Premier Protein is looking ahead to fall with an activation that highlights the benefits of its product range and supports its new Pumpkin Spice High Protein Shake LTO.
Like last year, the brand is holding a sampling activation at Toronto’s Union Station on Aug. 27, timed to the back-to-routine season.
Premier Protein will be handing out pumpkin spice, vanilla, chocolate or caramel high-protein samples and offering suggestions for using their shakes, from adding them coffee to create a “proffee” or using them as a base for protein ice cream.
“Limited-time offerings let us tap into trending flavours while staying true to the high protein and on-the-go convenience our brand is known for,” says Brandon Kuszak, international senior brand manager at Premier Nutrition. “We have eight permanent flavours, so flavour variety is always top-of-mind when it comes to our innovation pipeline.”
For this year’s activation, Premier Protein, owned by American CPG company Post Holdings, is launching a pumpkin spice as a limited-edition flavour in Canada, which it recently teased on social media (see, below).
“Last year, we focused on highlighting proffee as a use-case for our High Protein Shakes by serving up a mix of to-go proffees that we made on site and sample tetras of our High Protein Shakes,” Kuszak says.
“While the proffee station was a hit, making and distributing proffee in a very tight space added a layer of complexity to the operation. This year we’re simplifying things by offering only ready-to-drink shakes so more people can try the product without waiting in line for too long.”
In addition to trial-focused experiential marketing, Premier Protein has established a celebrity chef partnership with Top Chef Canada Season 1 winner Dale MacKay, who will share a Pumpkin Spice Morning Glory Muffin recipe on Instagram and Premier Protein’s owned channels later this month.
“We’re continuing to work with recipe influencers and content creators to highlight new and creative ways to incorporate Premier Protein into different types of recipes, knowing that protein intake is top-of-mind for Canadian consumers.”
The brand hopes to replicate or surpass last year’s Union Station activation in which it served up more than 16,000 proffees and 32,000 Premier Protein High Protein Shakes.
“We were thrilled by how many consumers actively sought out the pop-up after seeing broadcast coverage on CP24 and social content from Toronto-based influencers, showing the power of earned media,” Kuszak says.
Other brands have taken cues to develop their own proffee products, Kuszak says, including Tim Hortons, which launched a range of high-protein dairy beverages and Starbucks, which is testing protein coffee at select locations in the U.S. this year.
This month’s Union Station pop-up is a key sample-driving moment for the pumpkin spice LTO and part of a broader 360 campaign that spans the full funnel from awareness to purchase.
Premier Protein is also executing a Meta awareness campaign and will be retargeting consumers who engage with its Cookies & Cream launch content, running on Facebook and Instagram from Aug. 18 to Sept. 30.
The brand will also be running DOOH in and around Union Station leading up to the sampling event.
New owned content highlighting the limited-edition flavour and seasonal recipes will also go live on Premier Protein’s social channels and website.
A $9 off promotion on 18 packs will be running in featured display at Walmart and select Loblaw’s locations from Aug. 18 through Sept. 14. In-store product sampling will be deployed at Costco on Aug. 23.
Hunter PR is providing communications support.
