MyFood

MyFood is the very first large-scale halal supermarket concept in Europe. The brand’s first store in Antwerp unites the best of two worlds: Moroccan gastronomy and hospitality, and a selection of Belgium’s tried-and-trusted A-brand products. Although the concept is rooted in Muslim tradition, the founding fathers were adamant: MyFood is a supermarket for everyone. The chain welcomes all social and cultural groups and is not just for Muslims. It became our job to make sure that this message of inclusiveness became one of the central elements in the MyFood narrative.

Over the past few years, halal food items have become increasingly popular among both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers, as they evolved from being an identification mark of religious observation to one of food safety, hygiene and reliability. This means that, as a brand, MyFood is addressing two entirely different audiences equally. Thankfully, Nightingale got to help build the MyFood brand from the ground up, making sure that it was just as much one as it was the other.

Not only did we provide thorough branding consultancy, we also helped MyFood create the right in-store signage – with each sign, sticker and wrap carefully crafted to make sure it reflects the right message. For example, following the MyFood strategy, our senior graphic designer Joëlle created a welcome sign that feels Arabic, but that can be read by all. Moreover, we helped market MyFood’s ready-to-eat dishes, and we are currently working on developing the very first MyFood proprietary product: fresh, delicious coffee beans.

MyFood is focused on aesthetics and lifestyle. But the brand is also deeply rooted in both Moroccan and local traditions. MyFood is both stylish and raw, both modern and traditional. In order to unite all these elements, we decided to infuse the chain’s stylish launch campaign with some local flavor. We teamed up with renowned Belgian fashion photographer Charlie De Keersmaecker for the campaign’s photo shoot. Yet instead of using models, we asked the MyFood employees from the Antwerp location to show us their best smize. Their portraits became full-image posters that were put on display all around the neighborhood to promote the supermarket’s grand opening. This approach did not only allow us to show the true faces of MyFood, it also made sure that by the time the store opened, the people working there would already feel familiar to the local community. It’s all about inclusiveness, after all.

A new generation of digitally savvy and affluent Islamic consumers are looking for brands that offer a modern take on tradition while respecting Muslim principles. After researching the Muslim community in Europe and talking to prominent opinion makers on the topic of etno-marketing, we carefully mapped out our target audience and the relevant target media. The result was a communication plan in three waves – complete with a teasing phase, an informative phase and, of course, influencer marketing. As a next step, we will be rolling out an extensive influencer marketing campaign with local Muslim influencers that are strongly embedded in the Muslim community but also inspiring to a broader audience. Perfectly on-brand for MyFood, right?

Early on, we realized it was important for MyFood to address the contemporary Muslim – and to focus on the younger generation. That is why our digital strategist Tom worked out a strategy based on Instagram and TikTok. Our graphic design team was charged with finding the perfect look-and-feel for the chain’s social feed. In order to familiarize the target audience with MyFood’s unique brand promise, our social media manager created a content planning and a systematic build-up toward the opening of the first location in Antwerp based on behind-the-scenes footage and sneak peek shots. To finish it all off – and because we like a nice and clean campaign – we optimized all communications channels, we created rich content for the website and we provided our extensive local network with a number of to-the-point press releases.