Create a narrative

A fictional egg with its own Facebook page helped Brisbane egg producer Sunny Queen Farms increase its market share by 3.2 per cent, to 13.3 per cent, over three years. Such a rise may seem insignificant but in a commoditised sector where private labels command 58 per cent of supermarket share, it’s a triumph. “It’s a tough environment to make a difference,” the brand’s national manager, innovation and marketing, Julie Proctor, says. ”You want to bring personality and a more emotive side to a brand.”

Enter Sunny, a smiley-faced egg who delights its 119,000 fans with recipes, egg puns and a yolk of the day, ha ha! Regular campaigns provide a narrative to Sunny’s life. Building that engagement over time leads to a more loyal consumer, Marketing Is Us director Anne Sorensen says. “People will go into the supermarket and look for Sunny Queen,” she says.

The engagement continues offline. Sunny Queen eggs in the carton are stamped with a smiley face. “It’s important to link Sunny the egg in the social media environment with the actual product delivery in store,” Proctor says.

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