Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's is set to embark on a push to raise awareness of the brand in Australia, with a series of activations and a new store.
The Unilever-owned ice cream player entered the Australian market at the end of 2009, opening its first store in Manly. The brand opened stores at Hoyts Broadway Ultimo, Hoyts Chadstone Melbourne and at Movie World on the Gold Coast at the end of 2010, and will open a new fifth store in Melbourne's Hoyts Highpoint in May.
Ben & Jerry's has just completed its second annual Free Cone Day in Australia, held globally on April 12 each year.
Johnny Hammond, Ben & Jerry's brand manager, said the brand gave out more than 22,000 free scoops of ice cream at this year's Free Cone Day, which was double the amount handed out in 2010.
“It was a great success,” he said.
Hammond said Ben & Jerry's is looking to open more stores in Australia, while sampling remains a key marketing strategy for the brand.
“It's a matter of finding the right people and the right place [for stores],” he said.
Hammond said the brand is planning to run more activations this year, and will aim to pair up with events to provide free sampling. Ben & Jerry's also relies heavily on digital marketing, and has around 22,503 friends on Facebook and 3,282 followers on Twitter.
The brand has sponsored the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Openair Cinema from November 2010 to May this year, giving out free ice cream to audiences every Friday. Ben & Jerry's works with agencies Soap Creative, Host, Mindshare and One Green Bean.
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