It’s hard to fathom, but according to a recent Betty Crocker survey, even consumers who hail from the land of “The Great British Baking Show” lack confidence in their baking skills.
The research revealed a high prevalence of “bakers block,” and that of the 86 percent of people from Manchester, England, who enjoy baking, one-third of them only do it every few months or less. The top reason? They’re afraid they’ll fail. So to bridge the gap between consumers’ culinary aspirations and the final product, while giving its cake-baking mixes a boost, the century-old brand tapped into modern tech and whipped up an AI-powered Dream Bake Studio.
“Even with Betty Crocker baking mixes, there’s still this sense that ‘I don’t think I can do this. I’m going to screw this up,’” says JP Del Carmen, head of snacks & baking, UK at General Mills. “So we want to make sure that we’re offering solutions to consumers that can demonstrate that what Betty Crocker can bring to your life is, yes, the ease of the baking itself, but then also taking your baking dreams into reality.”
The activation, hosted Oct. 10 at the Trafford Centre shopping mall in Manchester, was crafted to replicate the whimsy and color schemes typical of a vintage candy shop that beckoned shoppers in. Upon entering the Dream Bake Studio, they were greeted by a brand ambassador who guided them through the experience. Participants first answered a few questions on a tablet, like what their interests are and what kind of flavors they enjoy, then had the opportunity to create a small graphic that would later be attached to their personalized creation.
Next, Betty Crocker entered the consumer’s inputs into a custom AI generator that yielded a 3D rendering of the person’s “dream bake.” Within a few minutes, the render was transformed into a physical label and attached to a Betty Crocker cake kit for the participant to take home. They also scored icing pens and frosting, along with instructions on how to make their dream cake in their own kitchen.
According to the brand, leveraging AI wasn’t about being on-trend, but rather a creative avenue for solving a consumer pain point.
“[Using AI] still needs to be true to the brand ethos, and it ultimately needs to be relevant to the consumer,” says Del Carmen. “It needs to add value. It can’t be, ‘I have to download an app,’ or, ‘I don’t understand why you’re entering this conversation.’ It ultimately brings it back to what Betty Crocker’s about, which is offering ease and delicious bakes—making it easy and, ultimately, accessible.”
With an assist from influencer partners and its earned media strategy, Betty Crocker says early results show that the Dream Bake Studio was a success, and an experience the brand may consider repeating in the near future.
How’s that for icing on the cake?
