Work
Central Kitchen & Craft Food Classroom
Recipe for Success: Launching Cleveland’s Premier Craft Food Accelerator
SERVICES: Brand Strategy & Design / Online Curriculum Development / Content & Digital Marketing Services / Content Promotion
THE CHALLENGE
Education. Funding. Kitchen & retail space. Logistical support. And so much more. Central Kitchen (formerly known as Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen) served up a menu full of opportunities for novice startups and experienced craft food entrepreneurs. They had so many good things to say, they didn’t know where to start.
With an appetite for continued growth, leaders hired a talented design firm for a new name, logo and website but didn’t invest in brand positioning. Without this strategy, the launch was met with questions, confusion and a high website bounce rate. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation, drastically impacting the food industry.
INSIGHT
Despite having all of the ingredients for success, Central Kitchen needed a powerful brand promise and position. To connect with different audiences, they needed to package and message their diverse offerings in a more organized, compelling way. Especially during a time of uncertainty and tightening budgets. After several meetings with internal stakeholders and Central Kitchen alumni, we uncovered that “helping entrepreneurs achieve their fullest potential” was the golden thread – the WHY – that tied every program and offering together.
SOLUTION
With a refined message at the heart of the strategy, we first organized Central Kitchen services in a way that spoke to the three stages of food business entrepreneurship: Exploring an idea, launching a concept, and scaling an established product line. We created a comprehensive website strategy and copy that seamlessly guided entrepreneurs to the right program for them.
In addition to the client’s main website, we branded, structured and created all content for the Craft Food Classroom website, a 101-style virtual course designed for newbie food entrepreneurs. Our team worked closely with subject matter experts to develop course curriculum and craft engaging drip email campaigns and video content that fueled prospects’ hunger for Central Kitchen insights.
This dynamic agency-client relationship also included the launch of a farmers’ co-op division during the pandemic, leveraging our local food connections to provide insights about farmer challenges amid the pandemic. With so many restaurants and wholesalers shutting down, the co-op created a remarkable revenue stream for farmers, as well as Central Kitchen.
PERFORMANCE
Through strategic discovery and planning, we crafted a brand position and supported on the curriculum development for a five-star online experience. As of September 2021, the Craft Food Classroom has served 78+ students in Cleveland and beyond, secured $44,000 in scholarship funding and created a new revenue
stream for the organization. Beyond the numbers, Central Kitchen has opened doors and fostered an inclusive community for students with five like-minded partner organizations. The next time an ambitious food entrepreneur wants to launch a fresh idea or an existing business needs support? They’ll turn to Central Kitchen.
Rave Reviews.
See what else our clients have to say about working with our team.