Perso-what? We explain what personas are all about and how we as an agency for food PR use them for content development.
If you want to be successful with your brand or product in the field of food PR, wine PR or lifestyle PR, you have to think about your marketing concept and which target group you actually want to address. “Young folks older than 20” or “people over 50” isn’t always a sufficient definition. As an F&B PR agency that’s something we always have in mind. In order to reach potential customers, a more multi-layered classification is required. For example, this could be young, hip metropolitans who see themselves as Instagram foodies and pay attention to healthy trends. Or a connoisseur 50 plus who values exquisite organic products and likes to spend a little more money on food, wine or kitchen accessories. In this context, it’s helpful to create so-called personas.
What are personas?
A persona (Latin for mask) isn’t a real person, but a fictional character who represents a typical member of a certain target group and gives it a face. Personas – actually it should be called personae, but in marketing terms, personas has become firmly established – can be characterized precisely in terms of their interests, needs and traits and offer diverse insights into the life and target group’s behavior. A persona is usually based on quantitative and qualitative user data and is equipped with a name, photo, curriculum vitae, marital status, place of residence, income, interests, attitudes, hobbies and so on. In general, it’s useful for food PR, travel PR or lifestyle PR to create personas that highlight specific user types.
Personas are an effective tool for PR strategy, for example in the area of storytelling. This is where we start as a PR agency for the food & beverage, travel and lifestyle industries. Our experienced team advises you regarding marketing concepts, PR strategies and target group analyses based on personas in your B2B and B2C communication.
From the persona to the F&B PR strategy
Example:
You are a producer of high-quality organic spices and you have already created three personas that you want to address. In short:
- Thomas (55), a Munich-based architect with a remarkable income and two almost grown-up children who is willing to pay for high-quality food and who loves exquisite ingredients, whether it’s cooking at home or eating out. His favorite thing is to grill premium meat on his Weber grill.
- Sophie (27), HR manager from Berlin, single, always chasing the latest food trends and loves to prepare poké bowls. She uses Instagram several times a day and inspires her friends with her food photography, travel experiences and her dog.
- Katharina (36), married, currently on parental leave, lives near Lake Constance, her biggest hobby is running. She wants to stay fit and therefore pays attention to a healthy diet. She doesn’t have much time to cook, but organic food is very important to her.
These personas have one thing in common: they represent typical characters from three different target groups. Next, as a PR agency for F&B, lifestyle and travel, we take a look at what we can derive from these findings as part of a customized PR and marketing strategy. How does the product, for example a spice, kitchen equipment, wine, pot or pan, fit the target group? And in which way can I satisfy the persona’s needs with my content?
Brand positioning and solutions
Our spice manufacturer from above offers a high-quality and versatile product: it can be used for all kinds of occasions, from fitness bowls to gourmet menus. It appeals to everyday and casual cooks as well as gourmets.
Let’s take the example of Corona and the resulting changes in Sophie’s lifestyle as an occasion for the manufacturer’s content development.
Initial situation:
- Sophie cooks at home a lot more.
- On the one hand, she has more time to work on elaborate recipes on the weekend, on the other hand, things usually have to be done quickly both during home office and after work.
- She no longer meets her friends for lunch at the hip café around the corner, but online during a Facetime call.
- Sophie has an increased need for healthy eating, a balanced and mindful lifestyle.
- She was supposed to go on a long-distance trip this month, but it was cancelled due to travel restrictions.
Need:
- A quick but high-quality dinner during the week.
- Bringing the Thailand experience to Berlin.
- Staying in touch with friends.
Solution:
- A stay-at-home package that contains premium spices as well as other ingredients, recipe suggestions, drinks and the basis for a joint online dinner.
Possible campaigns for additional food & beverage PR:
- An accompanying influencer campaign with exciting food bloggers on the topic of “online cooking session with friends”.
- Emotional social media posts including social ads on Instagram or Facebook that spark the user’s interest and bind them to the brand with their messaging
- Raffle cooperation in target group-specific print and online media to create reach, topic: “Healthy cooking during the lockdown”.
F&B PR agency for creative content marketing
This purely fictional example shows how personas can help in developing concepts in the field of food communication, either for classic press and public relations, influencer marketing, content marketing or social media.
Do you need support with your brand positioning, F&B PR, content development or campaigns based on personas? Our experienced agency team of communication experts is at your side when it comes to food PR, wine PR, travel PR and lifestyle PR!