Challenge: Sargent Choice, together with BU Dining Services, is working toward improving the health of the BU community by offering healthier menu items in the BU dining halls. While the range and popularity of Sargent Choice has grown since its launch, Sargent Choice wanted to understand how to most effectively continue to increase awareness and consumption.

Objective: Plan-it partnered with Sargent Choice on a multi-phase study to explore, in-depth, perceptions and usage of Sargent Choice among students, as well as the optimal brand positioning platform and tactics/operational strategies to support branding efforts.

Solution: In Phase I of the study, Plan-it conducted small discussion groups to understand the mindset and behavior of students, with respect to on-campus dining and barriers and drivers to Sargent Choice consumption. Based on findings from this phase, Plan-it made recommendations to inform the creation of a new marketing concept for the brand as well as tactical/
operational recommendations to help drive awareness and trial among students.

In Phase II, Plan-it conducted student dine-alongs to further understand the BU dining experience in a real-world setting, and gather reactions to the newly developed materials. Students were both observed and interviewed, in-depth, during the dine-alongs.

Result: Students’ extremely positive reactions to the new materials developed by BU Creative Services, confirmed the validity/resonance of the new Sargent Choice positioning concept, recommended by Plan-it. Additionally, Plan-it made recommendations to fine-tune the Sargent Choice strategy, ultimately, to continue to increase consumption of Sargent Choice menu items.