Goals and objectives
Colruyt, through its sub-brand Colruyt Laagste Prijzen (Colruyt Lowest Prices), aimed to reinforce its reputation for quality and craftsmanship, particularly highlighting the expertise of its in-house butchers. The objective was to position Colruyt as the ultimate one-stop shop for all BBQ needs—meat, accessories, and more—during the peak BBQ season from May 22 to August 13. Integreate by DPG Media was tasked with developing a flexible, long-term partnership campaign that would generate buzz around BBQ at precisely the right moments throughout the summer.
KPI's
The campaign significantly outperformed industry benchmarks. In both northern and southern Belgium, the campaign achieved recall scores of 7.7 and 7.6 respectively, surpassing the typical benchmark range of 7.2 to 7.3. Over 60% of respondents in each region appreciated the partnership between Colruyt and the media brands, exceeding the benchmark of 51%. The campaign successfully encouraged repeated content engagement, with readers often consuming multiple articles. Half of the audience reported being informed about Colruyt through the campaign, with native articles serving as the primary driver. Additionally, Colruyt achieved the highest brand preference in both regions and saw the strongest uplift in perceived craftsmanship—one of the campaign’s key goals.
Target audience
Geography: Belgium
Demography: Millennials aged 24–45 and general BBQ enthusiasts
Psychography: Individuals with a passion for BBQ and cooking
Strategy
BBQ interest in Belgium begins to rise in April and peaks during warm weekends, public holidays, and when temperatures exceed 20°C with no rain. Colruyt aimed to align its brand with this seasonal behavior, emphasizing its commitment to quality and affordability. The campaign strategy focused on seizing these moments by giving consumers a literal “push” to initiate BBQ gatherings. The idea was to tap into the cultural momentum and encourage spontaneous BBQs, positioning Colruyt as the go-to partner when the weather called for grilling.
Creative idea
The creative centerpiece of the campaign was the “BBQ Alarm.” When temperatures reached 25°C or higher, an alert was triggered through HLN and SudInfo platforms. Consumers received push notifications—literal “BBQ alarms”—encouraging them to fire up the grill, gather friends or family, and visit Colruyt. The campaign included exclusive editorial BBQ content and opportunities to win BBQ packages from Colruyt Laagste Prijzen. This initiative was supported by always-on inspirational content and positioned Colruyt as the instigator of summer BBQ moments across Belgium.
Channels
The campaign was executed through a co-branded partnership with HLN and SudInfo. It began with a broad awareness campaign announcing the BBQ Alarm and directed traffic to a dedicated landing page featuring a content series in collaboration with Colruyt Laagste Prijzen. The campaign was activated whenever the temperature hit 25°C, triggering alerts via newsletters, social media, push notifications, and both editorial and branded content. The branded content served as a gateway to Colruyt’s own BBQ platform, which featured promotions, butcher stories, and recipes. Dynamic display advertising allowed Colruyt to tailor messaging based on real-time weather conditions and consumer engagement.
Learnings
Aligning a campaign with national culture can significantly elevate brand relevance. In Belgium, BBQs are a beloved summer tradition. By claiming and owning this cultural moment, Colruyt Laagste Prijzen became the most preferred BBQ partner throughout the season. The campaign demonstrated that timely, culturally resonant marketing can create lasting brand preference.
Surprising Insights
While not entirely unexpected, the campaign reaffirmed that when editorial and native content are strategically aligned and respectful of each other’s roles, the combined impact is significantly amplified. This synergy between content types helped drive deeper engagement and stronger brand association.