Columbia Food & Wine Festival
Columbia Food & Wine Festival sought to revamp its image to emphasize its growing influence and vibrant community. Partnering with King & Columbus, they launched a rebranding initiative. The agency crafted a new logo and brand assets that captured the festival’s dynamic spirit and redesigned the website to be engaging and user-friendly. This effort reinvigorated the festival’s identity and strengthened its community connection, setting the stage for growth.
- Established in 2018 by the Free Times publishing group to showcase Columbia’s food scene.
- Transitioning to non-profit status under The Post & Courier Foundation.
Solution
Collaborated with the CFWF board to develop a brand suite reflecting the festival’s evolution.
Prioritized conveying:
- Columbia's dynamic and evolving food scene.
- Customizable elements for various event applications.
- A playful and engaging atmosphere.
Results
Fresh and modern branding
Resonates with the festival’s new non-profit status and growing reach.
Customizable elements
Playful and engaging aesthetic
Testimonial
King & Columbus helped us launch new festival branding and website. They reshaped our social media to reflect the updated branding and established a consistent voice across all counts and were able to bring all of the individual marketing elements of the festival together under one cohesive visual and message. Communication is key to the K&C process – they truly listen and take all of your thoughts and input into consideration. They took a personal investment in the success of the project and their commitment to our needs and timeline have beyond exceeded expectations. The K&C team has worked overtime to fit within our calendar leading up to the festival and I look forward to seeing where we grow from here.
Lindsay Conine
Festival Co-Director
Notes & Key Takeaways
- Versatility and playfulness can be powerful tools in attracting new audiences and generating excitement.
- Effective branding requires understanding the client’s vision, target audience and desired brand personality.Â
Social Media
Paid
Our paid social strategy split the entire season into three parts – awareness & interest, engagement & education and urgency. Each campaign showcased a variety of ads that were provided, with unique creative, copy and targeting based on the festival’s status, events and interest.
Results
- $2.9K budgetÂ
- 7K link taps
- 491K Impressions
Influencers
In Partnership with Experience Columbia and the Columbia Museum of Art, we highlighted Columbia SC’s vibrant culinary and arts scenes with an influencer trip, amplifying the reach and impact through social media. Understanding the role of influencers in today’s digital landscape, our team handled research, outreach and management of a small group of key creators who participated in the planned experience. Every element of the event was designed to encapsulate the essence of Columbia’s culture – from bespoke merchandise to welcome bags to the scheduled experience.
Attendees
- Megan Pinckney Rutherford - 60K IG Followers
- Sarah Louise Rhodes - 74K IG Followers
- Naomie Olindo - 721K IG Followers
Testimonial
Our goal was to create an experience that centers on the [CFWF] festival while incorporating other local attractions and entities to build a 24-hour content-worthy experience that creators wanted to take part in. Internally, the festival created an outline of what this might look like. Then, the K&C team took it to the next level — it transformed into a beautifully designed piece that has enticed influencers to visit the region during Columbia Food and Wine Festival. [Their work has] played a key role in not only elevating the festival, but also in enhancing the perception of Columbia as a destination.
Web
Branding Work
Website Work
