INTRO

As a 1970s-founded legacy brand, The Melting Pot has grown to be synonymous with experiential fondue dining. Through partnerships with passionate franchisees, the brand has grown to nearly 100 units across the nation, supporting owners with thorough initial training and robust ongoing support. With a variety of menu items including cheese and chocolate fondue, salads, fine wine, spirits and more, The Melting Pot is the go-to place for those looking to connect, celebrate and gather.

PROBLEM

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, restaurant brands were some of the most harshly impacted. The Melting Pot made a strategic decision to turn inward, focusing on supporting existing owners through the truly unprecedented time. While this maintained the health of the existing system, it decreased the amount of resources available for franchise development. Toward the end of the pandemic, the franchisor found itself ready to relaunch development efforts but struggling to get in front of the right people.

SOLUTION

As part of a larger full-circle content marketing, digital ad and public relations effort that focused primarily on franchise development, Mainland strategically developed and shared the Melting Pot story, ensuring that the value of the brand and its legacy remained front and center as the team targeted high-value media placements.

RESULT

Mainland secured a three-hour placement on Fox & Friends for The Melting Pot CEO Bob Johnston and franchisees Mark and Carla Rosenthal to showcase both the food and franchise opportunity to over 1 million viewers.

HOW MAINLAND WON

As part of a strategic development market focus, Mainland showcased The Melting Pot in 1851 Franchise content, secured earned media in business journals and drove additional visibility through paid ads. This wide scope allowed the brand to shine in multiple arenas as it built momentum and revived development efforts.

While building a strategy strong enough and a story compelling enough to catch the attention of the Fox & Friends team was a major win for Mainland and The Melting Pot, the franchisor’s appearance also brings long-lasting benefits.

“The Fox & Friends appearance was a really big opportunity to get visibility for The Melting Pot on a national level,” said Mainland Vice President Julie Maw. “From a franchise development perspective, we had Bob Johnston on to speak about the opportunity, and his thoughts were watched by over 1 million people.”

As a legacy brand, The Melting Pot has decades of history behind its name and is well known by loyal fans. Its appearance on Fox & Friends afforded the brand an opportunity to reclaim the spotlight and secure levels of visibility akin to what it had built up prior to slowing down expansion efforts during the pandemic.