Hello to Hellofresh: How their Digital Advertising Sets them Apart

As I mentioned in last weeks post, this week I will follow up the meal-kit conversation with a look into Hellofresh's digital marketing game. With multiple competitors entering the meal-delivery arena, it takes a strategic, unique approach to stand out amongst the crowd. Since Hellofresh's debut in December 2011, I'd say they've done a pretty good job. Their founders, Thomas Griesel, Dominik Richter and Jessica Nilsson envisioned a service in which people can bring a little happiness and cheer into the dinner making process. To this date, they have given cheer to around 800,000 active subscribers and delivered close to 22.7 million meals. With this kind of buzz, they have raised an estimated $275.5M in venture capital and remain as one of the leaders in their industry. 


Hello-fresh has used two primary platforms to reach their customers: television and Facebook.

1. Television ads

Last year, Hellofresh hired DiMassimo Goldstein, an advertising agency located in new York City, to help with their most recent television campaign. Launched in January of 2017, the 30-second "Tonight we Cook" ad (featured above) demonstrates how the meal-kit process works while highlighting the joys and satisfaction that come with cooking. Where I truly think they hit the bullseye is their integration of various social media platforms throughout the video. The ad features a picture of a little boy captioned "Look who's cooking!" posted on Facebook and a snap chat video of a couple with the caption "we did it". They integrate well-known emojis and Snapchat tags into their cooking footage to mimic users posting their cooking experiences to their own snap stories. Their use of such universally-popular social media tools was genius - people want to show the world their fun, extraordinary lives, and what a better way to do that than whipping up a 5-star course to make their followers drool over. 


2. Facebook

Everyone knows Facebook is the megahub for any brands trying to get their name in front of consumers. One pivotal way Hellofresh has utilized this platform is through geo-targeted ads for many of there posts. This means they identify your location (let's say Athens, GA) and customize their post accordingly. For myself, I may go onto Facebook and see a click-through article reading, "This service in Athens is changing the way people cook at home" or "This service in Athens is making it healthier for people to cook at home". Depending on your recent internet activity, they will cater the heading to what they think will catch your attention (health-conscious, time-concerned, etc). An interesting part of this campaign is that the explicitly do not mention Hellofresh in the headline. If you click on the link you will be led to read a testimony of someone who has tried Hellofresh for the first time and describes her experience that ultimately has led her to become a loyal subscriber. This tactful form of advertising builds consumer trust by actually including the voice of a consumer into their marketing strategy. In this digital age, everyone has an opinion about everything and is not scared to tell it like it is, making consumer generated content increasingly influential.
Hello-fresh has done a great job exploiting many important trends and platforms to reach their audience in the most effective way. Blue Apron better watch their back!




Works Cited:

Woft, Jessica. "Rivals Whip Up New Pitches as Meal Delivery Kits Gain Ground." Advertising Age, 11 

     Jan. 2017.

Nickel, Brad. "Advertising Strategies from the Billion Dollar Business of Meal Kit Delivery." Adbeat.