Introducing a Chicken

Firm: Hermanoff Public Relations - Detroit
Client: Frankenmuth Poultry
Specialty Area: Media Relations
Date: 02/20/1994


Frankenmuth Poultry
Overview

In April 1994, Chris Schmitt and his wife Trizi bought the Frankenmuth Poultry Company, the nation's smallest poultry processor and the only one in Michigan. The company was selling its chickens in 50 area stores. Although Frankenmuth Poultry's birds have 80 percent less fat per serving than supermarket chickens, the company was virtually unknown among local media.

Program Objectives
• Increase awareness of the Frankenmuth Poultry Company among consumers and retailers.
• Increase distribution to include more supermarkets.

Strategy
• Implement a local, state and national media relations campaign to position Frankenmuth Poultry's chickens as extra lean and the best-tasting poultry around.

Action Steps
Hermanoff created a comprehensive information kit, which was sent overnight. It contained a frozen chicken, a company brochure with recipes, a list of potential questions and story angles for reporters, a profile on Christopher Schmitt and a listing of stores where chickens are sold.

Targeted media that received the kits included Detroit-area radio stations, television stations, daily and community newspapers, out-state daily newspapers and industry trade journals.

Later, kits were sent to additional media as the Frankenmuth Poultry Company expanded distribution across the country.

Among the media to cover the Frankenmuth Poultry Company story were WJBK-TV Channel 2, WXYZ-TV Channel 7, WWJ-AM radio, Macomb Daily, Oakland Press, Detroit News, Saginaw News, Jackson Blazer News, Spinal Column Newsweekly and Food Industry Newsletter, just to name a few. CNN ran a story twice that included comments from consumers who had eaten the chickens.

Results
After the first kits were sent, Frankenmuth Poultry Company began to receive calls from reporters across Michigan. As those media published and aired the stories, the Schmitts received calls from people all over the country who placed orders and asked about the chickens.

As a result of the CNN coverage, store owners, chefs and consumers around the world deluged the Schmitts with calls and orders. At the beginning of the effort, Frankenmuth chickens were sold in 50 grocery stores. As of April 1995, more than 2,900 store managers had expressed interest in selling the chickens.