Then. Now. Flavor is forever. A centennial-worthy brand-building strategy.
B2B branding. Food and beverage digital marketing. A trade show strategy. All made irresistible, engaging, and conversion-focused.
A business with a renowned, century-long history, B2B flavor and extract company Virginia Dare had struck an enviable balance: it had grown with its legacy portfolio of vanilla and other timeless flavors and extracts, while expanding its product development capabilities to serve emerging categories.
With its 100-year anniversary approaching, Virginia Dare sought to revitalize its brand — to set a bold tone for century two. The B2B company had expanded its portfolio of capabilities, from functional bakery mixes and zero-proof cocktails to plant-based beverages and flavor-forward supplements. As the business evolved, upholding its reputation for delivering preferred taste with new capabilities and categories, the brand needed to evolve, too.
A bold, impactful brand-building strategy required a partner with a deep understanding of the supplement, food, and beverage industries. Naturally, Virginia Dare turned to its decade-long partnership with MarketPlace to evolve not only its logo, but its position in the market.
What We Did
Through our collaborative brand-building strategy and identity work, we found opportunities to facilitate Virginia Dare’s continual evolution and growth by expanding into the supplement, sports nutrition, and plant-based segments.
Then we helped reintroduce Virginia Dare to the industry through creative campaigns, trade show strategy, earned and paid media, and a new, award-winning website.
Across channels, we ensured Virginia Dare continued to build on its legacy: making products delicious.
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Industry-informed strategy. Brilliant creative. And the results to back it up.
A Living Website for a Living Brand
After redefining the brand identity and positioning, it was clear Virginia Dare’s website needed to follow suit. We established the website’s layout, concept, functionality, SEO, and all the nitty-gritty details. Now, their Hermes Creative Award-winning website allows current and future clients to dive deeper into their capabilities, giving them the confidence to choose Virginia Dare as a flavor partner.
But to stand out, it’s not enough to list your capabilities, no matter how impressive. You have to make a connection. Alongside capabilities, the website focuses on taste experiences brought to life through fresh language and abundant flavor ideas to inspire innovation that consumers crave. It’s B2B made delicious. Mouthwatering. Attention-grabbing. And, paired with food and beverage digital marketing campaigns: lead-generating.
Media Planning to Reach the Right Audience
An effective B2B website relies on qualified traffic, and Virginia Dare relied on MarketPlace’s media team to plan and manage integrated marketing across trade media and digital channels. Infusing our food industry expertise into media plans and campaign content, a strategic combination of sponsored white papers, display ads, emails, blogs, and podcasting brought the brand-building strategy to life. Media pickups bolstered awareness, realigning the industry’s perception of the brand. And with compelling technical content that inspired product development innovators, the leads rolled in.
Campaign Insight: Trends Come and Go. Flavors are Forever.
Trade media and digital marketing efforts worked in sync through shared campaign themes. Balancing Virginia Dare’s core flavor portfolio with its ongoing research into emerging taste profiles, our centennial campaign dug into a universally understood truth that Virginia Dare could own: flavor is more than just “taste.” It conjures imagery, feelings, and memories that involve all five senses.
As Virginia Dare celebrated 100 years of flavor, it sparked a wave of nostalgia — reminding us how flavors can unlock cherished memories. The sharp spearmint gum chewed before a first date with the one who would become a partner for life. The scrumptious vanilla ice cream that helped celebrate a tenth birthday (double digits!). The satisfying fruity cereal milk enjoyed during morning cartoons.
To celebrate these flavor eras, we created a multimedia campaign that highlighted Virginia Dare’s legacy and expertise, and extended the celebration to its food industry trade show presence.
A Time to Celebrate: Essential Food Industry Trade Shows
As Virginia Dare celebrated 100 years of flavor, it invited food, beverage, and supplement brand to join in the celebration at key industry trade shows like IFT and SupplySide West. It celebrated with nostalgic flavors and emerging trends. In new product categories and timeless classics.
