Gavin Roberts began his company in 2007 with the perfect product—a genuine locally-produced artisan sausage with an engaging story —but the existing brand and marketing did not express the company’s passion and true local values.
STRATEGIC REVIEW OF THE MARKET
Our initial work focused on a strategic review of the brand and its category in the retail market. We then began defining the tone of voice and image for the brand. Gavin, one of the owners at Kernow Sausage Co. is a passionate and well-known local personality and this was identified as a crucial element to bring to the fore in the brand.
INFUSING PERSONALITY INTO THE BRAND
We created a unique personal brand in the form of Gavin using his black beard and flat cap to represent his down-to-earth personality. Line illustrations of favourite Cornish icons and locations were introduced to emphasise authenticity and provenance.
Typography: The hand-drawn typography finished off the quirky artisan vibe, creating a truly unique brand to the sector – a true reflection of the Cornish lifestyle.
Packaging: Our research into the category and fixtures provided us the insight to create standout by being different. The category on the whole is drab, colourless and uninspiring, so we developed designs that were bright, colourful and authentic. It was important for the brand to be at the forefront.
Hot social media: We launched the new branding at the Royal Cornwall Show supported with a coordinated social media strategy. We featured the new brand, packaging, live videos with Gavin introducing competitions, and highlights of the product being cooked. We even had a Royal visit from Prince Charles. To add to the excitement, we involved the crowd who held cut-out beards to their faces, images which we captured as user generated content. We even invented the ‘sausage cam’ directing people to where the Kernow Sausage Co. stand was located. It certainly got people talking.
CREATING A BUZZ
Since the launch of the brand, a real buzz has begun and the number of retailers wanting to list the brand is steadily increasing. The company’s social media following is going from strength to strength, even ex-England rugby star Phil Vickery has posted himself cooking the sausages on a BBQ.
From 28th May – 30th September across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
“The team at Bluestone 360 have been absolutely top drawer throughout the whole process. The guys not only took hold of the brief but really have understood our very essence. We look forward to working with the team in future.”
