Pebble Beach
B2C , Travel & Tourism
We all love a good food and wine tasting, but have you heard about Pebble Beach Food & Wine (PBFW)—a pinnacle event of grand cuisine? If you’re a foodie and are freaking out, the answer is yes, Mower got to be a part of it. Here’s how.
Many of the chefs and wineries resonate with PBFW’s core customer base of highly affluent individuals. But there are other upscale travelers who are unaware of the event, which presents an opportunity for growth. That’s why PBFW needed an online strategy and user-generated content-activation plan that could invite more people to the party—without diluting the brand’s reputation as a culinary retreat for movers and shakers.
With three weeks’ notice, Mower was challenged to drive awareness for last-minute ticket sales, as well as create a distinct onsite social plan for PBFW’s 12th annual showcase.
Ecstatic for the challenge and determined to take on the quick deadline, our PR team got to work. First, we used Oracle data to target foodies in the highest income brackets through paid advertising efforts focused on luxury to drive last-minute website traffic.
Then, to broaden the festival’s appeal beyond this ultra-wealthy demographic, we decided to design in-the-moment storytelling on Instagram Stories and engage regional influencers to share the experience through a unique lens. We called it “Live from PBFW.” The series would have a brand voice that is intelligent but entertaining, with sprinkles of surprising content to keep followers engaged.
Once we presented our ideas to Pebble Beach Company, we were invited to travel to the event and manage Instagram Stories—PBFW’s channel with the strongest foothold. Excited is an understatement.
Sure, we had a powerful social media plan, but the question now was, “How do we make it happen?” We thought about our foodie friends and remembered that gourmet meals start with the perfect prep.
We started in the office by drawing out a detailed storyboard and execution plan to capture all 45 events in a cohesive way, including interacting with festival-goers. We wrote out what every day would look like for each crew member from before sunrise to long after sunset. We memorized the faces of chefs, venue managers and influencers to be on the lookout for at each location.
Because Mower wasn’t just representing the Pebble Beach Company but every chef, sponsor, winery and food company we posted about, we studied everything we could about every brand attending—including the proper terminology (never say “noodle,” always say “pasta”). And of course, we expanded our wine palates along the way. #research
After prepping our plans, we flew out to California with a crew of four. Using the prep and the new “ingredients” that were thrown at us in real time, we plated the perfect posts for all 45 events. And although our posting was fast and furious, it shifted seamlessly from exotic (“How to butcher a 149 lb. tuna in 3 steps” with Chef Morimoto) to ultra-luxe (sunset views of a Chef Mallmann dinner in a $37M cliffside home).
More impressions than the previous year.
Starting with our paid social media efforts, Mower drove over 1,100 targets to PBFW’s ticketing site in the days leading up to the festival. Mower’s “Live from PBFW” storytelling strategy also paid off. We served up 264,572 impressions during the program, compared to 46,902 impressions the year before.
We think that’s something to toast to.
To see all stories, check out Instagram.com/PBFW. Or see how influencers like Gabriela Vera (@gstylediaries) and Hee Jin Lee (@hungryhungryheejin), among many others, generated powerful content, reaching hundreds of thousands of interested California followers.
Mower studied every brand that would participate in Pebble Beach Food & Wine to represent them correctly on social media stories. By getting their style right first, we were then able to elevate the excitement with creative content that heightened engagement and connection more than ever before.
Key Brand as Friend® drivers:
Hey! Our name is pronounced Mōw-rrr, like this thing I’m pushing.
