Gourmet Garden’s innovative range of fresh chopped herbs and spices in clear tubes were launched in North America during 2002. Like many small/medium companies we faced the challenge of launching a new concept in the world’s largest consumer market, with little by way of a marketing budget to establish the proposition.
From an initial beachhead in Northern California, we have successfully expanded distribution nationwide, covering over 8,500 grocery stores coast to coast. Christie & Co has been our agency of record throughout this extraordinary period of growth.
Through tactical use of PR, Gillian and her team delivered consistent streams of publicity. This included recognition from Stagnito’s New Product magazine which awarded Gourmet Garden BEST NEW PRODUCT OF 2003. This glowing endorsement from the food industry’s most influential new product publication marked our “coming of age” in North America, in turn providing the solid platform with which to expand our distribution.
The relationship between Gourmet Garden and Christie & Co developed beyond the scope of a traditional client/agency relationship. We considered Christie’s a full-service partner and an important part of our frontline presence in North America. Over the years, they have helped develop an array of consumer and trade programs including targeted sampling, demonstrations/event management, consumer inquiries, and the development and reproduction of marketing materials…