Healthy, wholesome rodeo fare for rural Canadians.
Problem
Rural Canada’s fast food options are limited to a few options providing unhealthy menus.
Challenge
Provide rural communities with familiar fare that is relatively healthier than traditional fast food.
Opportunity
Every brand that markets itself in small, rural communities is city-centred first.
Solution
Create a brand that celebrates rural Canada and rural Canadians.
Client:
Road Ranch Hospitality
Category:
Restaurant
Location:
Calgary, Canada
Date:
2021
Status:
Launching 2024
Partners:
Chef Shane Chartrand
Phantom Actor conducted a brand assessment of North America’s quick-service restaurants, with a focus on the rural market in Western Canada. Key competitors included A&W, McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Subway, and more. Only one—Tim Hortons—generates imagery of rural Canada, while the rest focus rely on metropolitan environs and characters to communicate their brands. Yet, Tim Hortons is over-manicured to the point of fantasy; Tim Hortons’ projection of rural Canada is the manicured streets of Banff, Alberta, a tourist destination nestled among the Canadian Rockies.
Road Ranch Hospitality aims to develop healthier, baked fare, and offer unique takes on hamburger joint favourites, such as elk and bison patties. They tasked Phantom Actor with assessing the competition and designing a brand that would position themselves against some of the world’s biggest quick-service restaurants. We did that by crafting something that celebrates what it means to live beyond the city.