Cincinnati-based Busken Bakery was founded during the Great Depression, not an auspicious time to start a new business. In another daring move, each Presidential election, the bakery launches an all-out election season marketing campaign centering around cookies bearing the likeness of each Presidential candidate. While small business marketing campaigns during a major election go against my recommendation, I’d say this is the exception that proves the rule.
Buy a Cookie, Buy a Vote
Customers are encouraged to vote early and vote often by buying the candidate cookie of their choice as often as they like. A day before Election Day 2020, Busken had sold 41,786 election cookies. In 2016, a total of 44,650 cookies were sold.
Elements of this Effective Small Business Marketing Campaign
Combining a simple, powerful message (buy a cookie to support your candidate) with appealing marketing messages makes this marketing campaign successful.
On social media and in-store, Busken engages in its typically “punny” humor– “Follow Your Gut,” “Chews Wisely,” and other slogans.
Busken has added an element of newsworthiness to the marketing campaign, claiming:
“Busken Bakery’s famous Presidential Cookie Poll has predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1984!”
Can a cookie poll predict the future President of the United States? Busken certainly wants customers to believe so!
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