Dive Brief:

• Dunkin' is partnering with Peeps candy on a marketing campaign and new limited products around Easter and the spring season, according to a Dunkin’ news release. New menu items include marshmallow-flavored coffee and espresso drinks and a Peeps doughnut topped with white icing, green and egg-shaped sprinkles and a mini yellow Peeps chick.
• The Dunkin' coffee car and the Peepsmobile will also travel together from Peeps' hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Dunkin's birthplace of Quincy, Massachusetts. The vehicles will stop at six Dunkin' locations along with way, and the first 250 guests will receive a free marshmallow-flavored iced coffee, Peeps doughnut and other giveaways. Dunkin' plans to share details about the stops on its Instagram channel.
• For the campaign, Peeps is also hosting a social media promotion that asks fans if they prefer the candies to be in the shape of bunnies or chicks, MediaPost reported. Consumers who text PeepsUnited to 40403 and donate $5 to United Way will be entered to win a trip for four to Peeps' headquarters for a factory tour and a $250 shopping spree.

Dive Insight:

The Dunkin'-Peeps partnership features several creative elements that could help both brands to drive awareness and excitement around springtime and Easter, Peeps' key sales season. Dunkin' often releases limited-edition menu items around holidays and is now striving to promote its coffee lineup and refreshed brand image, while the iconic Easter candy Peeps hopes to boost sales around the upcoming holiday by associating the brand with Dunkin's well-known name.

The novelty factor of the Peepsmobile and Dunkin' coffee car traveling side by side and giving away free products will likely help the brands to deepen relationships with consumers and drum up some excitement on social media, as fans follow the vehicles' journey online. The novelty factor and announcing the stops on Instagram could help the brands create social media buzz and grow their followings. Experiential campaigns often resonate with younger consumers, who tend to enjoy opportunities to interact with brands in-person and in authentic ways.

Here, Peeps is embracing the buzzy cause marketing trend by rewarding the most loyal of fans for their United Way donations with a chance to win a factory tour and shopping spree. Consumers typically respond positively to these purpose-driven efforts and are increasingly basing their purchasing decisions on how a brand's values align with their own. While consumers want brands to take a stance on important causes, 39% of surveyed people said they enjoy seeing brands donate to social causes and 37% like it when brands encourage followers to also take action, like donating to a cause or attending an event, Sprout Social found.

Meanwhile, Dunkin' continues to partner with other well-known companies in unique ways around holidays or events to generate brand co-brand buzz. The Peeps collaboration comes after Dunkin' announced it would team up with athletic footwear brand Saucony on a doughnut-themed shoe for the upcoming Boston Marathon on April 15.