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Case Study
Sun Basket
Meal Kit Service

The Challenge

Like. Follow. Learn more. Buy now. We live in a “clickable” age, where you can find just about anything with the tap of a finger. While this may satisfy our individual needs for instant gratification, it can make it difficult for your business to stand out in an oversaturated market.

So, how do you make use of affordable digital marketing solutions and cut through the clutter to reach your customers? Sun Basket, a healthy meal kit delivery service, is doing just that by using Switcher Studio to integrate Facebook Live videos into their overall marketing strategy.

"Live video, specifically for going Facebook Live with Switcher, is a great opportunity to talk directly to our customers right then and there."

Matt Chavez, Video Production, Sun Basket

The Opportunity

Only three years old, Sun Basket decided to add Facebook Live to its marketing lineup in January 2017 because they wanted an opportunity to interact directly with customers.
“Live video, specifically for going Facebook Live with Switcher, is a great opportunity to talk directly to our customers right then and there. We actually have our head chef, the person that’s made thousands of recipes for us, there to answer any questions viewers submit, and we show different camera angles like a real TV production,” says Matt Chavez, Sun Basket video production.
Sun Basket began going live using the Facebook Live native app but quickly looked for an alternative that offered more options for camera angles and better quality audio. That’s when they landed on Switcher Studio. “We realized pretty early on what a unique opportunity this was to create a TV-like experience for people,” says Alicia Egan, Sun Basket marketing associate – social media. “Because Facebook Live is still new to some people, creating a familiar experience, like what they are used to watching on TV or 'traditional' video from home, was really important to our team. Switcher allows us to simulate the familiar, using new technology.” 
Some ways Sun Basket simulates a TV show with live videos include:
  • Switching between multiple camera angles
  • Zooming in and out to get up close to the action
  • Using a beginning and ending title card
  • Using consistent intro theme music

Equipment and Usability

Sun Basket has been producing weekly to monthly videos for the last year using only iOS devices. Currently they use three iPhones as cameras and one iPad as the controller because its larger screen enhances visibility. They also use external microphones for better sound quality. Being able to create a TV-style production without the typical overhead is a tremendous advantage of using live video and Switcher, according to Chavez.
The Switcher Studio app is also very intuitive, making video production user-friendly. “You just tap what camera you want, what image you want and what video you want to play within the broadcast. It’s really helpful because I might not be able to be on production all the time. I can literally hand my control to my co-worker, and I can teach them how to do it in a matter of two minutes,” says Chavez.

"I can literally hand my control to my co-worker, and I can teach them how to do it in a matter of two minutes."

Matt Chavez, Video Production, Sun Basket

The Results

After a year of using Facebook Live consistently, Sun Basket has seen the benefits reflected in their metrics. Their initial viewership in real-time was about 900 views. Since then, Sun Basket’s most successful broadcasts have reached upwards of 2,500+ views in real time. “Basically, when we started going live in January 2017, you see crazy spikes in reach and engagement that we didn’t have in the previous year,” says Egan. She attributes the growth in viewership in part to the dynamic video experience using Switcher Studio and increased awareness and expectation around Sun Basket’s regularly scheduled streams.

In addition to increased real-time views, post-stream viewership has grown exponentially for Sun Basket, as customers refer back to videos to learn cooking techniques or cook a meal along with a chef. Egan estimates one-third of Sun Basket’s live video views occur in real-time, while an additional two-thirds are long-tail views over the following week. For instance, if a video had 900 views in real-time, it will garner an average of an additional 1,800 views by the end of the week, for a total of 2,700 views.

Sun Baskets’ overall reach and engagement metrics have also improved. “Since we began our live streams in January 2017, Facebook Live continues to outperform ‘regular’ video content and static, in-feed content by a long shot,” says Egan. For example, Egan estimates a Facebook Live stream might perform five times better than a static post.

For 2018, Sun Basket is continuing to make Facebook Live a priority. This year they will be exploring new series and broadcast times, as well as refining their content strategy and fine-tuning video components such as lighting quality.

"Facebook Live continues to outperform ‘regular’ video content and static, in-feed content by a long shot."

Alicia Egan, Marketing Associate — Social Media, Sun Basket