A national trend over the past 18 months in the foodservice industry to consolidate regional brokers was causing some unforeseen problems. By centralizing brokerage, manufacturers began experiencing a decline in the level of service they received.
HOPCO FoodService Marketing, a 30-year veteran of the foodservice industry and representative for brands such as French’s Mustard, Cattleman’s BBQ Sauce, Bush’s Baked Beans, and Dole, was determined to call out this negative trend. HOPCO approached Schifino Lee to develop a way they could appeal to manufacturers needing better representation in the southeastern United States and let them know that they were ready and able to offer the superior level of service that comes along with such a track record of success.
Schifino Lee developed a unique direct mail campaign to showcase HOPCO’s dedication to its exceptional street-level service. The mailer to manufacturer owners/CMOs contained a sleek-boxed pair of well-used men’s business shoes with the soles worn through. The outside messaging, “We don’t just talk the talk”, was answered within with “Our results go for miles, our feet even further” along with a prompt to call HOPCO’s senior management to set up a live capabilities presentation.
Dan Stevenson, Executive Creative Director at Schifino Lee, said, “HOPCO asked our team to give them an out-of-the-box mailer idea to turn heads at some of their prospects; ironically enough, the breakthrough idea ended up being delivered inside a shoebox.”
