Blue Apron Background

Blue Apron Background

“We named our company Blue Apron because chefs around the world wear blue aprons when they’re learning to cook, and it has since

become a symbol of lifelong learning in cooking, which we hope to help inspire in our community.”

Blue Apron also helps to eliminate food waste as everything is perfectly portioned.

In 2015, Blue Apron expects to ship more than 1 million meals monthly.

Meal Plans2 Person Plan:3 recipes per week$9.99 per person$59.94

4 Person Plan (Family Plan): Launched in December 20144 recipes per week$8.74 per person$139.84

Situational Analysis

Current Users: Young families and professionals

Geography: Nationwide

Seasonality: All year round

Purchase Cycle: People purchase meals weekly

Communication Objectives

How Blue Apron is seen: A tool for people who enjoy cooking from novice chefs to experts. The key demos are young professional couples and young families of four.

How we want Blue Apron to be seen: Inviting to families who have less time to prepare meals and want a family experience.

Objectives:- Increase sales of Blue Apron’s core food service by focusing on the four

person plan (family plan).- Raise awareness of Blue Apron Products to young parents.

Target Audience

Primary Target AudienceMillennial professional parents (specifically mothers) ages 26-37

- Young professionals who work in an urban environment (whether it be commuting or living in the city, they take public transportation)

- They want some level of involvement in cooking and preparing the food they eat

Secondary Target AudienceYoung professional couples (without kids)

- The "evolved eater," a 31 million strong segment of the American population that cares deeply about the quality of their food and has enough disposable income to invest in eating well.

Millennial Parents/Mothers

● Households where both parents work● Little flexibility in work schedule● Moms are most likely to make the purchasing decisions in

household● 43% of moms feel pressure to upkeep their

families/household● 38% of moms see themselves in the ads that portray other mothers● The modern mom uses a variety of resources to research products

and make purchases. This includes her smartphone, social media, family and friends, and experts…

Commuters- The following is a list of United States cities of 100,000+ inhabitants with the 50

highest rates of public transitcommuting to work, according to data from the 2010 American Community Survey. The survey measured the percentage of commuters who take public transit, as opposed to walking driving or riding in an automobile, bicycle, boat or some other means.

- 1. New York City, New York - 55.66%

- 2. Jersey City, New Jersey - 45.82%

- 3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 39.19%

- 4. San Francisco, California - 34.05%

- 5. Boston, Massachusetts - 32.82%- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._cities_with_high_transit_ridership

Cooking In Families

Cooking together is beneficial in many ways. Research shows that involving kids in family meals helps to foster family

togetherness, prevents behavior problems, and leads to better results for children in school

By working with their parents and each other, children practice cooperative learning. They can experience the pride that

comes with producing a product that is enjoyed by people who are important to them. This spirit of team-work will carry over

to other aspects of their lives.

The Consumer Wants..

● Convenience● Affordability/Value● Healthy eating and transparency of food origin● Easy cooking and sense of achievement in making

culinary meals● Social connectedness with friends and family

Convenience● The majority of Americans are cooking less because they are too

busy● When asked about factors they consider when making a purchase,

45% of young parents say convenience and saving time influences their decisions.

● This year, Americans have spent more money eating out than grocery shopping than any previous year

● Grocery deliveries have become a more popular and viable option● Parents use more online food delivery than non parents● 53% of parents willing to pay more for faster service

Affordability/Value

● 25% of parents say eating out with their family costs too much

● Value includes the quality of the ingredients, not just the cost of the food

● Convenience tends to outweigh cost, though cost is important to many young parents/mothers

Healthy Eating/Transparency of Food Origin

● Growing trend towards “eating clean”● Consumption of fresh foods — fruits, vegetables, meat,

poultry, fish, and eggs — grew by 20 percent● 77% of millennials wish food manufactures were

transparent ● Millennials are likely to avoid buying processed foods all

together

Easy Cooking And Sense of Achievement

● Moms want to feel empowered● Moms want to provide a healthy enjoyable meal

for their family without having to completely sacrifice all of her time

● Moms want a variety in her family meals

Easy Cooking And Sense of Achievement “I'd really like to kick it up a notch and be able to produce some more

ambitious, globally-inspired and healthful food, but I just can't seem to figure out how to squeeze it all in.”

