A1 Food Distributor

What Is It?

Founded in 2008 by local entrepreneur Nicholas Madio, A1 Food Distributor is the number one vendor of Sabrett products in the Bronx. They’re a pretty big deal in distributing barbecue and barbecue accessories. They also do catering for parties and weddings. In the man’s own words, “they’re for foodies, by foodies.”

Where Is It?

They are located in 1195 Spofford Ave in the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx.

What was the Problem?

He wanted to get more business not from his traditional customer base but reach out to Millennials, whether they were native-born New Yorkers or transplants from elsewhere. He knew Millennials didn’t solicit his services from looking up local meat shops in the phone book or through printed circulars. Nicholas Madio wanted to create an online presence so Hunts Point and Longwood would be made aware of upcoming events, deals and specials. He wanted to create an active and loyal community so the business could continue for the next generation.

How did I Solve It?

The first thing was to establish social media accounts. I collaborated with Nicholas Madio in creating social media content, cultivating interest in his products. Even though A1 Food had no branding kit like a major Fortune 500 company, I made sure to adhere to a predominately red color theme to establish brand consistency. I made sure that the weekly Facebook ad campaigns also adhered to this theme. We made sure to identify and target specific sub-group of Millennials with the intent of maximizing impressions and clicks.

What was the Result?

A1 Food Distributor’s social media following had grown 110%. The ads collectively within the span of six months had about three thousand clicks. Nicholas Madio received about a 55% increase in the amount of calls on a weekly basis. He made an estimated nine thousand dollars in additional revenue from Fall 2018 to Sping 2019.