Building brand loyalty from Wisconsin with love

Culver’s is a Midwest staple—and while the brand is pretty humble about most things, being from Wisconsin is not one of them. With over a decade of a brand idea that welcomed guests to the delicious flavors of the Midwest, we identified an opportunity to thank guests in a uniquely Wisconsin way—in the form of a genuine love letter signed, From Wisconsin With Love. This idea grew into a brand promise from Culver’s to their guests, both brand loyalists and new fans, to always provide a wholesome, delicious meal and a heartfelt smile.

Leaning into this genuine brand promise, we shaped an opportunity to bring little bites of Wisconsin to guests across the nation. Anchored by a one-of-a-kind food truck, Culver’s delivered free samples of Wisconsin’s best – Cheese Curds and Fresh Frozen Custard – to 17 cities in markets with less brand penetration. Each stop had Wisconsin-centric activities for the whole family, like a cheese carving station, yard games and interactive displays. After more than 11,000 miles, 20,000 smiles, 14 states and 17 cities – this initiative drove more than 372 million high-quality impressions and created legions of new fans nationwide.

Beyond just satisfying guests’ cravings, Culver’s determination to nourish its communities has taken shape through its Thank You Farmers® Project, a consistent way to support local agricultural communities. As a way to honor this commitment to sustainable farming, Culver’s dedicates a day once a year in May as Scoops of Thanks Day – when guests can enjoy Fresh Frozen Custard for a $1 donation to a local FFA chapter or other agricultural education programs. To date, our support of Culver’s cause marketing has impacted agricultural education with over $5 million in donations.

When an opportunity arose to turn a prank menu item into a must-have limited-time offer known as “the CurderBurger,” we addressed the challenge head-on. Listening to guest comments (and even a few petitions) to turn this April Fools’ joke into a reality, we executed a strategic media and influencer plan to drive campaign awareness for this one-day-only menu item.  
 
From coordinating exclusive taste tests for key members of the media to spreading the word through influencer programs, the CurderBurger defied all expectations, earning it coverage in top publications such as Mashed, BuzzFeed and Thrillist, with online comment volume exploding from 700 average daily mentions to more than 6,000.

When better to meet hungry guests than while they’re scrolling through social media? Our ongoing social strategy was focused on welcoming guests into our “digital dining room” – an online extension of the immersive experience you get at each Culver’s. Every interaction showcases Culver’s staples like Fresh Frozen Custard, Cheese Curds or their famous ButterBurger.

Culver’s packaging is just as welcoming as the delicious food you’ll find inside. Each Culver’s ButterBurger box narrates guests’ inner monologues as they take that first bite – another fun way to enhance their experience at every touchpoint. Our most recent iterations continue to build on the brand idea and really showcase the love Culver’s puts into every meal.