Potawatomi Ventures Enters Gas and Convenience Store Retail Segment with fireside MARKET

Last year, Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, the economic development and income diversification business of the Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC), was rebranded as Potawatomi Ventures. The rebrand was intended to better reflect the full breadth of the company’s initiatives, which are to nurture new paths to shared prosperity for generations for the Forest County Potawatomi Community.

One of the first initiatives coming out of the recently rebranded Potawatomi Ventures is the launch of fireside MARKET, a new food-forward, modern market that offers made-to-order, high quality food and frictionless, technology-driven services. Fireside MARKET officially opens its doors this month in Slinger, WI, and was developed to capitalise on the growing gas and convenience store retail market business opportunity. According to figures recently published in The New York Times, sales from food at gas stations have more than doubled in the past 20 years, from 13.1% to 26.7%. Fireside MARKET aspires to meet the needs of real people—from busy parents to hungry travellers to seniors looking for a friendly place to gather.

Supporting the launch of fireside MARKET is a 360-food focus, local marketing campaign created by Milwaukee-based Hanson Dodge, Potawatomi’s creative agency partner (which also handled the company’s rebrand last year). The campaign targets families, and especially mums, along with travellers, truck drivers and locals, with a focus on its high-quality, fresh food. The brand’s tagline: ‘Premium To-Go.’

Advertising debuts this month and will include video, out-of-home, streaming audio, search, digital, experiential, email and local activations all designed to establish fireside MARKET as the go-to-place for premium, made-to-order meals. It will run into the Fall.

Advertising targets mums – amazing, multitasking, always-on-the-go women who somehow keep it all together without making compromises – especially when it comes to a hot and fresh dinner for her family. Fireside MARKET makes sure that they get the premium quality they want, without having to slow down to get it. It’s a campaign that was created by mums for mums and starring mums.

“Fireside MARKET is a food-centric concept designed to delight guests with newfound convenience and high-quality, made-to-order food,” said Amanda Gintoft, VP of marketing at Potawatomi Ventures. “We believe short on time should never mean short on flavour, and that quick food can still be quality food. At fireside MARKET, you won’t find fast food, but you will find fresh food, fast.”

Added Katherine Schmidt, creative director at Hanson Dodge, “Beyond showcasing delicious food, the multi-channel campaign celebrates mums and lets them know that we're here to make their lives a little easier with quality, warmth, and ease coming through in every detail. It’s been a joy to bring this concept to life alongside an incredible team of women.”