Whether you are having a dinner party for 2 or 200, it is important to set a positive first impression that establishes the tone for the evening. It doesn’t have to be over the top awesome. It can be as simple as having something beautifully aromatic in the oven (Potatoes Gran Mere ) or an enticing cocktail (Cranberry Mint Mojito ). Giving your guests the impression that they are in for something special will set your dinner party apart from the ordinary.
Marketing can be fun!
Speaking of over the top awesome, Chef Lucien Vendome and our Marketing team at Kraft Food Ingredients put on many spectacular events, but the event we staged at The Research Chef’s Association in Montreal was something special. An Ice Pyramid that highlighted our brands set the first impression. KFI sold industrial ingredients to major food manufacturers. One thing we offered that most of our competitors couldn’t was the ability to license the use of our brands along with the sale of bulk ingredients. So today, whenever you see an Oreo Lava Cake, chances are that our Ice Pyramid imbedded with Kraft brands, planted the seed of the idea.
This is where you are probably thinking…It is easy to set a phenomenal impression when you have an enormous Marketing budget. Well the reality at KFI was that we had great ideas and virtually no budget. The key was that we did most of the work ourselves. As for the Ice Pyramid:
- We designed the pyramid ourselves
- We built the base for the pyramid in Lucien’s garage and reassembled it ourselves
- We found and ice sculpture at Mont Tremblanc who did the ice work for self promotion
- We had our entire Sales and Marketing team on site at 6 am on the morning of the show putting all the pieces together
- We were scrambling 5 minutes before the doors opened to get all the final touches in place. (I still remember our friend, Chef John Li, showing up just as we needed him and rolling up his sleeves to help out).
To this day, attendees thought we had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to host the event. The truth is we spent a fraction of what people thought. We got it done with creativity and sweat equity.
The funny story behind the pyramid was in the assembly of the base. To save money we had to build the base ourselves. This base had to be strong and stable enough to support 3,000 lbs. of ice. Lucien, in addition to being a world renown chef, is an expert furniture maker. He had built the base in his garage. He and I had assembled it in his driveway. It was made with the highest grade of wood. We knew it was perfect. Then we took it apart and shipped it from Memphis to Montreal. At 6 am on the morning of the event, we got everyone together and had two teams reassemble it from each end. When we got to the middle we were 6 inches off. Panic set in! Instantly, Lucien came out with the circular saw to trim the extra six inches. I started screaming NO!. We took it apart, and started from one end and it came together perfectly.
The Pyramid
The Base
The Team
If that pyramid had crashed, we would have made an unforgettable first impression and it would have been the end of my Marketing career.
First impressions are key. The next time you are hosting a dinner party, think about how you can impress your guests at the start. Quite often, it is that first impression that lasts forever.
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