Introducing a new category: Spicy-sweet chili crisp wakes up tastebuds on TikTok and Instagram
Background
Mr. Bing Chili Crisp is a spicy, not-too-sweet condiment inspired by Beijing street food. It’s especially good on eggs, rice or roasted vegetables, but the signature umami heat of chili crisp is a welcome on most any plate.
As an emerging condiment category, chili crisp is on its way to becoming a pantry staple in the U.S.
Problem
In emerging categories, the growth phase can mean introducing both a new brand and a new product to shoppers, making the challenge two-fold –
- To move chili crisp forward, we needed to show people exactly how they could include this new condiment in everyday cooking.
- To make Mr. Bing the preferred chili crisp option, we needed to showcase our approachable flavor profile and Mild option.
- To introduce chili crisp, we needed to share what it was – and show exactly how to use it in everyday cooking.
Solution
We knew consumers had to see chili crisp in action – and the closest thing to trying it for yourself is seeing someone else enjoy it.
We approached content creators on TikTok and Instagram to invite them to receive a special delivery of chili crisp, and experience it for themselves. In exchange for these deliveries, content creators shared their meals – including recipes they came up with themselves – to demonstrate exactly how versatile Mr. Bing Chili Crisp could be.
We evaluate content creator impact based on their engagement rate (often because follower-count can be deceiving). For example, when we first reached out to Evan Martin, he had 10K followers and a 17.36% engagement rate.
The engagement rate that Evan brings to the table (plus the fact that he is a chef!) made his impact greater than influencers with a higher follower account. Engagement rates are also a good sign for growth – Evan doubled his following to 20.3K over the course of our partnership.
With content creators engaged, we were able to show exactly what Mr. Bing Chili Crisp could do.
