Yves Veggie Cuisine has taken
the standard hot dog, burger, and deli slice - mainstays of North
American fast food - and popularized them in a soy protein format
that is fat-free and easy to prepare. Its line of veggie wieners,
burgers and deli slices are sold fresh in supermarkets chains across
Canada and the United States.
The challenge
When Yves Veggie Cuisine first started out in 1985, its products
appealed primarily to vegetarian consumers who
were, at the time, considered a marginal or fringe market. Recognizing
that there was a growing trend towards healthier eating, the company
wanted to attract more mainstream consumers and, in 1992, contracted
Whalebone Productions to help them.
Strategy and execution
Whalebone Productions was instrumental in helping to grow the company’s
business from $2 million in sales in 1992 to $75 million in 2000
when it was sold to the Hain Celestial Group. Our strategy was to
re-position the company away from its niche market of natural foods
to the broader, mainstream market. We accomplished this by highlighting
the company’s business achievements, reinforcing its authority
as a pioneer in creating a new category of food, and educating consumers
and the supermarket trade about the company’s products.
 Working
closely with company founder and CEO Yves Potvin, we developed and
implemented a strategic business and marketing communications plan
that identified the company’s key strengths and opportunities,
and positioned it as a trail blazer in the mainstream market.
Whalebone also packaged Yves Veggie Cuisine’s story, highlighting
the entrepreneurial strengths of the company’s founder, and
submitted it for various business awards. The company received several
national and international awards, including the Canada
Awards for Excellence, the Ernst
& Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a national award
for Innovation and an international trade export award. Recognition
from the awards reinforced Yves
Veggie Cuisine’s credibility and authority as an industry
leader.
We also identified and capitalized on unique opportunities for
the company to tell its story to the media. Arranging for Yves’
veggie dog to be sold in San Francisco’s famous Candlestick
Park – the first vegetarian hot dog to be sold in a major
league baseball stadium in the US – having it selected as
the Official Veggie Dog for Paul McCartney’s North American
concert tour in the mid-1990s, and featuring the veggie dog on the
“Taste of New York” television show are just some examples
of our success in this area.
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