GoodChop: Best Meat Delivery Service or Marketing Scam?
If you are passionate about cooking or a foodie like me, you’ve probably looked into grocery delivery services to find the perfect cut of meat for your next Friday at-home date night.
After moving to New York from Asia for almost a year now, I could no longer bear with the water-injected pork chop, the bland-tasting steaks, or the enormous chicken breasts from my local grocery store. I am often baffled if I did some preparations wrong when I am searing a pork chop and water starts seeping from the meat until the bottom of the pan is filled with water. That was when I knew it was time to look into the quality and source of my meats.
Coincidentally (probably not), I saw an Instagram story ad the next day from GoodChop advertising that they offer new subscription members $120 off their first 3 orders and a free cut of meat along with every order for the first year. My attention was immediately captured. This is exactly what I am looking for!
About GoodChop
In today’s fast-paced world, convenience and quality are highly valued attributes when it comes to shopping for food. GoodChop is an online meat delivery service that pledges “to bring you quality meat and seafood from domestic family farms and fisheries, raised responsibly without antibiotics or added hormones–nothing but the real deal.”
The company prioritizes sourcing high-quality meat from trusted suppliers who adhere to strict standards of farming and animal welfare. They offer a diverse selection of cuts, including premium beef, poultry, lamb, and game meats, with customizable options to suit individual preferences. According to what is advertised on GoodChop’s website, it stands out among other meat delivery services due to its unwavering commitment to quality, extensive range of options, convenience, and excellent customer service.
GoodChop’s Marketing Strategy
As a new meat delivery service in an already saturated market with prominent existing players such as Butcher Box, Crowd Cow, and MisFits Market, GoodChop has implemented a robust digital marketing strategy to reach its target audience and drive customer engagement.
Firstly, GoodChop utilizes targeted social media advertising to reach potential customers (such as myself!) They create eye-catching ads that highlight their high-quality meat, diverse range of options, and convenient delivery service. These ads are strategically placed to reach foodies like me who have expressed interest in cooking, food, or similar topics, ensuring that their message reaches a relevant audience.
Second, GoodChop maintains a strong online presence through an informative and visually appealing website. The website showcases their offerings, highlights their commitment to quality and sustainability. This touch point was the deciding step to my purchasing decision with GoodChop as I felt like their values aligned with mine when it came to quality and sustainability.
More so, GoodChop tells a strong and consistent brand story of where their meat came from and how it gets flash-frozen and delivered to their customers. Throughout all their social media platforms, GoodChop paints an image of green grassy fields and happy cows. Their storytelling is impeccable and crucial to reeling in customers who share the same vision and values.
Lastly, they encourage the sharing of their digital content through a special promotion that encourages users to engage their friends. Subscribed members can gift their friends a trial package consisting of 3 high-quality meat cuts that GoodChop will ship for free. This marketing tactic allows GoodChop to create earned media and user-generated content that ultimately lead more users their way.
Did GoodChop deliver on their promise?
Good marketing gets people in the door, but retaining them requires a brand to deliver on their promise.
So, is GoodChop really what they say they are?
The first thing that I noticed after placing my order with GoodChop was that they have completely changed my selected cuts to cheaper cuts without informing me. By cheaper cuts I mean meat that are not actually sustainable or humanely grown. Customers have to pay extra to select actually grass-fed and pasture raised meats. If I didn’t double-check my order before it was delivered, I would have gotten a completely random selection of meats that I didn’t want.
The second issue came after the packaged arrived at my house: the free cut of meat was missing. I called the ‘diligent’ customer service that they have advertised on their social media, and all they could tell me was “you have already received the box, there is nothing more we can do”.
Brand equity is built on the trust of customers and trust is earned through consistent delivery of brand promise. GoodChop may have launched a successful marketing campaign to acquire new customers through their initial promotions and visually appealing website, they have failed to deliver on their brand promise, which would be detrimental to their brand in the long run.
I may have been one customer that was enticed by their pretty images and genuine story, but I believe great marketing is futile if the product does not deliver on the promise.
