Crystal Spring Grocery Co.

Overview

Crystal Spring Grocery Co. (CSG) is a high-end grocery in Roanoke, VA, located in the historic former Tinnell’s Finer Foods space. Generations of locals have visited this address for gourmet food, wine, and specialty items — from pimento cheese and ham biscuits to made-to-order meals and curated grocery staples. Led by former Local Roots Executive Chef Matt Lintz in the kitchen and Devon Steiner, former manager at River and Rail, curating wine, beer, and specialty groceries, CSG is committed to delivering an exceptional, personal shopping experience.

The Challenge

A few months before their launch, CSG approached us to help introduce the brand to the community, build anticipation, and lay the foundation for a loyal customer base. With a discerning, Roanoke-based audience and a mission centered on quality and connection, they needed a strategy that captured their unique identity and sustained engagement beyond opening day.

Our Approach

Working closely with CSG’s leadership, we translated and evolved the branding originally created by Appalachia Press into a full, usable ecosystem for both print and digital platforms.
Our work included:

• Creative Direction & Strategy – Setting the visual and messaging tone to align with CSG’s mission and clientele.

• Social Media Management – Content planning, creation, and community management across Facebook and Instagram, tailored to platform-specific audience behavior.

• Photography & Content Creation – Capturing the people, products, and atmosphere that define CSG, focusing on two consistently high-performing themes: people and beautiful food.

• Printed Collateral – Designing lunch menu templates, catering menus, in-store signage, and other customer-facing print materials.

• Website Support – Updating and refining content to ensure consistent messaging and a seamless user experience.

• Paid Advertising – Running targeted campaigns, with carousel ads featuring curated food photography outperforming other formats and delivering a strong ROI.

The Results

Over two years, we built a loyal and engaged audience, driving both brand awareness and direct sales. Highlights include:

• Audience Growth – Month-over-month increases in followers and engagement across Instagram and Facebook, with a distinct split in platform demographics:

  • Facebook reaching more customers aged 35–54.

  • Instagram connecting with younger audiences aged 25–35.

• Content Performance – Posts featuring people and community stories consistently doubled reach compared to other content.

• Paid Ad Success – Carousel ads with high-quality food photography achieved industry-leading cost-per-click rates as low as $0.09, converting casual browsers into first-time visitors.

• Local Impact – Established CSG as a go-to destination for gourmet groceries, prepared foods, and wine in Roanoke, reinforcing their role as a community staple.

Our Role

From pre-launch teasers to ongoing seasonal promotions, we handled creative direction, strategy, production, social media management, website updates, and printed collateral. Our goal was not just to market a store, but to help solidify CSG’s presence as part of the cultural fabric of Roanoke’s food scene.