Why Did Perfect Bar Launch Its Chocolate Brownie Flavor to Coincide with the Solar Eclipse

Last week, Perfect Bar, the DTC brand of refrigerated protein bars, caught attention with their new Chocolate Brownie product innovation campaign, coinciding with the solar eclipse. 

In order to keep the news about the product launch and to interact with consumers who were talking about the eclipse and the product, the brand made use of the solar eclipse, as well as TikTok and Instagram to share the news about the launch.

Alongside the product launch, Perfect Bar offered a 20% discount on Chocolate Brownie Perfect Bar from March 25 to April 12, commemorating the 20 years until the next total solar eclipse in the United States. Additionally, for individuals in the path of totality of the solar eclipse on April 8, there was a special 50% discount available on Chocolate Brownie Perfect Bar. This offer was valid for those who have signed up for text notifications.

Meredith Diehn, VP of Brand Marketing at Perfect Snacks, explained that the team sensed the growing anticipation surrounding the eclipse through social listening and conversations with colleagues and friends. Recognizing it as a significant milestone for both their fanbase and consumers nationwide, they saw an opportunity for Perfect Bar to make a meaningful contribution. With people across the country planning to pause their daily routines to witness this event, Diehn believed it was the ideal moment to introduce the new Chocolate Brownie flavor and celebrate alongside consumers.

“A core focus of our ongoing brand communication strategy is tapping into culturally relevant moments and social conversation,” said Diehn. “We aim to build valuable content with real consumer utility that can serve to delight, inspire, assist, and connect our community.”

Perfect Bar aims to connect with consumers by engaging in conversations rather than just sharing brand updates. An example of this approach on tapping into cultural moments is the Pumpkin Pie in July Pool Party held in San Diego last year. This event celebrated the early release of the Pumpkin Pie Perfect Bar and featured pumpkin-themed activities. By tapping into the anticipation for the pumpkin spice season and the popularity of the limited-edition Pumpkin Pie product, the event provided attendees with an intimate and engaging experience.

“As we’ve gotten to know our community deeper this year, we have other exciting activities in the pipeline, developed to delight consumers on a more emotional, nostalgic, and even comical, level,” said Diehn.

Diehn noted that Perfect Bar maintains a social media presence across various platforms. However, they have observed that Instagram and TikTok are particularly effective channels for reaching and engaging with their audience communities, both in terms of paid advertising and organic content.

Additionally, LinkedIn plays a central role in their owned content strategy. Perfect Bar found the platform to be essential for engaging with industry partners and reinforcing their leadership position within the fresh-snacking sector. This comes at a time where more brands are leveraging LinkedIn for ad campaigns now, with Paycom being the latest to do so.

Other brands, like Days Inn by Wyndham, also capitalized on the solar eclipse for marketing purposes. Days Inn hosted a contest offering two individuals an all-expenses-paid trip to San Antonio, TX, to view the eclipse from April 7th to 9th, capture content from a private helicopter, and share it on social media. This initiative, along with those of Perfect Bar and other brands, took advantage of the rare opportunity presented by the eclipse, which won’t occur again for years to come.

Perfect Bar’s approach to seeking influencers and content creators is integral to their marketing strategy, spanning paid, owned, and earned channels. The team utilizes various partners and tools to pinpoint creators who connect with their audience. While Perfect Bar prioritizes collaborating with accredited creators in the nutrition sector, they also seek partnerships with creators who produce relatable, humorous, and aspirational content, particularly targeting Millennial Parents and the Health-conscious Gen Z demographic.

A key aspect of these partnerships is the creators’ ability to align with Perfect Bar’s content briefs while infusing their unique ideas and content style, resulting in an ideal collaboration.

“We prioritize working with creators that are true Perfect Bar fans,” said Deihn. “An authentic brand love, I believe, is the secret ingredient to creating truly engaging content.”