bake - February 2018 - cake12

WINNING PROMOTIONS
Consumer
insights

TRACKING

THE CLASSIC FORMULA TO SUCCESS

2018

THE SPRING ISSUE

HOW TO SHARE YOUR STORY
The craft of cake is enjoying a renaissance. This trend presents a great opportunity for you to share the story of your bakery. Why is this so important? Storytelling is a highly effective
tool to promote your brand in an authentic manner.
"The key to any good content is your unique story," says
Penny Hardman, associate content director for Sullivan Higdon & Sink. "Create content for your audience and answer the
questions they are asking."
That may involve stepping out of your comfort zone. If you
don't have time to post updates on Facebook or Instagram,
hire (or appoint someone on your team) to handle it.

Be authentic
with your
audience

Mich Turner, Northfoto / Shutterstock.com, ©sawaddee3002 - stock.adobe.com

Classic cake recipes with a twist are one of the best
ways to hook potential customers with a special occasion cake sure to please. Cake decorator Traci Rankins
grew up in baking with her grandmother. She still has
some of her cookbooks, which are full of hand-written
notes. She founded Easy Peasy Decadent Desserts in
2013 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"There are two kinds of bakers," she points out.
"Those that can follow a recipe and those that can
write them. I come up with new flavors, new techniques, new delightful treats every day. That's my
favorite part, and I feel like it's my strongest skill."
She is a big believer in classic recipes. "There are a
lot of new products and techniques out there, but I like
to look to classic flavors and old, old, recipes. People
have forgotten about molasses, nutmeg, vanilla bean
paste, all of the flavors that were commonplace a hundred years ago. I like to take those old flavors and put
a new twist on them to make something that reminds
our older customers of their childhood."
Celebrated cake baker Mich Turner knows that
cakes should be equal parts attractive and delicious.
Turner believes that consumers today are looking
for lower fat dessert options, but that doesn't mean
you can skimp on flavor. "I am a firm believer in using
quality ingredients to create indulgent cakes. I like to
combine this with an understanding of the chemistry
of the cakes to showcase intricate hand craftsmanship
to create cakes of exceptional quality," she says.

One of the missing parts of the
equation to making money in
the cake business often starts
with a lack of understanding of
what today's customers want. An
innovative new partnership with
leading communications carrier
MetTel will allow "Cake Boss"
Buddy Valastro to bring fast, online insights and convenience to
his Carlo's Bakery locations in the United States and Brazil.
The debut of MetTel Wi-Fi Analytics will give the bakery
an enhanced view of customer preferences to improve the
shopping experience. Its technology learns in real time how
consumers visit the bakery, where they browse, what they buy
and don't buy.
According to MetTel, all Wi-Fi-enabled devices (like smart
phones) continuously transmit signals to detect and connect
to available networks several times per minute. Through the
Wi-Fi network, Carlo's Bakery receives the pings from these
customers, which are anonymized. Carlo's does not collect
personal or private information.

bake - February 2018

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