The Brief
Founded in 1951, Ward’s Supermarket is Gainesville’s only locally-owned and operated grocery store. For over 70 years, the Ward family has dedicated their time and efforts to ensure the food sold in their store is natural, local, and delicious.
Ward’s sources from over 400 local vendors and provides gluten-free and vegan options at an affordable cost. As a local business, they focus on getting to know their customers, and they treat everyone (vendors, customers, and employees) like family.
Their commitment extends beyond groceries; they believe in serving the Gainesville community with the highest quality of farm-to-table foods that are not only healthy but helpful to local communities and the environment.
What We Did
Web Design
Photography and Videography
Marketing
Our Vision
Our goal for this project was to convey Ward’s’ family-run culture and their commitment to locally produced products. At a marketing level, we wanted to showcase the best Ward’s Supermarket has to offer and invite new and existing customers to experience the bounty of goods available.
Loco for Local
With over 400 local vendors and growing, Ward’s has established itself as the leading provider of truly local products. All of the content we’ve produced showcases their local partnerships and how they’re connecting in the community.
Neighborly
A visit to Ward’s is more than just a grocery trip – it’s a visit with friends. Our design and marketing efforts emanate the warmth you feel when you walk in the door.
Gainesville Grown
Ward’s commitment to the Gainesville community has roots that run deep, and we wanted to convey that at every digital touchpoint.
Web Design
The direction for web design was inspired by the hospitality you feel shopping at Ward’s Supermarket. We wanted to bring the inviting, local, and family atmosphere from their store to their online presence.
The touches of wood and spectrum of colors evokes a feeling of warmth and friendliness, like walking around your neighborhood farmer’s market. The handwritten font gives every page a neighborly market touch.
The look and feel of the website translates seamlessly to the experience of shopping at the store
Strategic Marketing
For Ward’s Supermarket, the experience of their brand doesn’t end when their customers leave the store. Their fresh, fun, local, and family atmosphere extends into their digital presence as well.
They continue to tell their story online through helpful content on their blog, engaging social media advertising and posts, and attractive email marketing.
Ward’s commitment to the local community makes them a popular presence here in Gainesville. But they needed help reaching the customers who loved them. With a strategic digital marketing plan in place, we grew a following of steadfast Ward’s supporters: a community invested in supporting local vendors.
Over 20 Strategic Campaigns
200,000+ People Reached
1,028% Increase in Social Media Traffic
Brand Photography and Videography
Our photography and videography echo the family feel of Ward’s Supermarket. We showcased the best Ward’s has to offer, but we knew for such a local icon, stock photography wouldn’t cut it. Our in-store photography resonates with Ward’s customers, bringing them into the Ward’s experience wherever they are.
The family at Ward’s Supermarket invites the people of Gainesville to enjoy the local bounty this area has to offer, and we’re honored to be a part of that.
