Maple Leaf Foods is looking for Canada’s next top (hot) dog with its latest national contesting initiative.
The manufacturer is challenging consumers to vote for their favourite hot-dog recipe from across the country with an integrated marketing campaign supported by shopper partner The Hatchery Marketing Group.
“Our ‘Canada’s Next Top Dog’ contest was never just about the prize, it was about pride,” says D’Arcy Finley, VP of marketing at Maple Leaf Foods. “We wanted to spark a sense of joy and belonging that goes far beyond the bun.”
Finley tells strategy that the campaign gave Maple Leaf a chance to bring Canadians together with a project that is simple, yet special.
“Canada’s Next Top Dog” kicked off last week with pre-launch ads via Meta and TikTok. Multiple touchpoints are being used to extend campaign messaging, including wild postings (see, below), paid social, partnerships with content creators and a fulsome PR strategy and shopper marketing initiative.
In-store elements to support the campaign will be produced after a recipe has been named “top dog” next month.
Despite the extensive creative rollout, Finley says Maple Leaf still believes the grocery-store shelf is still where the most important brand conversations are happening. Point of sale is a primary method to show up for people in the everyday environments where they make decisions, he says.
“Whether it’s back-to-school lunches or long-weekend BBQs, we plan our in-store presence around real-life moments where our food matters. When we invest in retail programs, it’s not just to be seen — it’s to be useful,” Finley says.
Hatchery Marketing Group ECD and co-founder Eric Ramirez says they goal is to drive preference of Maple Leaf’s Natural Top Dogs products, while positioning they company as a trusted Canadian brand.
Consumers are being encouraged to vote for their favourite regional hot-dog recipe via Maple Leaf’s promotions site where giveaways include a $10,000 grand-prize trip anywhere in the country.
Maple Leaf says the featured recipes were inspired by consumer feedback in what Ramirez calls a “fresh take on consumer co-creation” that marries data from a national survey conducted in May with regional flavour profiles.
The Hatchery expects to accumulate more than 18 million impressions across Canada from multiple age demographics.
The national hunt began with a teaser campaign before the July 1 launch.
