Hawaiian Host

The Challenge 

Founded more than 100 years ago, Hawaiian Host has become an iconic symbol of the Islands and the memories made amidst the palms. It is the largest manufacturer of chocolate-covered macadamias in the world, with millions of boxes shared all over the globe. At a time when a Pacific getaway was out of reach, Hawaiian Host set out to send a taste of the islands to your front door.

The challenge: Modernize the Hawaiian Host brand with a direct-to-consumer digital transformation. Create a new Shopify Plus experience to blend the legacy of the company with a fan-first approach to e-commerce.
 

The Solution 

Oh, I love those! 

Our strategy centered not only on selling a much-loved candy but on something that a pandemic world hungered for even more: escape. There is no greater escape than the Hawaiian Islands. Rather than concentrate on beating out confectionery competitors, we focused on travel, surf, and lifestyle brands that would help bring Hawaiian Host’s greatest brand promise to the forefront: the Aloha Spirit. 

We balanced that approach with some tide-tested research, combining our knowledge about how consumers had purchased in the past with a new take on how we could influence those purchases in the future.

We partnered with Shopify Plus to create a seamlessly integrated mix of brand and transaction. The newly-launched site gets visitors salivating over island culture before selling them on product. The content-first approach creates a mighty big footprint. It allows a variety of channels, agencies, and owners to send out a unified message. And it allows that message to stick close to the cart. Once visitors find their perfect treat, we give them an effortless checkout, along with a perfectly timed follow-up, so if their macadamia nuts run low a little sooner than expected, customers know Hawaiian Host has them covered.