“ I don't want to become a meat and potatoes and mac and cheese family because I think I'd die of boredom.”

“Nevertheless, I'm looking for some concrete strategies for how to find the time to do more scratch cooking. I've started to fall back on

making some compromises --buying pre-cut or frozen vegetables, for instance.”

Social Connectedness

● Eating has become highly individualized, even when living in a household with other people

● However, there is a growing desire among mothers and families to sit down and have meals together

“For many Americans, life happens in the kitchen. Whether it’s cooking for the family while the kids do homework or drinks with the girls, everyone congregates in the kitchen.”-Mintel

Discovery: Slow It All Down● There is a counter-trend developing against modern technological

and fast-paced lifestyles● Mothers are feeling overwhelmed● Mothers feel pressured to be a “good mother” and feel guilty

when they make household decisions that do not reach that standard

● 39% of young parents say they do not have enough time to be the kind of parent they want to be

● Moms still want tricks that will allow them to cut corners but do not want give up the “experience”

Category Insight

Category Insight: Meal-Kit Service● Young market that began in 2012 (U.S.)

● Meal-kit service segment of the market growth estimated to be between $3

billion-$5 billion over the next 10 years-Technomic, food industry

consulting firm

● Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and Plated are the top companies in the market

● Blue Apron: $58 million in funding

● HelloFresh: $67.5 million in funding

● Plated: $6.4 million in funding

● “Investors in startups like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and Plated are wagering

hundreds of millions of dollars on the idea that dinnertime is just too

hard to manage” -Fast Company

Competitive Insight

● “A Better Way to Cook”

● Positioned as a service that

focuses on the joy of cooking

culinary meals

● 2 person plan: 9.99/serving

● Family plan: 8.74/serving

● Number of recipes only range

from 3-4/week

● Offers wine, cookware,recipe

books

● “Make More than A Meal”

● Focused on health/nutrition

● Offers vegetarian boxes

● Contains canned food

● Offers family plan

● 3 recipes/week for 4 people

● 3-5 meals/week for 2 people

● 8.75/meal for family

● 10.75/meal for classic box

● 9.00/meal for veggie box

● “Eating Well Made Easy”

● Focused on simplicity/ease

● $12 per meal (most expensive)

● Recipes customizable, range

from 2-7/week

● Meals only serve 2 people

● Offers more options for beef,

poultry, seafood, or vegetarian

preferences

● Offers desserts

SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness

Threats Opportunities

● The most affordable of its competition

● Prepackaged ingredients and instructions leave little room for failure

● Offers a variety of ethnic/seasonal cuisines

● Market is becoming saturated and more niche for diet needs ( vegan, vegetarian, high protein, etc.)

● Restaurant delivery is very popular among people 18-24 years old

● Meal kits currently constitute one quarter of one percent of food sales

● Waste from packaging● Portioned ingredients don’t

allow room for mistakes● “Exotic” recipes may be

intimidating for novice chefs

● Meal kit delivery service is still a young market

● Blue Apron can be positioned as a foundation for family togetherness, bring back the “family dinner”

Manifesto

Blue Apron isn’t just a meal-kit service, we are a personal professional chef that is there to help out 24/7, as well as a caring parent that wants

to pass on a new recipe, and the health-conscious friend that doesn’t want to sacrifice taste.

We aren’t afraid to try new things, no matter how foreign or spicy.

We love to travel and meet new people.

We care about families and want to make sure that everyone gets to enjoy good food that is good for them.

Strategy

What is the purpose of this communication effort? Expanding/ increasing sales of Blue Apron’s core food service. Raise awareness of Blue Apron Products to millennial parents.

Who are we talking to, and what is their mindset? Young millennial parents (specifically moms) ages 26-37 Wants: Convenient, affordable and healthy meals, transparency of food origin, easy cooking and a sense of achievement in making culinary meals, as well as social connectedness with friends and family

What problem, need, or desire does this communication effort need to address? - Convenient cooking for people who are too busy to make something from scratch, but want to make enjoyable meals with their families

Creative Brief

What is the essential point the audience is supposed to take away? Blue Apron gives people who are busy at work and have no time to go grocery shopping/prepare food, the means to cook and spend time with their family

What makes this believable? There is a growing desire among mothers and families to sit down and have meals together, and Blue Apron’s easy-to-follow instructions and portioned meals make this possible.

