Case Studies
Ray's Brand Chilli Web Site
Situation:
The Ray's Brand story began in Springfield, Illinois, in the early 20th century. The family-owned chili business became a regional market leader by the 1960s only to lose its edge in the '70s and '80s. By the late 1990s, Ray's Brand was in federal bankruptcy court on the brink of extinction. When the current owner purchased the brand, he wanted to not only rejuvenate the Ray's Brand but expand his customer base beyond central Illinois.
Primary Goal:
Create a fun web site to help market and sell delicious Ray's Brand products.
Marketing Solution:
Jones and Thomas developed rayschilli.com. This isn't your ordinary food site. If you had to describe the Ray's Brand web site in one word, it would be “fun.” For example, a fictionalized account of the history of Ray's Chilli could be found under the link The Absolutely True Story of Ray's Chilli—Honest. A typical FAQ asks, “Why don't you make Ray the hero of a romance novel?”
Although the site has a fun attitude, the goal is also to sell products. Visitors can purchase Ray's Brand products through RAY MART, the brand´s online store.
