Tunheim developed a media strategy for opening day and grand opening events for Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels newly co-branded, Coffee & Bagels.

Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels co-branded in 2015 to create Coffee & Bagels, a hub for enthusiasts to indulge in a daily dose of the two most craved morning breakfast items. With more than 20 Coffee & Bagels locations opened across the country, 11th and Nicollet was the third location to officially open its doors. Located in Minneapolis, Minn., this flagship Coffee & Bagels opening had an initial media outreach goal of raising awareness as to how the new location would bring together not only Caribou Coffee’s high-quality premium beverages and Einstein Bros. Bagels and shmear, but also a broad assortment of flavorful Argo Tea products. Due to re-routed traffic patterns, limited foot traffic and intermittent utility outages because of nearby construction, a proactive outreach and awareness strategy was implemented to assure that all efforts were successful.

Strategy
Objectives

Tunheim’s deliverables from the grand opening include:

A grand opening “Bagel Cutting” ceremony was held with the Coffee and Bagels team members and Lisa Goodman, council member from the City of Minneapolis;
Street team sampling offered passersby samples of coffee, bagels and tea;

Any person who came in and bought a coffee the day of the grand opening received a free bagel and shmear; and
Free pedicab rides were offered in the downtown area from 7-11 a.m. to ease construction navigation.

Coordinate with all stakeholder parties to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for grand opening visitors from Minnesota and across the country.

Equip local media with the assets, information and access to tell the story of the partnership, from groundbreaking to the public grand opening and beyond.
Results

Working with local media, Tunheim secured:

Print media placements in the Minneapolis- St. Paul Business Journal and the Star Tribune

Television placements with CBS (WCCO 4) and NBC (KARE 11); and

Radio mentions including: The WCCO Morning News with Dave Lee, Dave Ryan in the Morning, Chris Carr & Co Morning Show, Keri & Greg in the Morning and The Power Trip Morning Show.