How to create (glorious) content for a D2C Brand

When building a brand, it’s far too easy to assume that you know what your audience wants. But the truth is, unless you actually have the insight to know what they want, your content won’t cut through and lead to the quality engagement and conversion that you’re after. Because what works for you, doesn’t always work for your audience.

So, how do you create content that counts?

ADAPT TO THE MOMENT

As a B2B manufacturer, supplying fresh pizza dough to the hospitality sector, Millennium Foods realised that in order to survive the Covid pandemic, they needed to create new revenue streams and move with the times.

They came to us to create a Direct to Consumer (D2C) brand that placed their products directly in consumer’s homes -  not just as a reactive solution to the Pandemic, but as a strategy that could achieve long-term growth.

We worked with Millennium Foods with the aim to make waves in the ‘at home’ meal kit market.  Using our insight driven approach, we analysed the market and ideal customer to build a targeted solution that put the experience and customer at the heart of the brand.

From the word go, we knew that Dough & Glory would start life as a purely digital brand - and that this would require some seriously engaging content. With everyone at home, we had to stop thumbs scrolling and make an impact on social media platforms.

MAKE IT MEANINGFUL

At BuxtonThreeTwo, our (not so) secret weapon is looking before we leap. Before planning content, we created in-depth audience personas, gaining insights into Dough & Glory’s prospective customer base so we could tailor the brand experience and make content that responded directly to real needs, rather than acting on presumption.

As with any project, rather than creating edgy visuals that only pleased our own creative desires, we tested the water before diving in and took time to consider what Dough & Glory’s audience would react to before tackling the creative.

BUILD BRANDS AROUND PEOPLE, NOT PRODUCTS

Once we understood what mattered, we worked up a brand promise and values, ensuring that Dough & Glory’s brand experience would speak loud and clear.

Traditionally, brands have always been product-centric. But with Dough & Glory, we built the brand around people, looking past the pizza to make sure that content was on point and served audiences’ needs before the brand shouted about itself.The added layer of complexity with this project was the environment we were creating it in. With national lockdowns in place, we had to be strategic in how we could tell the story of the experience and give it a human feel when we were not allowed to bring families into the studio or go to their homes. To do this we proposed a staged approach: firstly focusing on the cooking experience of the product with content, and secondly, when restrictions relax, we will start to incorporate the emotional experience shared with friends and family.

BE INSIGHTFULLY CREATIVE

We actioned Dough & Glory’s website with user experience in mind. Through a series of ‘how to’ videos, we clearly showed how easy the pizzas are to make and gave digital viewers a glimpse of the experience and food they could enjoy in real life by ordering the product.

We curated a photography library which would be flexible in it’s application, from PR to social platforms. For social that would resonate, we focussed on the experience of cooking with the products, and the glory that comes from taking the first bite of something delicious you’ve made yourself.

Through our insights, we know that this audience has been looking for ways to feel connected throughout the last year, so we made sure visuals contained branded t-shirts, aprons and serving boards, to foster a sense of community and help them feel part of something bigger.

We are now progressing stage 2, at a time where consumers can see an end in sight, we want to excite consumers about the good times ahead when we can share the experience with parents, friends and housemates.

GET A SLICE OF THE ACTION

Our creatively-led but insight driven approach is paying off. Since launching in February 2021, the Dough & Glory team have been building a steady following and generating revenue through their D2C channels. They’ve enjoyed national press coverage and are in talks over listings, boosted by the fact that - thanks to an insight-led approach - they’re filling a niche and making a real difference to a growing community.