Connections: A Big T Coastal & Southern C Case Study

In our business, we’re always on the hunt for connections and connectors for our brands. Our goal is for all of our clients to have valuable relationships and links to:

media and bloggers

strategic partners

outside branding opportunities

Cue The Southern Coterie!

Through The Southern C Summit model, The Southern Coterie is offering burgeoning and established businesses and brands the opportunity to do all three. When Cheri Leavy and Whitney Long of The Southern Coterie came to us in February 2013 with the concept for the inaugural Southern C Summit we saw far beyond the amazing line-up of editors and speakers slated to present in Jekyll Island. We saw the opportunity to bring so many brands we work with directly in touch with their target consumers, strategic partners and top media. We couldn’t wait to start working on promoting TSC as well as help to suggest brands that could benefit from their platforms.

Tracy Blanchard of Big T Coastal Provisions presents the perfect case study. With the family’s new crab dip just debuting in Fall of 2012 and a media launch in full swing, we were researching additional ways to increase Tracy’s exposure and most importantly – get that wild caught crab dip in influencers mouths. Talk authentic story all you want in the gourmet food world but what sells great products is the product itself.

The Southern C Summit guaranteed an almost perfect trifecta for Tracy:

brand reinforcement – the Big T logo was included on materials to promote The Southern C Summit bringing better recognition for her brand before she even had the opportunity to participate in the event. By the time of her lunch tasting, attendees were primed with her story and ready to dig in.

target your consumer – with a plugged in audience of bloggers, media and small business entrepreneurs, Tracy and her story of quality, wild-caught seafood and a growing family business resonated with consumers in an organic way. Seafood lover or not, attendees were ready to spread the word to their friends, audience, and grocers and gourmet food shop owners.

influencer connections – over the course of three Summits, Tracy was able to have face-to-face conversations with close to a dozen influential magazine editors (above – Erin Shaw Street and Whitney Wright of Southern Living) and dozens of other brands that wanted to help reinforce her unique product and tell her story.

Valuable time spent with Southern Living editors helped both Tracy and editors find a perfect fit for Big T Coastal Provisions crab dip in their September 2014 tailgating issue. So in that vein, we’re sharing with you one of Tracy’s tastiest tailgating recipes – Big T Roasted Jalapenos – link to recipe!

There are lots of phenomenal events available to entrepreneurs so go on a search and see what’s a fit for your company.

The Southern C Summit has offered valuable exposure opportunities for leapfrog as well many of our other clients: Schermer Pecans, Tara Guérard, The Glass Onion, VanJean, Callie’s Biscuits, Grey Ghost Bakery, King Bean Coffee and others. Mark your calendars for April 29-May 1, 2015 and we hope to see you there. – Libba