Ken’s salad dressing didn’t start with a focus group. Or inside a conglomerate laboratory. Ken’s started as a family recipe in the kitchen of a steakhouse. Consumers in the Northeast grew up understanding this commitment to quality and flavor. But, the brand faced a two-fold marketing challenge: they needed to raise brand awareness outside of their home region, while generating trial of a new product line. 

THE CHALLENGE

Ken’s salad dressing didn’t start with a focus group. Or inside a conglomerate laboratory. Ken’s started as a family recipe in the kitchen of a steakhouse. Consumers in the Northeast grew up understanding this commitment to quality and flavor. But, the brand faced a two-fold marketing challenge: they needed to raise brand awareness outside of their home region, while generating trial of a new product line. 

THE INSIGHT

We needed consumers nationally to understand the heritage of the brand to earn credentials for potential trial. No taste leader had emerged in this category, and no brand was better positioned to seize that territory then Ken’s. 

THE SOLUTION

We firmly established the authentic Ken’s Steak House Dressing heritage in a campaign designated to generate visibility, an engaging personality, and the beginnings of brand differentiation. The “Heritage” of Ken’s dressings was that it was born in a real steak house that became famous for its salad dressing. 

MADE

Broadcast, Social, Digital

RESULTS

$1 BILLION surpassed in sales & category growth leader.  

+50% purchase intent 

2x SALES INCREASE across west coast.  

+5% market share increase 

3x INCREASE  in top of mind awareness 

#3 BRAND, challenging Hidden Valley next.

CASE STUDY VIDEO