Protein bar brand RxBar wants to engage Toronto locals through a series of pop-up events in late September.
The Run, Recover and Refuel Tour seeks to build brand awareness and affinity with the brand’s target audience through recovery sessions and product samples. Each event will be held in partnership with different running clubs in Toronto – including We Run North York, High Park Rogue Runners and Liv’s Sweaty Run Club – led by wellness influencer Liv McIlkenny.
MSL Canada was in charge of strategy and public relations.
Nicole Gawen, marketing and wellbeing VP for Kellanova Canada, tells Media in Canada that the fitness space is a natural activation area for the brand, given that it is positioned as a post-workout snack. Gawen stated that the team aimed to emphasize the bars’ simple, real ingredients in order to promote the brand as a suitable choice for an active lifestyle.
“We are looking to engage with our community of health enthusiasts while also strengthening RxBar protein bar’s brand positioning,” she says.
Gawen notes that the brand has seen significant growth the past few years. “We’ve built a strong foundation and are gaining momentum,” she says. But to continue to drive purchase and awareness, it was crucial to connect deeper with health enthusiasts and the activation helps RxBar with that goal.
“The Run, Recover, and Refuel Tour is designed to embed RxBar into culture and generate excitement among our target consumers,” Gawen adds.
In particular, its target audience is health enthusiasts who lead busy lives but want to maintain healthy habits, who are looking for new and better ways to achieve their wellness goals within the limitations of a busy lifestyle.
RxBar is launching the tour on the heels of a social media campaign with fitness influencers in which Canadians could win an Apple Watch, Sport Chek gift cards and packs of the company’s protein bars. The contest contained a limited edition of resistance bands, each with a code that was revealed only when the individual strained to stretch the band. Those who purchased the bands could enter their unique code into a contest webpage to participate.