EIT Food Entrepreneurship comprises 3 distinct programmes: Seedbed Incubator, EIT Food Accelerator Network, and RisingFoodStars. Each programme addresses a different stage of the entrepreneurial journey with unique needs, wants and pain points, and as such needs to have a distinct communication approach, whilst not straying too far from the overarching brand identity of EIT Food.

In order to effectively address and attract applicants for all programmes, EIT Food Entrepreneurship needed a multi-channel, full-funnel strategy that could leverage various channels to optimise for lead generation, funnel engagement and conversion. Each programme had to be distinctively represented, alongside high-level messaging about the 3 programmes as a whole. For a project this size, the strategy had to be flexible and ever-adapting based on performance data gathered throughout the process. 

Our research focused on identifying the behaviours of each audience — from early-stage startups to scaleups — and their pain points.  Given the differing offerings of each EIT Food Entrepreneurship programme, we identified the most important value propositions for each audience segment and structured the campaigns accordingly. 

Whilst unique in its structure, EIT Food Entrepreneurship sometimes seems complex to new audiences, and many struggle to identify which programme is best for them, or drop off partway through the application process.  As such, we focused on creating effective re-targeting journeys, ensuring personalised follow-ups and clear benefits for each programme. 

We created a full-funnel marketing strategy that effectively led the target audience from awareness through to sign-up for one of the three programmes. Using audience behaviour and retargeting at its core, the campaign began with broad, benefits-led messaging to attract potential applicants and used behavioural data from website visits to trigger personalised follow-ups via paid and email channels. This ensured that potential applicants were always reminded of the opportunities at hand and could easily follow the journey to completing the sign-up.  

We built a seamless loop between web visits and email marketing, targeting users with benefit-driven communication to guide them through the funnel and ensure leads were followed up with effectively.  The messaging adapted depending on the user behaviour to optimise conversion rates and maintain engagement. 

We also developed a key messaging framework to ensure consistent language across channels and audiences, and a communications toolkit to activate the wider EIT Food network of employees, partners and alumni. This approach allowed all channels, including paid, organic, referral and email, to work in sync, increasing both efficiency and overall reach and impact.

By activating multiple channels through a comprehensive strategy, we saw an uplift in both awareness and conversions for the campaign. Each channel contributed to the campaign's success in its unique way, and backed by audience research and behaviour data, the campaign followed a well–rounded approach end-to-end.