Blue Apron Launches 1st Brand Campaign Since 2018

Blue Apron is kicking off its 2022 marketing strategy with the launch of a national television commercial — its first brand campaign since 2018. Produced by New York-based Quirk, an award-winning agency that specializes in video-based campaigns and creative content for D2C brands, the marketing campaign is designed to increase awareness, enhance differentiation and drive additional customer engagement.

The creative was informed by extensive segmentation research that was conducted over the past year and showed that more than half of consumers (54%) have yet to try meal kits.

“Our new in-depth customer segmentation research informed every step of our creative strategy,” said Dani Simpson, chief marketing officer at New York-based Blue Apron. “We believe Blue Apron offers the best product on the market, and we are excited for the opportunity to highlight our diverse, compelling menu options for new customers while providing existing customers with an even better customer experience.”

The new creative spots balance a tailored message to the new customer segments, along with unifying themes that touch on the common attributes seen across all groups — from creating tasty recipes with quality ingredients to easing the burden of menu and recipe planning. The spots, which can be viewed at cook.ba/BlueApronSpots, will span  TV, online and other streaming channels. They are built around the two following themes:

• Being a Hero, launching on TV and connected TV, centers on the company’s signature blue apron and highlights how cooking with Blue Apron can bring out the hero in each person, in and out of the kitchen (see commercial video below.)

• Expect the Unexpected, an online video series, shines a light on the Blue Apron +1 philosophy, which is the culinary team’s pursuit of making each recipe special and unique, from exceptional flavor combinations and new cooking techniques, to easy prep and cleanup tricks.

“Our 2022 marketing strategy is centered on efficiently engaging consumers, and offering them a more seamless and personalized experience,” added Simpson. “This is the first of many planned initiatives for this year as we look to increase customer awareness and order volume, size and frequency.”

Additional efforts include revamping the sign-up experience, offering a tailored menu option and preference selection, and developing complementary online and offline creative assets that support the campaign strategy.

Meanwhile, the company’s financials proved to be a mixed bag in 2021 and in the fourth quarter, with the company growing its order value while taking some financial hits to invest in future growth.

For the year, the company bolstered its net revenue by 2% over 2020, moving to $470.4 million from $460.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA for 2021 was a loss of $39.2 million, a decline that the company attributed to its fourth-quarter investments in growth strategies.

Although net revenue declined in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with year-ago period, average value orders in that time rose to $63.78, the highest level since Blue Apron began tracking the metric in 2015. Stacked against the pre-pandemic year of 2019, net revenue in fourth quarter was up by 13%.

Launched in 2012, Blue Apron is a carbon-neutral meal kit company focused on bringing chef-designed recipes to its customers while promoting planetary and dietary wellness for everyone.