Crossmedia Wins Edible’s Performance Media Business

Edible, the company formerly known as Edible Arrangements, has named Crossmedia its performance media agency of record.

Chief marketer Kevin Keith said the business ran an “express RFP,” eschewing a pitch consultant. The three-meeting process began in late December, and Crossmedia won the business by March.

The CMO declined to reveal how much the account is worth, although last year Edible spent about $25 million on media, by COMvergence’s estimate.

Crossmedia won the pitch by showcasing how Edible could wield its first-party data to yield results and drive conversions. Edible, Keith said, had 37 million customer data points that it was “just sitting on.”

Now, Crossmedia is helping the brand increase its relevance with current and former customers, and using the data to re-educate consumers on Edible’s new brand. Previously, Edible was known for fruit arrangements, and has now broadened its product offering to include things like flowers, baked goods and other gifts.

With its new, broadened focus, Keith aims for customers to consider the brand when celebrating everyday occasions—not just holidays and significant milestones.

“Occasions are only occasional, and we really needed to drive up our frequency,” said Keith.

Driving up frequency

The marketer also wants to increase the brand’s relevance with Gen Z—a group that recognizes and wants to acknowledge these smaller occasions. Edible underwent a rebrand recently that cut the word “Arrangements” from its name. Now, Keith said, “We’ve modernized the look and feel of the brand.”

Occasions are only occasional, and we really needed to drive up our frequency.

Kevin Keith, chief marketing officer, Edible

He’s focused on improving brand experience, too, with an emphasis on delivery innovation. This is crucial, given that of Edible generates 82% of its business from ecommerce transactions. The company recently launched a campaign called “There’s an Edible for That,” which underscored the diversity of Edible’s new offering.

Like many majority ecommerce brands, Edible saw a business boom at the height of the pandemic. That eventually waned though, and business lulled, leaving Edible at an inflection point. Keith attributes some of the business lull to limited investments in brand building and upper-funnel media over the last six years.

“All the foundational elements of integration need to be imbued into the marketing org differently, maybe than they have in the past. This is not uncommon for later stage ecommerce brands, where Google has been the primary shelf space, but now when you start to add more channels and audiences, things get complicated. You can’t think of things in [a] lower-funnel context anymore, or brand vs. creative,” said Kamran Asghar, Crossmedia co-founder and CEO.

Brand and performance integration

Now, Edible’s brand building and performance marketing endeavors will work increasingly more in tandem. The lower-funnel strategy, “doesn’t engender differentiation for the brand. It doesn’t build any kind of brand loyalty or recognition,” Keith said, adding he won’t prioritize one over the other.

Although Crossmedia’s scope primarily covers performance media, Edible’s in-house marketing team works on branding initiatives like pop-ups and influencer marketing engagements. Together, the teams will connect those brand-building endeavors with the performance media strategy. The brand’s data will contribute to its conversion goals, allowing it to reach existing customers and those familiar with the brand to reintroduce messaging.

“Before you tell the world, tell your most loyal customers—those that have bought, or have lapsed—there’s a reason to come back and that they should check you out. That’s the single most important job to do out of the gate,” Asghar said.