What is the desired personality of the brand? Warm, caring, trustworthy, and a partner for parents and families

Creative Brief

Creative Statement

Blue Apron sets the foundation for family togetherness with convenient, quality cooking.

Ad Strategy

Blue Apron combines convenience, family time, and quality cooking, in one box:

- Symbolic toy box- Convenience and Simplicity- Deliveries and Gifts

Blue Apron: A box of family time

#FamilyTimeMadeEasy

Seasonal Blue Apron Ad

Strategic Mix of MarComm Disciplines

- Mommy blogs- Instagram- Facebook- Tent at Farmer’s market - Podcast - Public transportation ads (the T, subways) - Native Advertising on Buzzfeed

Mommy Blogs- The modern mom utilizes an assortment of tools and resources to research products

and make purchases

Top Mommy Blogs Include:

Firsttimemomanddad.com

ninjamomdiaries.com

mommykatie.com

- Sponsored review of Blue Apron to market toward young mothers

- Bloggers would include #FamilyTimeMadeEasy for subscribers to know about the Instagram competition

- Effects on Brands: - Direct link to consumers’ lives- Photos and videos create and promote real experiences

- Foodstagramming: - Instagram compliments the rise of the “foodie” community- Foodies view food as a type of art

- Instagram is a (free) way of displaying this art- Product Promotion:

- Showcasing products in appealing ways- People socializing while using Blue Apron products promotes the

social and cultural characteristics of food

Campaign- Implement a hashtag competition

- Sponsors and the official Blue Apron account would start the

sweepstakes with, #FamilyTimeMadeEasy

- Goal being families and couples taking pictures of themselves using

Blue Apron products

- Enter the competition by putting #FamilyTimeMadeEasy in

the caption

- 50 winners get 1 week of free Blue Apron Boxes

● Who: Active Facebook users (29%) are between 25 and 34 years old.

● Reason: Raise awareness ● What: Sponsored Advertisements on Facebook

○ Page Post Link Ad○ Blue Apron’s Official Page will post the advertisements as well

Hashtag: #FamilyTimeMadeEasy

Tent at Farmer’s Market

-Who Are the Consumers?

-Top Reasons for Shopping: High quality of products, socialize,entertainment, opportunity to eat

-Our Event: A Blue Apron tent with samples, cooking demonstrations, and information on the product.

Transportation Ads

- Young professionals commute to the city for work- Demands Attention:

- Can’t change its channel- Can’t walk away from it- Reaches commuters no matter what they’re listening to

- Offers exclusive advertising space

Campaign

- BuzzFeed is redefining online advertising with its social, content-driven publishing technology

- 50% of viewers are 18-34 year olds- 3.04 daily pageviews per visitors- 5:58 daily time spent on site- Sponsored quizzes

Campaign - Quizzes:

- Which Blue Apron Box are You?- Which Apron are You?

- Incorporate the hashtag and competition in results of the quiz

- Lists: - 31 Recipes to Get You Ready for Spring - 15 Ways to Make Cooking More Fun for The Kids

- Parent’s section under Buzzfeed Life

Podcasts - Innovative Technology: In-car technology makes on demand listening easy

- Every iPhone comes with a podcast app

- Influencers: “Serial,” podcasting’s first mega-hit-Six months after airing, nearly 40 million people listened to podcasts at least once a week

- Listeners: Estimated 46 million Americans over the age of 12 listen to podcasts monthly-Half of listeners in the US are between 12-34 years old-Dedicated-Personal connection with the hosts

PodcastThis American Life, Freakonomics, Serial, Power of Moms, Simple Mom

- Advertisement would appear at the beginning of the podcast (15 seconds)

Script:

Do you have difficulty doing day-to-day tasks?

Do you have trouble sleeping?

Do you want quality home cooked food to eat with the family but don’t have time to go to the store?

