*spec work*
Starting out as a chef, Lisa Herlinger would experiment with different flavors until she crafted the perfect ice cream sandwich — and that is when Ruby Jewel was born. Lisa gained popularity by selling her ice cream at local farmers markets.
Now, Ruby Jewel has become a household name in Portland. Not only did they have four locations (that have since closed down), but an assortment of pre-packed ice cream sandwiches that are sold at grocery stores across the country.
Is there a way to make Ruby Jewel's branding even MORE delicious?
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For my marketing capstone project, my group had to pick a brand and help them solve a business problem. Since I used to scoop ice cream at Ruby Jewel, I thought it would be fun to revisit the company.
After extensive research and interviews, we concluded that Ruby Jewel has a great assortment of flavors, unique ice cream sandwiches, and four beautiful locations (that will be deeply missed).
But here's the problem — the market is heavily saturated with ice cream shops, and Ruby Jewel is not top-of-mind for many customers in Portland. Their main competition is Salt & Straw, who have a larger social media and market presence.
Okay, so here's the plan...
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Salt & Straw has been expanding to different locations beyond Portland. With this in mind, Ruby Jewel has the potential to become Portland's leading artisanal ice cream brand.
To make this happen, we planned to increase brand awareness through digital ads on Instagram and Facebook, while redesigning their website for a more cohesive user experience.
Digital Ads
The ads feature Ruby Jewel's most important differentiator, their ice cream sandwiches (see ad mockups below).
As for the captions, they are meant to be short and sweet. The first sentence has a quick tagline to grab the viewer, and the second sentence encourages them to click on the ad with a buy one, get one free coupon.
Ruby Jewel
Sponsored
Handcrafted delights, made just for you. Click the link above for a buy one, get one FREE ice cream sandwich!
Learn More
Stack your holiday in happiness with a tasty treat from Ruby Jewel. Click the link above for a buy one, get one FREE ice cream sandwich!
Ruby Jewel
Sponsored
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Learn More
The perfect ice cream sandwich for everyone to enjoy. Click the link above for a buy one, get one FREE ice cream sandwich!
Ruby Jewel
Sponsored
Learn More
Landing Page
If the customer decided to click on the "Learn More" tab, they would be sent to a landing page with instant access to the coupon. It also provides a list of their four locations, and a brief description of Ruby Jewel's products.
Targeting Strategy
The goal was to reach men and women ages 18 to 55 within a 20 mile radius of Portland, and to attract social media accounts that show specific interests in "ice cream" and "dessert".
Website Redesign
Step 1: Homepage
The next step was to optimize their homepage. While their original design had some interesting graphics, it was harder to read because the pictures in the background were barely legible with the white text. In this new page, it has better contrast with the backdrop. Plus, the menu tab at the top is easier to read and makes good use of their brand colors.
Locally Sourced + Crafted with Love
OUR STORY
CATERING
CONTACT US
MENU
LOCATIONS
HOME
Step 2: Locations Page
Their old locations page only listed each store's address. With this new page it allows users to interact with Google Maps, as it's a more dynamic way for customer's to find their location.
OUR STORY
CATERING
CONTACT US
MENU
LOCATIONS
HOME
Locations
1650 NW 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97210
Hours: 9am–5pm
Phone: (347) 555-1234
NW 23rd Scoop Shop
Step 3: Flavors Page
Ruby Jewel's old flavor page described their assortment of ice cream with just text. Not only does the new design show the flavors, but it puts them in a delicious ice cream sandwich.
FLAVORS
Caramelized Coffee
Cookies + Cream
A favorite at Ruby Jewel, we blended cookie sandwiches into our espresso ice cream and fold in more cookies at the end...
Cookies are soaked in our ice cream base to infuse that rich and milky flavor with every bite.
Peppermint Candy
This seasonal delight features pink peppermint candy ice cream and is sandwiched between two double chocolate chip cookies.
Execution
After meeting with the Ruby Jewel team, they decided against these concepts. However, if they accepted, we would have recommended hiring a marketing intern to optimize their website and run their social media.
Our plan was to run these ads in the weeks leading up to every major holiday. That way, it would bring more awareness to their seasonal flavors during busy months of the year.
The Team
Account Manager
Zoe Davis
Strategist
Kiera Detert
Media
Jonathan Calderon
Art Direction
Jonathan Calderon
Tobin Carlberg
Copywriters
Tobin Carlberg
Rachel Stec