Campaign Overview

Herr’s partnered with Realtime Media to launch and evolve the annual “Flavored by Philly” campaign—a multi-year initiative built around localized brand engagement. Based in Pennsylvania, Herr’s designed the flavor creation contest to celebrate regional flavor and spotlight Philly pride, inviting fans to help shape the next Herr’s chip variety.

With fresh twists introduced over the years, the promotion has continually built on past momentum while keeping fans excited to return.

• Year 1 invited fans to submit a flavor idea along with a personal story and a local charity of their choice, adding a meaningful community connection to the flavor creation process.
• Years 2 and 3 shifted the spotlight to local small businesses, giving fans a chance to submit flavor ideas inspired by their favorite local restaurants and earn recognition—and cash—for both themselves and the business.
• Year 4 introduced a head-to-head “Crunch Off” voting sweepstakes between the three previous winning flavors, with the top chip set to become an everyday fixture in the Herr’s snack lineup.

Throughout all four campaigns, we powered engagement through user-generated content, daily voting, and sweepstakes elements, keeping Herr’s top-of-mind across digital touchpoints.

Our Solution

Each iteration of the contest featured a dedicated microsite, mobile voting options, and dynamic user experiences that encouraged social sharing, return visits, and strong local participation. Herr’s released the three finalist flavors in market during the voting phase—giving consumers a chance to taste-test the contenders before casting their vote.

Our Approach

• Yearly Campaign Evolution: Realtime Media helped Herr’s adapt and scale the promotion each year. From flavor submission contests to small business nominations and a fan-favorite flavor face-off, the campaign continually offered a fresh reason to engage—without losing the core identity of the program.
• Fan & Community Involvement: In Years 2 and 3, flavor submissions were directly tied to local small businesses. Entrants shared not just a flavor idea but also a story about a beloved Philly-area restaurant or dish—driving local pride and community amplification.
• Multi-Channel Voting: Fans cast votes online and via SMS, with each vote doubling as an entry into a sweepstakes for Herr’s swag, snacks, and gift cards. Daily participation was encouraged through repeat entry incentives; social sharing helped expand the campaign’s reach across digital channels.
• Judged + Crowd-Sourced Selection: Herr’s used a hybrid model—judging panels selected finalists, and fans determined the ultimate winners. This combination ensured strong storytelling and brand alignment alongside crowd appeal.

Key Benefits

• Sustained Brand Awareness: The four-year campaign consistently kept Herr’s in the regional spotlight, leveraging both digital media and earned local press.
• User-Generated Content: Flavor submissions and fan stories provided rich, authentic content to fuel campaign storytelling and promotion.
• High Engagement: The campaign structure encouraged broad participation across channels, sparking widespread interest and community involvement. In the recent third “Flavored by Philly” contest, over 25,000 votes were cast as fans rallied behind their favorite local flavors.
• Local Amplification: Featuring Philly restaurants and charities helped the brand tap into passionate local networks, increasing visibility and relevance.

Conclusion

Herr’s “Flavored by Philly” showcases how a well-executed annual campaign can deepen brand loyalty and drive repeat engagement. The promotion tapped into Philly pride and fan creativity to help shape the brand’s snack lineup in a way that felt authentic and community-driven. Built on user storytelling and regional pride, “Flavored by Philly” stands out as a scalable, high-impact model for localized brand engagement.

Interested in learning more about how we can help with your next Digital Promotion? Get in touch with us today!