Well Blue Apron can help you solve one of those problems. For everything else you might want to see a doctor. Blue Apron is a quick and easy way to make high quality meals that the whole family can enjoy. Blue Apron: A Box of Family Time

Schedule/ Timing

Budget Allocation

● Mommy blogs○ $75 per $1000 pages views/day ○ $75 x 3 blogs= $255 a day○ December-February= 91 days (91 x $225)○ Total: $20, 475

● Instagram○ Self-promotion: $0

● Facebook○ CPC (click per cost) - $24 to get 100 people on average ○ $0.24 x 15,000 = $3600.00

● Tent at Farmer’s market at Copley Square○ $15 to rent a space (after we get an approval)○ $200 for tools (cooking tools, table, tent, and etc.)

● Podcast ○ $18 for 15 seconds○ $18/ week=$72/month○ $72 x 6 podcast= $432/ month○ Total: $1,296 for 3 months

● Transportation ads (the T) ○ $150 interior subway ads for 4 weeks○ $1,000 for station wall ads for weeks○ $1000+150=$1,150 , $1150 x 30 ads/ city=34,5000○ 30 x 5 cities (see commuter slide for cities)= $172, 500

● Buzzfeed ○ A typical advertising campaign on BuzzFeed costs at least $100,000, which

includes several custom-made listicle posts.

Budget Allocation

Budget Total● Mommy Blog: $20, 475

● Instagram: Self-promotion: $0

● Facebook: $3600.00

● Tent at Farmer’s market at Copley Square: $215

● Podcast : $1,296 for 3 months

● Transportation ads (the T): $172, 500

● Buzzfeed: $100,000

Total: $298,086 / $600,000

Questions?

Sources● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/insight_zones/16/● http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26768/1/36010192.pdf● http://www.businessinsider.com/blue-apron-plated-hello-fresh-difference-2015-4● http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/whos-listening-podcasts-2015-18213/● http://www.cjr.org/first_person/the_economics_of_the_podcast_boom.php● http://www.edisonresearch.com/podcasting-bigger-think/● https://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/communications/research/vol6no1/08GinsbergEJSpring15.

pdf● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/homepages/sector_overview/2/● http://www.fastcompany.com/3046685/most-creative-people/the-5-billion-battle-for-the-american-dinner-

plate● http://www.fastcompany.com/3046685/most-creative-people/the-5-billion-battle-for-the-american-dinner-

plate● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/homepages/sector_overview/2/● http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26768/1/36010192.pdf● http://www.businessinsider.com/blue-apron-plated-hello-fresh-difference-2015-4● https://rivalfox.com/blog/the-fresh-ingredients-delivery-services/● https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/2015/five-consumer-trends-shaping-the-

future-of-the-food-and-foodservice-industries/● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/homepages/sector_overview/3/● http://www.bluelinemedia.com/bus-advertising/bus-exterior

Sources● http://time.com/4108515/millennials-live-at-home-parents/● http://www.forbes.com/sites/thehartmangroup/2015/04/28/scratch-the-home-cooking-americas-consumers-are-

cooking-less-yet-seeking-fresh-healthier-options/● http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2015/01/21/birchbox-blue-apron-and-bark-box-are-creating-connected-

experiences-with-millennial-consumers/2/● http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-14/americans-spending-on-dining-out-just-overtook-grocery-sales-

for-the-first-time-ever ● http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/mintel-serves-up-5-key-food-and-drink-trends-for-2015● https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/2015/from-mixing-a-salad-to-completely-cooking-

from-scratch-the-definition-of-homemade-cooking-varies-greatly/● https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/05/the-slow-death-of-the-home-cooked-meal/ ● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/homepages/sector_overview/2/ ● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._cities_with_high_transit_ridership● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/display/732762/?highlight#hit1● http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/display/715803/?highlight#hit1● http://www.fastcompany.com/3046685/most-creative-people/the-5-billion-battle-for-the-american-dinner-plate● http://www.thekitchn.com/3-occasions-when-meal-kits-come-in-handy-206527● https://www.youtube.com/user/BlueApronMeals● http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/23/buzzfeed-sponsored-quizzes/● http://incomeschool.com/how-to-get-podcast-advertisers/● http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/23/buzzfeed-sponsored-quizzes/● http://www.topmommyblogs.com/pages/index.php