CUSTOMER
Paulig Group
YEAR
2022
WORK
Content creation
Influencer marketing
Media relations
Visual communication & design
Paulig’s cooking classes are already a phenomenon – Paulig and the Martha Association embarked on a tasty collaboration
At the beginning of the pandemic, we teamed up with Paulig to update the popular cooking school concept into a virtual format, and over the past couple of years, these events have become a real phenomenon.
Challenge
The pandemic has changed the way media and influencers operate. More and more, people prefer to manage things from their home offices. We believe this remote-first approach is here to stay, even in the post-COVID world.
A study commissioned by Paulig a few years ago* revealed that Finnish households use, on average, only 3.6 different spices. With this in mind, Paulig wanted to spotlight the issue through its Santa Maria spice brand and offer food professionals fresh inspiration for everyday seasoning.
In collaboration with The Martha Organization, Paulig hosted a cooking class where Santa Maria spices were paired with Martha-tested recipes and practical tips. The goal was to encourage food professionals to experiment more boldly with spices in their everyday cooking, and to help banish the blandness of typical weekday dishes.
Solution
Paulig’s communications team developed and hosted the first cooking class five years ago, partnering with Manifesto for its execution from the very beginning. Over the years, the Paulig cooking class concept has evolved and improved with each event.
When the pandemic hit, the format was adapted: if guests couldn’t join us in person, we would bring the experience to their own kitchens virtually. Participants received most of the required ingredients delivered directly to their doorstep, making it easy to follow along and prepare the dishes at home. In the virtual session, guests cooked a three-course menu guided live by Paulig’s head chef Petteri Kanerva and Maija Soljanlahti, Development Manager at the Martha Organization. Alongside the cooking, participants were given plenty of tips on spice usage, storage, and flavor enhancement.
The event also included a segment on how to properly prepare Café au Lait, led by Paulig coffee education expert Ulla Suoraniemi. The session was hosted by Paulig’s Communications Manager, Pirjo Hästbacka.
Results
Nearly 100 journalists and social media influencers participated in the cooking class organized via Vimeo. The dynamic between Petteri Kanerva and Maija Soljanlahti in the test kitchen inspired home cooks and created an encouraging, relaxed atmosphere. The event led to media coverage in outlets such as Ilta-Sanomat, Iltalehti, MTV News, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, and several blogs.
“Influencers and journalists were actively sharing content during and after the event on social media. Visibility was further boosted by the encouragement to share their cooking class experiences on their own channels. Participants who posted were entered into a prize draw for cooking classes hosted by Uudenmaan Martat,” says Pirjo Hästbacka. “Some of the discussion also took place in the event chat, where participants raised many good questions for the hosts.”
Behind the successful virtual event was a well-established and tested concept developed by Paulig’s Communications Manager Pirjo Hästbacka, combined with Manifesto’s project expertise and close collaboration with the Santa Maria brand and the Martha Organization. In addition to managing invitations and registrations, Manifesto took part in overall planning, created the event’s visual identity, and produced the agreed communication materials.
The event took place in February 2022, and highlights from the cooking school can be viewed here.
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