Metro wants customers to taste summer
Much like peanut butter and jam or salt and vinegar, Metro is out to prove that some things are just meant for each other.
That’s the message behind the retailer’s summer campaign, themed “Let's Taste Summer.”
“Celebrating a perfect pairing, whether it’s food, people, events or causes, raises an ordinary experience to an extraordinary one,” explains Nancy Modrcin, Metro Ontario’s senior marketing director. “Food isn’t always the catalyst for these partnerships, but it’s usually a big part.”
The message is being communicated through a series of print and radio spots as well as sponsored content with partners Flare and Chatelaine. Modrcin says she hopes this statement will show that Metro and its customers are meant for each other.
As offshoots of the summer campaign, the retailer is hosting a series of experiential events to show an increased focus on local communities as well.
Earlier this month, the retailer kicked off its “Meet Your Local Farmer” series in response to consumers’ growing interest in local, sustainable produce. Customers had the opportunity to meet local farmers in Metro locations in Guelph, Ont. The in-store series will be held in other communities in and around the Greater Toronto Area this summer.
In May, Metro held a singles night at its Liberty Village location in Toronto. The store also hosted a movie night last week, where the store converted its parking lot (pictured above) into a drive-in for the evening and handed out blankets, popcorn and ice cream as attendees watched Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
“They were customer appreciation events to thank the community for their patience as the store undergoes renovations,” explains Modrcin.
Metro Ontario will be sponsoring Toronto’s annual food festival “Taste of Toronto” and has committed to sponsoring it for the next three years. At the festival, the retailer holds an event called “Metro Masters Class” which brings in celebrity chefs to recreate their favourite dishes.
Earlier this year, Metro sponsored Toronto’s Fashion Week.
“We want to become an important part of the Toronto community, and those events are highly visible and help us make a bold statement,” explains Modrcin. “We actively pursued certain partners that would help us reintroduce our brand to our customers.”