“The Annual Kellogg Marketing Competition (AKMC) is an annual event dedicated to giving first-year Kellogg students an opportunity to use their skills and creativity to work on a marketing campaign from beginning to end.”
For the 2023 AKMC, my team was paired with the Duke’s Smoked Sausages brand; we developed and executed on a marketing plan that won us 1st place in the competition!
Who is Duke's? To get an idea of the brand positioning, character, and purpose, we spoke with our brand team partners, reviewed brand materials provided to us, and conducted competitive analyses. We landed on a wholesome, fresh, and bold brand vibe.
Who is the Kellogg consumer? Since the competition involved selling our product specifically to the Kellogg community, we conducted a survey of 112 Kellogg community members, as well as interviews with a smaller subset of that sample, to establish their snacking habits and priorities. After analyzing this data, we were able to lay out the Kellogg snacker landscape, differentiating between those who value health and those who value flavor, as well as their snacking frequencies.
Who should we target? To answer this question, we researched Google search trends to identify macro trends in the snacking industry and performed competitive analyses to determine where Duke's could perform best. We decided to position Duke's as "the brand of premium meat snacks that satisfies cravings because of its wholesome flavor and heartiness" and to target our market segments that value snack flavor over health benefits.
The Marketing Mix (Product and Price): Utilizing price pack architecture, we priced individual bags as well as value bundles and a special branded case pack based on our estimated COGS and what we expected our competitors to charge.
The Marketing Mix (Place and Promotion): The AKMC culminated in a final selling event where each team competed to sell the most product and gain the most margin from Kellogg consumers. In the week leading up to the event, we utilized various promotional tactics including newsletter and email blasts, social media posting, and a coupon scavenger hunt. In the design of our sales booth, we aimed to capture the wholesome, fresh, and hardworking personality of Duke’s with a farmer's market inspired display that offered free product samples and suggested cheese and dip pairings.
Skills Applied
Brand Positioning and Targeting
Using a combination of industry trends, competitive analyses, and Kellogg-specific consumer insights, my team and I segmented our market, identified the segments we would target, and developed a relevant brand positioning statement.
Marketing Material Design
As the creative lead for my team, I used Canva along with Duke’s brand toolkit to design marketing promotional materials including flyers, coupons, banners, and newsletter/email copy that clearly conveyed the essence of the Duke’s brand in a way that would resonate with the Kellogg community.