Case Study:
Mug Buddy Cookies

The need:

Mug Buddy Cookies is a Maine-owned, nationally distributed brand of whimsical, edible mug topper cookies. A previous participant and semifinalist in the Greenlight Maine startup competition, Mug Buddy gained quick traction in local markets, which eventually led to a product placement in the Anthropologie holiday catalog.

Increasing attention on the brand led to an urgent need for multi-channel communications strategy, specifically focused on social media and email marketing with consistent messaging and imagery. The goal? To leverage the brand’s viral moment and continue to reach new customers.

The process:

Mug Buddy engaged with Jordan to consult on marketing opportunities after being connected through a mutual colleague. Following a social media audit and email audience reorganization, Jordan took the reins of Mug Buddy’s Instagram and Facebook presences, deciding to expire the existing but dormant Twitter and Pinterest pages to focus on the two pages where customers were already interacting. Jordan strategized a content plan which incorporated new imagery, user generated content and interactive ideas and recipes for Mug Buddy customers. Jordan also worked with the client to define voice attributes and brand hashtags for customer use.

In conjunction with social media content, a twice-monthly email marketing newsletter was established and deployed, offering discounts, more recipes and a peek behind-the-scenes during Mug Buddy’s busy seasons.

In October 2020, Mug Buddy was featured on WMTW-TV, a local ABC affiliate. The media placement quickly went viral across the country, picked up by ABC affiliates as far as Washington state.


The result:

In Jordan’s time working with Mug Buddy, their social media presence has doubled from 500 to 1,000+ followers. Instagram following tripled and email marketing subscriber lists crew from 300 to 1,000+. The small business sees an average of 5-6 immediate sales upon the distribution of each biweekly newsletter, with more continuing throughout the week.

Increased attention on the brand led to a seasonal holiday partnership with Uncommon Goods, which was picked up in 2019, 2020 and again for Valentine’s Day products in 2021.

The initial audience audit proved invaluable to the creation of Mug Buddy brand content. By utilizing well-performing content data and prioritizing social media channels that reach the farthest in Mug Buddy’s desired demographics, Jordan was able to communicate value to its customers and build excitement around the growing brand.