By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator
At the International Home + Housewares Show in March, the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center will present 21 educational programs, one every hour beginning Saturday morning and ending Tuesday afternoon. At the Theater, located in Room E350 (near the entry to the Level 3 Lobby), experts in new product development and launch will discuss critical and timely topics in our industry. Over the next few months, we’ll introduce you to the presenters with a series of blog stories. Be sure to mark your calendars for these exciting programs! Check www.housewares.org regularly for updates on the schedule of Show events.
Content Marketing in the Social World
Sunday, March 3 at 1:30 — 2:20 pm
Cookingwithcaitlin.com was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2007 and today is a multi-media service platform with a foundation in content and social media marketing. Composed of three energetic women —Chef Caitlin MacEachen Steininger, Kelly MacEachen Trush and Molly Ross, the Cooking with Caitlin trio believes that delivering high-quality, relevant information in an authentic voice helps to create awareness, deepen engagement levels, strengthen loyalty and drive toward actionable behaviors. They built their business around this premise, and now offer video, podcasts, recipes and image-based content to their growing audience. Clients include companies such as Kroger, dunnhumby, Safe Eggs and HoneyBaked Ham.
Hi Molly, Kelly and Caitlin! You are all so passionate about your work. What inspires you?
For us, it is all about creating an authentic, genuine connection with people — our connection just so happens to be centered around food.
Why did you choose to speak at the International Home + Housewares Show?
We know that we can learn just as much as we can help teach. Our professional and personal lives are tangled up in all things “housewares” and “food,” so what better audience to talk about content and social marketing?
Tell us what you will be speaking about and how and this topic is important for Show audiences.
With the work that we do, we see that consumers (and customers) have a strong desire to know and trust the brands that they choose to support. They take great pride in their homes – and their kitchens – and are purposeful with every appliance, kitchen tool and set of dishware they buy. They expect authenticity, honesty, truth and real human interaction.
The digital world is transforming the ways in which a brand builds upon trust and engages with its audience. Creating relevant, value-adding, educational and entertaining content offers a tremendous opportunity to connect — and to win.
And great content deserves to be seen and heard. Strategically building and leveraging content with well-researched social media strategies and tactics will help to facilitate growth. Social can help humanize brands. Social allows the opportunity to differentiate by building an emotional connection and to reaching into consumer’s lives. As we all know, social is a game changer.
During our presentation, we plan to share our insights based on years of listening closely, paying attention and establishing real relationships.
You’ve presented in the Innovation Theater at our last Show. What are you looking forward to most from your appearance this year?
Building upon last year’s program, we look forward to the opportunity to engage with the audience and field questions.
How does the Innovation Theater help you spread your message?
Certainly it is great to stand in front of a live audience. And, it forces the issue for us and makes us put our thoughts down on paper – which can then be used in other forms.
What kind of impact can the Innovation Theater speakers have at the Show?
It is such a great opportunity to gather individuals with similar interests and passions in the same location and to get to talk and share with one another.
What are some of today’s trends or issues that new product development professionals face in the housewares market?
When introducing new products, companies must consider that families have tight budgets, are short on space in their homes and that they want environmentally friendly products.
What is the best advice you could give someone trying to get into your area of expertise?
Do not give up. It is hard but that is why it is worth it.
Thank you, Molly, Kelly and Caitlin. You know your audience very well and what they like and want. We look forward to learning more from you about how a brand can enter the homes and minds of women who love to cook and love using their kitchen equipment.
Join the conversation and learn more about the crew and their programs at
www.facebook.com/cooking-with-caitlin
