MARCOM AND SALES GROWTH CASE STUDY:
CORKY’S BBQ

Having been in business over 30 years, long-time Memphis barbecue institution Corky’s BBQ looked to Morris Marketing Group to help with marketing communications needs. The research was prompted by the owner’s need and desire to make Corky’s BBQ synonymous with Memphis, expand the customer base, and reinvigorate the brand and in-store sales.

The primary research consisted of interviews of employees, customers, businesses, and Memphis residents in general. Secondary research included web-based research to understand competitors and the lay-of-the-land of barbecue restaurants in Memphis. Results of research showed that when people think of Memphis they think of Barbecue and many times when people think of barbecue in Memphis they think of Corky’s.

Research also revealed that while Corky’s did not have locations in downtown or midtown Memphis they did outnumber their competitors with four locations covering East Memphis, Cordova, Collierville, and Olive Branch, thereby covering most of the Memphis market. The location of the Corky’s retail businesses seemed to infer that Corky’s should “own” the barbecue market for the bulk of Memphis and Memphians.

Being a family-owned, long-time Memphis barbecue destination and institution, Corkys is invested in their community. Corky’s is on the “Memphis” bandwagon and helps promote the city whenever possible locally, but also by shipping and selling delicious barbecue across the United States. Corky’s is a built-in brand ambassador for Memphis across the nation.

As Corky’s is arguably one of the best brand ambassadors for Memphis the “Experience Memphis” campaign was created to add authenticity, customer loyalty, and storytelling to the Corky’s BBQ brand.

Through competitor analysis and social media analytics, research showed that customers connected better with the idea of Memphis and that younger demographics wanted authentic voices.

Our plan, based on the research, included communicating the “Experience Memphis” campaign and elements to the regional area via multiple channels, multiple angles, and multiple newsworthy promotions. The target audience was Memphians from ages 16 to 75.

The measurable objectives of the plan were to garner earned media, increase social media audience and engagement, and track results on promotions.

We developed monthly in-store and online promotions and communicated them through earned media and social media to increase foot and web traffic.

On social media, we created and implemented giveaways, contests, and social media takeovers that helped boost engagement and page likes significantly. We tested Snapchat geofilters and utilized Facebook and Instagram ads.
The overall strategy was to create fresh promotions and communications on a monthly basis and to stay top-of-mind in the market by communicating Corky’s “Experience Memphis” consistently and effectively.

The plan was executed on an ongoing monthly basis. Key tactics included press releases, social media, email marketing, print collateral and video.
Press Releases included:

• Corky’s Job Fair
• Corky’s Opens in Kroger Midtown
• $1 BBQ Nachos and Snapchat Geofilter
• Father’s get a Cookbook on Father’s Day
• Poplar Renovations
• March to the Beat of a Different Drummie

Media deliveries and special events were used to promote a new menu item, hickory-smoked drummies, with the tagline, “March to the Beat of a Different Drummie.”

Corky’s introduced the Hickory Smoked Drummies during their Catering Spring Tasting Preview at Shelby Farms Park. A local drum squad marched through the FedEx Event Center while playing and servers handed out drummies to an audience of over 1,000.

The new Hickory Smoked Drummies were strategically delivered to every news and radio station and specific media personalities in Memphis before the Super Bowl.

On social media, we created the four-week March Madness contest to increase engagement and brand awareness. Social media fans voted for their favorite Corky’s in a bracket-style match up. The winning menu item was offered at 50% off each week.

We also created #CorkysTakesOver week-long social media campaign, where we wrote in the voice of Corky the Pig on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to create a light-hearted side to the business. Engagement increased significantly.
We created the New Pork Times, a monthly newsletter that includes restaurant updates, social media photos, Memphis news recipes, and grilling tips.

To evaluate the campaign, we looked at our measurable objectives. The results met the goals in the original strategy and planning.

Earned Media Advertising Equivalency Value was $273,611 with an audience of 5,705,421.

Facebook impressions equaled 3,954,258. Facebook page likes increased by 15%. Twitter impressions equaled 403,930, while followers increased by 20%. Twitter engagement increased 384%. Instagram engagement increased by 912%.