The Situation: Chef Bruce Hill, creator of The Chef’s Press, knew he needed assistance in getting the word out about his cooking tool. It was popular amongst his chef friends in the Bay Area, but now that the press was available in stores worldwide, Chef Hill wanted to extend his reach. With a small budget, he wasn’t sure what could be done to create buzz around the press.

The Solution: Chef Hill hired Sparkle Digital Marketing to manage his social media presence. We chose to focus on Instagram as it’s the best platform for reaching the most people organically - ideal for a limited budget. We began posting videos and photos demonstrating the press in action, including a variety of ways to use it in any kitchen. We shared photos that fans posted using #TheChefsPress, and deployed contests and giveaways to gain more fans, create more user-generated content, and build excitement around the product.

Most importantly, we made sure The Chef’s Press was delivered directly into the hands of influential chefs on Instagram by using Chef Hill’s contacts and influencer contacts we have internally. We were able to get presses in the hands of chefs like Chris Consentino, Jen Biesty, David Kinch, and Kenji Lopez, to name a few.

The Results: In two-and-a-half years, The Chef’s Press Instagram following went from 350 followers to more than 20,500 followers, and now sits at over 43,000 followers. Engagement continues to grow by an average of 150% each year. Up to that point, The Chef’s Press hadn’t spent any money on Instagram advertising, resulting in purely organic growth. Through careful and strategic engagement, a strong understanding of the audience, and a successful influencer marketing plan, The Chef’s Press has now become a cult favorite cooking tool. This success has allowed Chef Hill to create a “Professional Line” (a line of presses made entirely in the United States, each one hand-finished by Chef Bruce himself) and brought about a fruitful collaboration with True Cooks, resulting in a special True Cooks + The Chef’s Press press. The Chef’s Press continues to sell out online and continues to expand its reach with worldwide retailers.