcome to Delicious.' It’s a warm invitation to our guests to come and enjoy great-tasting food that’s handcrafted, using premium and authentic ingredients and thoughtfully prepared by people who really know food."
The tagline will take hold throughout 2011, supported by television, radio and print advertising, in-restaurant POS signage, menu boards, packaging and digital and social media.
Visual cues (see photos) of the “Welcome to Delicious” campaign are designed to evoke the “handcraftedness” of each Culver’s meal, as well as the company’s heartland heritage.
“Guests are looking for genuine, meaningful experiences. Quality over quantity is on everyone’s minds,” Stidham said. “Plus, we’re proud of where our food comes from – right here in the Midwest or in Wisconsin. Since these have always been keys to our business, now seemed like a great time showcase them.”
The new branding efforts include a slightly changed Culver’s logo, one that is true to the original signature but conveys a more personal touch, according to Stidham.
“The logo is an iteration that has shown up on other marketing materials. In our marketing communications, the Culver’s logo will appear this (new) way – simple, unembellished and uncontrived,” he said. “It’s our signature, as co-founder and CEO Craig Culver had signed it himself. It says we stand behind our message.”
Behind-the-scenes recipes
As it rolls out this new message, Culver’s is also beefing up the details about its signature menu items. Culver’s “recipes” will offer a storied glimpse behind guest favorites and share what’s special about each menu item.
“We’re taking every opportunity to tell our guests about how we select and use premium quality ingredients from trusted sources,” Stidham said. “We prepare their food thoughtfully, by hand and cooked to order. Every element of the campaign serves as a reminder of Culver’s heritage and promise to guests.”
You can find many recipes on the Culver’s website, which also includes the item description, nutritional content, ingredients, allergen grid and more.
New ButterBurgers feature Wisconsin cheese
Culver’s is already fulfilling some of the new campaign’s objectives.
On the heels of this new campaign, which debuted last week, Culver’s launched a new Three Cheese ButterBurger. The limited-time offer is available through May 1 and showcases three Wisconsin-made cheese varieties: Wisconsin Cheddar made in Kiel, Wisc.; Swiss, made in New Berlin, Wisc.; and American, made in Manitowoc County.
The cheeses are served with Midwest-raised beef seared on a grill and a buttered, toasted bun.
"Real Wisconsin cheese and dairy are at the heart of the Culver's menu. Wisconsin farmers have been cheese experts for more than 160 years, and their tried and true methods have come to produce the high-quality products that can now be enjoyed by cheese lovers nationwide in Culver's restaurants," said Stidham.
Culver's Wisconsin cheeses are crafted using less vegetable oil than highly processed cheeses, so the cheese slices melt perfectly when added to a cooked-to-order ButterBurger.
The new three cheese creation seems to be just the beginning of what’s to come from Culver’s this year.
“We plan to have a series of innovative new menu options such as our launch of sweet potato fries this spring, as well as new signature limited-time only ButterBurgers and fresh frozen custard that should thrill our guests,” Stidham said.
The first “Welcome to Delicious” TV spot airs this month, and features Craig Culver, as well as real Wisconsin cheese and scenes from Sauk City, Wisc.
Check it out:
| What do you think about Culver’s new “Welcome to Delicious” message? Does it embrace the authenticity its guests are looking for? Continue the conversation in the comments below! |
