A PR strategy that creates a new way to enjoy classic snacks! We want to stir up some “snack” commotion! Introducing a case study from the Tohato confectionery team

Hello. I am Morikawa from the 1st Division of the Public Relations Business Headquarters.

“76 items.” This is the number of new product-related press releases issued by Tohato in the single year of 2020. This is a pace of more than one release per week.

Not only Tohato, but every confectionery manufacturer launches countless new products annually, engaging in fierce competition for shelf space in convenience stores and supermarkets.

The same holds true for PR.

Tohato has many classic, popular products such as “Caramel Corn,” “Poteko,” and “Tyrant Habanero.” Rather than trying to generate buzz through new products alone, we are constantly thinking alongside our clients and partner companies about how to encourage more people to pick up these staple items.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attention focused on how to enjoy time spent at home. In fact, many of you likely found yourselves making sweets or eating at home more often.

Tohato has long been sharing “arrangement recipes” for its classic snacks on platforms like Twitter, but the “Harvest Mille-feuille Sandwich” using “Harvest” biscuits became a particular sensation on social media.

Recognizing this as an opportunity, we decided to promote arrangement recipes, starting with the “Harvest Mille-feuille Sandwich,” across our official website, Twitter, and PR activities.

The “Arrangement Recipe” section on Tohato’s official website (https://www.tohato.jp/recipe/)

Starting with product understanding! Communicating real feedback to the media to generate buzz

Previously, our media approach involved visiting media outlets with a variety of snacks and explaining them while having the staff taste them. From the perspective of hygiene and infection control, it is difficult to serve homemade arrangement recipes. Therefore, we sometimes prepare them in-house and serve them to our own members, using their reactions as hints for our approach so that we can convey those experiences to the media.

When we shared our impressions of making and eating the recipes, along with the reactions from social media, media representatives showed great interest, and some even tried the recipes themselves. Thanks to these efforts, the recipes were featured prominently in web media and on TV variety shows, creating a positive cycle where they became a hot topic on social media once again.

As a result, it was a great opportunity for more people to learn about the classic “Harvest” product through various media and to create an “experience” of eating it.

On this occasion, I would like to report on the “behind the scenes” of how we experiment and create these arrangement recipes in-house in preparation for our media approach.

Let’s get cooking in the Central Kitchen!

With the office renovation in November 2020, a large kitchen was established in the center of the SUNNY SIDE UP office.

Today, in this “Central Kitchen,” I would like to make the “Harvest Mille-feuille Sandwich,” a recipe using Tohato’s popular “Harvest” biscuits and strained yogurt.

These are the only ingredients!

The preparation is very simple! It is an easy sweet made by layering Harvest biscuits and strained yogurt alternately and letting them rest in the refrigerator for a few hours until they become moist.

Taking it out of the refrigerator…The “Harvest Mille-feuille Sandwich” is complete! I wonder what it tastes like?!

Sensing a delicious aroma, many people gathered in the Central Kitchen.

Even while at work, the members enjoyed a brief sweets break. Comments such as “Delicious!” and “It’s like cheesecake!” were heard all around.

The Tohato team appeared very pleased with this reaction.

In addition, Tohato is currently proposing many arrangement recipes that allow you to enjoy classic snacks in a different way with just a little extra effort!

We also tried making these recipes.

(Left) Caramel Corn x Shiso Furikake
(Right) Caramel Corn x Milk

These recipes were also well-received, including the Caramel Corn x Shiso Furikake, which had mixed reviews before tasting.

The joy of discovering surprising new flavors through unexpected combinations is the best part of arrangement recipes.

Aiming to create a “sweet sensation” through the power of PR

In this way, the Tohato team at SUNNY SIDE UP continues to search for and experiment with information dissemination methods every day so that everyone can enjoy Tohato’s snacks even more.

2021 marks a significant milestone as “Caramel Corn,” one of Tohato’s flagship snacks, celebrates its 50th anniversary.

A campaign has also launched to create sweet and fun memories by singing and dancing with “Caramel Corn,” featuring a special web movie where a major artist has boldly and playfully remade the nostalgic Caramel Corn commercial song, as well as an AR filter that allows you to dance with the Caramel Corn character.

“Uta-el Corn” Campaign: https://www.tohato.jp/cc/50th/

We will continue to do our best to create a “sweet sensation” using the fun PR methods characteristic of SUNNY SIDE UP!

(In addition to the “Harvest Mille-feuille Sandwich” we made today, various arrangement recipes using Tohato products are currently featured on the official Tohato website!)
https://www.tohato.jp/recipe/

About the Author

SUNNY SIDE UP, 1st Division, 2nd Department, Group 1, Media Unit
Yuya Morikawa

It has been one year since I joined SUNNY SIDE UP as a new graduate after graduating from Meiji University. I am currently learning the basics of PR while handling publicity for the confectionery manufacturer “Tohato,” as well as hotels and commercial facilities. I am a huge fan of professional baseball (Chunichi Dragons) and comedy, and my special skill is “predicting which comedians will become popular a year from now.” My favorite Tohato snack is “Salty Butter.”