Don’s Specialty Meats

Cajun butcher shop fighting for market share

Boudin is the main attraction.

In Scott, LA, locals refer to their little town as the “Boudin Capital of the World”. Home of the annual Boudin Festival, Scott is home to more boudin/butcher shops than grocery stores. Don’s is a name that everyone in the area knows, but new market entrants like Billy’s (1/2 mile away) threaten the market share by fresh, new faces.

Same Name, New Look

Don’s logo prior to our working relationship was simply their name, in a “silly” font. Along with an artist, I helped to conceptualize and bring to life the new Don’s Specialty Meats brand. The new branding is emblazoned upon billboards up and down Interstate 10. It captures the heart of Don’s business as a butcher shop while being instantly recognizable to the long-term clientele.

Don’s logo from company launch in 1991 through 2016

Don’s logo at present

I hired a professional photographer to stage some of their more popular products in a BBQ setting. The results provided excellent content for social media and the new website, which I also managed the build of through a development company, Zeekee, who specialized in building front-ends that matched the Don’s archaic e-commerce interface. Visit the Don’s website here. Donsspecialtymeats.com

When I took over the Don’s social media presence completely in 2014, their Facebook page was posted to sparsely, they had about 4,000 fans purely by name recognition. They did not want to invest into social media advertising so I had to do this organically. One thing that owner Mark Cole loved to do was giveaway food and gift packages, I noted this when I saw how many local benefits and events he donated generously to. Rather than cash boosting, I leveraged his love for being charitable with food into social engagement via giveaways. By creating eye-catching and shareable Facebook content, I was able to grow their base consistently for years.

Consistent Growth

Don’s Facebook presence has grown organically over the past 6 years due to the running start that these giveaways provided. At the beginning of 2020, the COVID pandemic severely affected businesses like Don’s, having to shut down for months. Due to the new branding, new website, and increased social reach Don’s was able to hold course through the pandemic and even recently opened a larger second location that is thriving.

As of 2021, their Facebook fandom is greater than 48,000 strong.

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Contact: Laurie Gautreaux