ROCKS DIGITAL  BLOG

John Nosal

Blue Bell Ice Cream Makes a Comeback Like No Other

Blue Bell Ice Cream ComebackI love me some Blue Bell Ice Cream and so does the rest of Texas. Why do you think loyal Blue Bell customers lined up at stores to buy their favorite flavor as soon as it hit the shelves? I give credit to Blue Bell, their leaders and their branding team. Let’s find out why!

For the back history, at the beginning of 2015 Blue Bell Ice Cream began recalling some of its products due to listeria contamination. It started with the small individual size cups but in the end, the recall shut down production of all Blue Bell products in all of its locations. This meant the company was out of the ice cream business through the summer (a big buying time for ice cream).

This type of crisis would have most likely brought any other brand to its knees, however, Blue Bell seems to have not only survived, but also thrived with a growing base of loyal brand fans. So, how did they do it?

Create A Product That People Love and Can Support
It started years ago when Blue Bell created a high quality, consistent product. They were genius when they marketed the fact that they used local dairies and other local products to make their product. In turn, consumers who purchased Blue Bell Ice Cream felt that they were also supporting local businesses by purchasing their product. Blue Bell demonstrated loyalty and that spurred loyal customers.

Blue Bell Created Brand Ambassadors

Because Blue Bell Ice Cream is of the highest quality, they were able to create a loyal following of brand ambassadors. I mean everyone loves ice cream, but Blue Bell fans REALLY love ice cream and specifically Blue Bell Ice Cream. Blue Bell was a part of the daily lives for many, as well as on special occasions. When the Blue Bell Ice Cream crisis struck, their brand ambassadors where there to respond and support them.

Blue Bell Faced the Crisis with Honesty and Integrity

An important piece of Blue Bell surviving the listeria crisis is the fact that they didn’t try to hide it from the public, make excuses or try and find someone to blame. Instead they faced the problem head on.

  • They admitted the problem, they complied with the recall fully and voluntarily recalled all their products to ensure the listeria issue was completely cleaned up and the public was safe.
  • They were transparent in all their efforts at clean up and complied with the health inspection process completely.
  • Their honesty only strengthened the loyalty of their fans who began to rally around them and spread their love for the brand across all of social media.

As the reports began coming out that some of the plants would start production again in early Fall, the social media chants for Blue Bell began growing. Those that had never tried it or just weren’t huge fans of Blue Bell began joining the ranks in anticipation of their comeback. And, because of the amazing fan following, the stores started to join in. Here in Texas, some local supermarkets had a countdown calendar on the doors of the freezer section with empty shelves behind it waiting to be occupied by the second coming of Blue Bell.

As mentioned earlier, this type of crisis would have destroyed many companies, so what is the secret to Blue Bell’s survival?

Blue Bell’s Secret Recipe for Success

  • Created a re-entry plan for their comeback, which included marketing
  • Empowered the brand team to share and communicate with customers
  • Cultivated relationships with loyal brand ambassadors

Every business will have some sort of a crisis in the span of its existence, and Blue Bell did it right!

Have you created a strong brand with ties to the local community? We all could learn from Blue Bell’s example. Comment below and let’s discuss how.

John Nosal

John is a true geek from using his first Mac in the 80s to waiting in line for the first iPhone. During the day he serves as a Digital Marketing Manager and by night, the MacGyver that saves the day.

More Posts

Download Our SEO Guide

Created in a joint partnership with Advice Local, this guide — What You Need to Know About SEO — provides an introduction to SEO concepts, strategies and best practices for optimizing a website. Complete the form below and get instant access.

    ROCKING DIGITAL SERVICES

    Web Design & Development

    Your website needs to be aesthetically pleasing and functional. We build websites for desktop and mobile that are both.

    LOCAL SEARCH & SEO

    Your website needs to attract search engines and consumers. We are experts in local search and SEO, and can make that happen.

    CONTENT CREATION & MARKETING

    Anybody can write words on a page, but can they write content that integrates SEO best practices and converts? We can.

    PPC & Paid Search

    PPC & Paid Search

    Need more customers? We create paid campaigns to reach your target audience and increase sales.

    Tracking & Optimization

    You need a solid foundation for success online, and our tracking & optimization services get it done.

    Graphic Design Services

    Graphic Design Services

    From logo design to your business card, brochures – and everything in-between for print & web – we can help!

    Here’s What Our Client's Have to Say

    Their Local Business Websites Rock

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital knows how to build local business websites that convert prospects to customers. Not only do I recommend them to work on my reputation management client’s websites, but they work on the Reputation Sensei brand, too.
    - Chris Snellgrove

    They Customize Their Solutions

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital customizes to meet their client’s needs. We needed our existing website optimized for search. We are now placing for more industry keywords and continue to improve. They consult with our in-house team on content optimization, manage our GMB listing & more.
    - Greta Valenti

    Highly Recommend

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages not only the Association of Directory Publishers website, but our Trusted Local Directory. From helping us get our event information on the website to producing guides, blogs and new content, they have what it takes.
    - Cindi Aldrich

    Rocks Digital Is the Best Choice

    ★★★★★
    As a long-term client, when it was time to change the primary focus of my real estate business, and my website, I knew Rocks Digital was the way to go. They took my existing website, gave it a complete new look, and still managed to keep my existing content.
    - David Dorum

    Brought My Ideas to Fruition

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital came highly recommended. Once I started working with them I knew why. They took my ideas for a beautiful website and brought them to the screen. From the design phase to content creation, each component was thoughtfully considered and addressed.
    - Clay Adams

    Conversions Are on the Rise

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages two of my websites. They produce our blogs, our service pages and manage our paid search campaigns. Conversions are up and new patients are coming in the door. I highly recommend their digital marketing services.
    - Dr. Thomas Chacko

    Agency Services Are Top Notch

    ★★★★★
    We shifted to Rocks Digital agency services earlier in the year. We are so glad we did. Our website sessions are up, page views are up, and bounce rate is down. Now we can easily see how many form fills we have had at any given time through their real-time reporting.
    - Kristin Schafer

    Their Local Business Websites Rock

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital knows how to build local business websites that convert prospects to customers. Not only do I recommend them to work on my reputation management client’s websites, but they work on the Reputation Sensei brand, too.
    - Chris Snellgrove

    They Customize Their Solutions

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital customizes to meet their client’s needs. We needed our existing website optimized for search. We are now placing for more industry keywords and continue to improve. They consult with our in-house team on content optimization, manage our GMB listing & more.
    - Greta Valenti

    Highly Recommend

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages not only the Association of Directory Publishers website, but our Trusted Local Directory. From helping us get our event information on the website to producing guides, blogs and new content, they have what it takes.
    - Cindi Aldrich
    Name
    Email
    Review Title
    Rating
    Review Content

    LATEST BLOG POSTS

    Local SEO company strategies.

    What Does a Local SEO Company Do?

    Local SEO is a digital marketing strategy focused on boosting a business’ local search visibility within a particular area. With the successful implementation of proven

    Hire a digital marketing agency.

    Why Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

    Staying ahead of search engine updates and marketing trends is a constant challenge, so it’s no surprise that businesses frequently turn to digital marketing agencies.

    LOCAL VISIBILITY REPORT

    Is your Google My Business listing helping or hurting you? Is bad data causing consumers and search engines to lose trust in your business? This is information you simply must know.

    To get these answers right now, just enter your business name below to run our FREE
    visibility report.


    Need a facelift
    for your website? More search traffic? Need to blog, but don’t have time?

    Our Digital Services Could Be For You
    Get a Free Local Visibility Report Now