Differentiating a local B2C grocery chain underdog amidst a highly competitive regional market.
SITUATION
SHOP ‘n SAVE is a group of independently owned grocery stores competing with national chains, club stores and discount retailers that invest heavily in price, scale and seasonal marketing. Our challenge? SHOP ‘n SAVE needed to drive in-store traffic, sales and brand relevance during the key 4th quarter sales period, while reaching beyond their primary 55 yo+ shoppers and engaging with the digital and social-savvy Millennial, Gen X and Gen Z audiences. Given the outsized influence Pittsburgh sports teams have on the fabric of Western Pennsylvania culture, we recognized the importance of tapping into the region’s unmatched passion for Steelers football.
SHOP 'N SAVE TAILGATE ZONE
We gave shop 'n save the home field advantage
Differentiating a local B2C grocery chain underdog amidst a highly competitive regional market.
situation
SHOP ‘n SAVE is a group of independently owned grocery stores competing with national chains, club stores and discount retailers that invest heavily in price, scale and seasonal marketing. Our challenge? SHOP ‘n SAVE needed to drive in-store traffic, sales and brand relevance during the key 4th quarter sales period, while reaching beyond their primary 55 yo+ shoppers and engaging with the digital and social-savvy Millennial, Gen X and Gen Z audiences. Given the outsized influence Pittsburgh sports teams have on the fabric of Western Pennsylvania culture, we recognized the importance of tapping into the region’s unmatched passion for Steelers football.
Compounding the challenge, SHOP ‘n SAVE’s key regional competitor owns the official sponsorships of Pittsburgh's major league sports teams, giving them built-in visibility and credibility during football season. SHOP ‘n SAVE needed a way to authentically participate in Pittsburgh sports fandoms, connecting with both loyal and emerging shoppers and standing out in-market. How do you do all of this while reinforcing SHOP ‘n SAVE’s role as a local, community-first grocer in one of the most sports-passionate regions in the country? You lean in.
SOLUTION
As SHOP ‘n SAVE’s trusted marketing and advertising partner, Gatesman embraced the hometown pride to create a campaign playbook that broke the barriers without official NFL affiliation and stayed true to what makes SHOP ‘n SAVE unique: deep local roots, community familiarity and in-store shopper engagement. In partnership with SHOP ‘n SAVE and the 63 participating stores, we developed and launched the SHOP ‘n SAVE Tailgate Zone Giveaway. The result was a high-energy seasonal campaign that gave customers the chance to win a free tailgate party each week of the NFL season, featuring approximately $450 in fan-favorite grocery items. The promotional sweepstakes ran throughout the NFL regular season, building excitement in-store and online. This sweepstakes was also a first of it’s kind for the independently owned SHOP ‘n SAVE grocery chain, and Gatesman was there to lead them through the activation while creating brand unity and momentum.
The creative strategy centered on a cross-channel content platform combining in-store, digital, social media and influencer activations.
KEY ELEMENTS INCLUDED
A custom Tailgate Zone visual identity inspired by Pittsburgh’s black-and-gold tradition.
A layered content strategy featuring user-generated fan content, influencers and Pittsburgh Steelers star Running Back, Jaylen Warren, who, in partnership, produced short-form, authentic video designed for reuse beyond the season.
A multichannel campaign activation leveraged programmatic display banners, dynamic display, OTT, online video, paid social, organic social, mobile billboards with shadow-fencing and SHOP ‘n SAVE’s owned app banners, push notifications, email, SmS and website banners, all driving traffic to the campaign landing pages.
In-store signage and displays across 63 locations included QR codes that customers could scan to easily enter the campaign online.
A community-focused Meet & Greet with Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers star Running Back, to engage with shoppers and increase in-store traffic and giveaway sign-ups.
Together, these efforts transformed everyday grocery trips into a celebration of local pride and game-day culture.
OUTCOME
The Tailgate Zone Giveaway exceeded objectives, delivering impressive visibility and interaction across multiple channels, expanding its reach and connecting with Millennial, Gen X and Gen Z shoppers through relevant content, real fan voices and community-first storytelling and engagement. The PR/social team secured 10 local influencer partnerships, while organic media outreach across local and trade outlets generated coverage in Progressive Grocer and local news sources, driving nearly 500,000 in potential earned media reach.
In addition, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren elevated campaign credibility and visibility as a brand ambassador, with his organic social content alone generating over 200K views and 5K+ interactions, helping SHOP ‘n SAVE insert itself authentically into Pittsburgh football culture. Together, these efforts and a tightly integrated, insight-led approach, Gatesman reinforced SHOP ‘n SAVE’s relevance during the key 4th qtr sales period and strengthened its position as a locally rooted brand competing confidently in a crowded grocery landscape.
Touchdown scoring meet & greet, driving hundreds of shoppers in-store and raising brand affinity.
RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST
"GATESMAN KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK FOR TAILGATE ZONE. THEY EXCEEDED EVERY PERFORMANCE METRIC AND DELIVERED OUTSTANDING WORK FROM STRATEGY TO CREATIVE THROUGH EXECUTION. A TRUE PARTNER THAT GETS RESULTS."
