When it comes to cooking, where's the best place to get 'cheesy' advice? Straight from the chef's mouth!

Sargento®
Enhanced In-Store, Chef Live and Bistro Blends™ Battle!
Retail In-Store, Retail-tainment

Challenge
Sargento was about to make news in the shredded cheese category with the new pre-seasoned Bistro Blends flavors. They wanted to create a lasting impression with adventurous consumers who like to experiment with dishes at home.

Solution
INNOVA's three-part strategy went way beyond traditional sampling. 'Enhanced' retail locations featured a Bistro Blends demo area decked out with fresh vegetables and vines, take-home recipe ideas, a 3D popout tabletop sign, a branded bistro-style apron and plenty of fresh, hot samples. 'Chef Live' appearances featured theatrical Sargento chefs who interacted with shoppers, played food-themed games and shared recipes, cooking tips and hot samples of the new product.

In select markets, the Sargento experience culminated with a live 'Bistro Blends Battle!' cook-off hosted by a Sargento chef emcee. Families competed with their Bistro Blends recipes to win over a panel of local celebrity guests.

The Bistro Blends program won Event Marketer Magazine's 2006 ExAward for 'Best Retail-tainment Event.' 'Enhanced' locations produced an overall samples-to-sales ratio of 24% and a 69% sales increase over the average six weeks prior. 'Chef Live' appearances resulted in a 232% increase during the support weeks compared to the average six weeks prior.
(All results from AC Nielsen: Summary Demo Type Compare)

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