YouGottaEatThis! Co-Founder Premium Pete and I were granted behind the scenes access to a really dope initiative that Murica’s favorite treat spot, Dairy Queen, has organized. They call it the DQ Bakes! Institute and I can attest to the new wave fast food wizardry they’re working on in that there food lab fam.
So about this whole DQ Bakes! thing: as a company, DQ was celebrating 75 years of consistent quick service frozen desserts. The big thing of note here is they’re way more than just dipped cones and blizzards. A planned launch of 9 total items made it way throughout the DQ footprint, providing a solid high-quality savory option to pair with their already world renowned sweet treats.
The list ran like so:
3 Snack Melts
3 Artisan-style Sandwiches
3 Hot Desserts á la Mode
Get more info on each (including nutrition info) by clicking their corresponding link.
DQ hit us up to help get the word out to our target audience about their product launch. They created the environment for us to execute whatever strategy that would be a natural fit inside of the framework our audience expected from Premium Pete, Bun B and myself. With that in mind, Pete and I sat down to outline a qualified approach utilizing a streamlined version of food photography, video content, graphic design, and marketing copy. We created a social takeover opportunity showcasing the DQ items to our audience, and paired that with a featured web article containing a vlog style recap of the trip. We littered key talking points from the DQ side into the content to reinforce their marketing goals. Rounding things out, we held a giveaway and helped source UGC from our audience for DQ and their marketing agency to utilize throughout their rollout.
I know you guys are aware, but we wouldn’t tell the #YGET fam about something that isn’t #YGET approved. DQ has done a dope job upping the quality of “fast food” type items while ensuring the true DQ experience. I mean, there’s a big difference between the usual rubber chicken & dense burger bun masquerading as ciabatta or foccacia bread and the type of ciabatta and foccacia these Bakes! artisan sandwiches come with. Gotta commend them on the flavor and texture they managed to get into those kitchen offerings.
As for our trip itself? We were treated extremely well, not just stuffed with DQ food and shipped on our way back to the east coast. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted at the hotel with some cool Minneapolis themed gift bags.
A huge thanks to Noelle, Maria and Dean for taking such good care of us!
After we unpacked, we were treated to dinner at Parma 8200 in Minneapolis where we met the other participants in the summit. Quick sidebar, if you love Italian food and can make it out that way, be SURE to take a trip to Parma. Trust me. The halibut and caramelized gnocci was 🔥🔥🔥!
Check out this video of Pete pulling the DQ higher ups into his hilarious nonsense; real men cook, right P?! We almost spent as much time laughing at his jokes as we did hearing about the DQ change in direction and strategy!
When you guys make it out to your local Dairy Queen, make sure you tag your posts with #yougottaeatthis and #lovemyDQ so we can see what you think!
-Thomas out.