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Tabasco sauce is one of the oldest hot sauces in the world, its origins dating back to the 19th century. Tabasco is an American hot sauce brand made from vinegar, tabasco peppers, salt, and other seasonings. Created by Edmund McIIheny, the sauce has been a hot topic in popularity and marketing. Their 150 years of success are because of Tabasco’s innovative marketing strategies. Companies can learn a thing or two from Tabasco marketing strategies.
In the age when influencer marketing has become a mainstay for companies of all sorts, especially CPG (consumer packaged goods), Tabasco has ridden its success with the help of influencer partnerships worldwide. There are plenty of sauces in the world that Tabasco must compete with, yet it’s maintained its edge.
@tabascobrand Ending this with a huge splash! Let’s check out the seasoning highlights 🌶! 🎤 @darryl_mayes
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What Makes Tabasco So Popular?
Tabasco sauce is made by the Mcllhenny Company, a family-owned corporation based in Avery Island, a small island off the coast of Louisiana. The family started producing pepper-based sauced, named after heat-filled Tabasco peppers.
Over the years, the Tabasco brand produced a wide variety of flavors but otherwise stayed with the same recipe for its’ trademark item. According to Tabasco’s marketing executives, a part of Tabasco’s appeal is its drive to stick to tradition and adapt to various cuisines and cultures. This adaptability is no less exemplified by the fact that the Tabasco brand was issued a Royal Warrant by the late Queen of England, Elizabeth II, in 2009.
The company’s reach is much further than its humble origins in Louisiana, with Tabasco being marketed and sold in 195 countries. While it has become a household name, the Mcllhenny Company does not simply rest on its laurels and let the Tabasco sauce market itself. The McIIhenny family have collaborated with influencers to make Tabasco marketing even more successful.
If you’re interested in how influencer marketing benefits CPG brands, read this article!
Tinx and Tabasco’s Joint Marketing Campaign
One of Tabascos’ strongest spokespersons isikToker Christina Naijar, otherwise known as Tinx. She’s known for engaging with her fandom by answering TikTok “big sister” Q&As. Christiana is dubbed “TikTok’s older sister” for her advice on relationships and mental wellness. She has over 1.5 million followers on TikTok and is no stranger to influencer marketing, having given her name to a bowl you can order at Chipotle.
To continue, Tinx and the Tabasco brand have collaborated on a joint marketing campaign. Their campaign spawned a new product: a salad dressing called the “TABASCO® Brand x TINX Avocado Jalapeño Hot Sauce Dressing.”
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The idea originated with Tinx, who expressed the idea of using hot sauce as a salad dressing. After Tabasco contacted her in 2021, the communication resulted in the novel product that is currently coming out. Similarly, Tabasco and Tinx have collaborated with Tinx’s other marketing partner, Chipotle. The collaboration gave free vouchers out to whoever bought the new dressing. However, Tinx is far from the only TikTok influencer with whom Tabasco marketing has done joint campaigns.
Tabasco collaborated with TikToker Lynja, a wholesome TikTok chief, and Darryl Mayes, a comedic TikTok creator. Tabasco’s marketing appealed to several different niches, but the results were still as successful as ever. While the general rule of thumb is for marketers to stay within their specific niche, Tabasco did just that while expanding its reach with the power of influencers!
@cookingwithlynja Shakshuka always taste better with @TABASCO Brand #LightThingsUp Make sure to check @TabascoBrand out on Tiktok
If you’re interested in other ways CPG brands have used TikTok to market, read this article!
Bringing Tabasco Into Poland
Often, brands’ biggest challenge is expanding their reach to other countries. Even across a border, consumers’ markets and tastes can vary widely, often depending on local customs and, in the case of food products such as Tabasco, cuisines. Thus, Tabasco collaborated with Awesome PR Girls, a public relations company primarily dealing in the Polish market, to market its sauce strongly overseas.
While normally seen as an American product by much of the world, Awesome PR Girls aimed to integrate the Tabasco sauce into their established Polish cuisine, despite the lack of traditional spicy dishes. Part of the reason PR did so well was by marketing Tabasco with a brand ambassador. Their brand ambassador was Grzegorz Łapanowski, a very famous Polish chef and food journalist. Alongside this, they enlisted more than 20 food bloggers all over Poland to market Tabasco sauce.
This resulted in over 40 influencers collaborating with the brand. On top of this, over 250 publications wrote about Tabasco sauce, many praising its quality and easy integration. In the video above, Łapanowski showcases how to utilize the sauce in both Polish and American ways. The clashing of cultures surely gave Tabasco marketing a well-needed edge against its competitors.
Even with the differences in culture, language, and celebrities between the United States and Poland, influencer marketing is a strategy that transcends all boundaries. Tabasco knew this all too well, and collaborating with influencers kept their name in the game.
If you’re unsure where to focus your influencer marketing, click this article to learn which social media is best for you!
Tabasco Marketing: Key Takeaways
Mcllhenny’s Company has seen massive changes since Tabasco’s birth in mid-19th century Louisiana. Despite its long-standing history, Tabasco has been able to successfully adapt to modern marketing trends. While Mcllhenny’s product is well-known for its high-quality ingredients, the brand doesn’t just rely on its name to sell bottles.
Through collaborating with global influencers worldwide, including TikTok stars and celebrity chefs, Tabasco has appealed to all sorts of markets with its strategic influencer marketing campaigns. As a result of their flexibility, the brand has stayed relevant in the eyes of consumers. This is what keeps people coming back for Tabasco’s signature sauce! If you’re a brand hoping to use influencers for your next campaign, you can learn something from these Tabasco marketing strategies.
Read more on NeoReach’s food and beverage influencer marketing guide here.
