Scroll Media × Carl's Deli — Discovery Session

This isn't a pitch.
It's a conversation.

We did our homework before this call. Here's what we found, how we think, and the questions we want to work through together.

Business Carl's Deli Market Cincinnati, OH Niche Deli · Food & Bev Session Discovery Call
Client Profile

Here's what we know about you.

We pulled this together before the call. If anything's off, correct us.

Business Overview

Carl's Deli

  • Owners: Sydney Turnbull & Cameron Kurz
  • Took Over: April 2022
  • History: Cincinnati staple for 80+ years
  • Locations: Hyde Park · Findlay Market (OTR)
  • Model: Carry-out, online ordering, catering
  • Background: Women-owned; family roots in The Honey Baked Ham Co.
What Makes Carl's Different
  • 80+ years of Cincinnati history — multi-generational customer base
  • Meats sliced in-house daily, house-made salads, fresh-to-order
  • Women-owned and community-rooted with deep Hyde Park identity
  • Founders grew up as customers — the story is authentic, not manufactured
  • Expanded to Findlay Market — one of Cincinnati's highest foot-traffic destinations
Current Pain Points
  • Two separate Instagram accounts — split effort, split audience, double the workload
  • Managing social while running two locations isn't sustainable
  • Posting without a system — no funnel, no IVP, no strategic purpose
  • The brand story — 80 years, sisters who grew up here — isn't being told
  • Catering and online ordering not being driven through content
Primary Goals
  • TOFUBuild awareness for both locations — especially Findlay Market
  • MOFUTell the founder story in a way that builds loyalty and connection
  • BOFUDrive catering inquiries, online orders, and foot traffic
Social Media Audit

Where you are today on Instagram.

We mapped both accounts — what's working, what isn't, and where the opportunity lives.

Our take: The two-account question has to be answered before anything else. One of the first deliverables of a Blueprint engagement is a clear recommendation on how to handle both accounts without doubling the workload.

What We Saw

Three things that stood out immediately.

The strengths, the gaps, and where the real opportunity lives.

01

The story is the biggest asset — and it's completely invisible on Instagram.

Two sisters who grew up eating at this deli, bought it to preserve it, and are now expanding it across Cincinnati. That's a founder story most local brands can't manufacture. It isn't in the bio. It isn't in the content. It isn't being told anywhere.

Founder Content MOFU Trust Brand Differentiation
02

7,300 followers is a real asset that's being underleveraged.

Most local delis would trade anything for a 7K-follower Instagram. The base is there. The problem is there's no system behind it — no funnel, no Reels engine, no keyword strategy. The Hyde Park account isn't broken. It just has no strategy.

Existing Audience Content System Lift Stage Growth
03

Catering and online ordering are buried. They should be driving the content.

The bio says "catering available" — and that's it. For a deli with an 80-year reputation, catering is a meaningful revenue line that gets zero content attention. A dedicated content pillar for catering alone could materially move that needle.

Revenue Driver BOFU Content CTA Strategy

🎯 The Real Opportunity

Carl's has three things most local brands can't build from scratch: an 80-year legacy, a genuine founder story, and a loyal existing audience. The brand isn't the problem. The system is. Build the system and the content practically writes itself.

Content Ideation

What your content could look like.

A sample of how we'd approach Carl's Deli across all three funnel stages — built around your story, your audience, and what performs in this niche.

TOFU
Top of Funnel — Reach & Discovery
Stop the scroll. Reach people who don't know Carl's yet. Saves and shares are the signal.
Reel The Craft
"We slice every piece of meat in-house. Every single day."
Slow-motion close-up of the slicer in action — the sound, the texture, the precision. Natural ASMR audio. No voiceover. Ends on the finished sandwich.
Why it works: Process content is the highest-performing format in the food niche. Sensory footage drives saves and replays — both Tier 1 signals for algorithmic distribution.
Reel The Story
"This deli has been here for 80 years. We grew up eating here. Now we own it."
Sydney or Cameron to camera — 20–30 seconds. The origin story in their own words. No script. Honest, direct, real. Ends on the counter, the chalkboard, the place.
Why it works: Founder-on-camera Reels outperform product content significantly in local food. The emotional hook earns shares from people who root for Cincinnati businesses.
Reel The Community
"What to eat at Findlay Market if you only have 20 minutes."
Quick walkthrough Reel featuring Carl's alongside neighboring Findlay Market vendors. Tags them, builds goodwill, taps into their audiences organically.
Why it works: Local collab content is the highest-reach TOFU format for neighborhood brands. Every vendor tagged brings their own audience into your reach.
Carousel The Menu
"80 years of the same chalkboard. Here's what's actually on it."
Visual carousel walking through the most iconic menu items — Curry Chicken Salad, the Pastrami, the classics. Each slide is one item with a two-line description worth ordering.
Why it works: Menu discovery carousels drive saves from people planning their first visit. High save rate = algorithmic push to non-followers.
MOFU
Middle of Funnel — Trust & Connection
Deepen the relationship with people who already know Carl's. Build loyalty and keep the brand top of mind.
Reel The Story
"We almost didn't buy it. Here's what made us say yes."
Sydney tells the moment she and Cameron decided to take over. Personal, specific, real. Not polished — raw and direct is the point.
Why it works: Decision-moment storytelling creates emotional investment that product content never can. People who connect with a founder story become regulars, not just customers.
Carousel The Craft
"What 'house-made' actually means at a deli that's been doing it for 80 years."
Education carousel breaking down the salads, how the meat gets sourced, what "fresh-to-order" looks like in practice. Specificity builds credibility.
Why it works: Authority-building carousels earn saves from people who value quality. Positions Carl's as the standard against fast-casual alternatives.
Stories The Community
Behind-the-counter Story series — "Wednesday prep day at Carl's."
3–5 frame Story sequence showing real prep: the walk-in, the slicing station, the salad line. Phone camera, natural light, real moments. Polls and questions invite interaction.
Why it works: Unedited Stories build daily intimacy with your existing audience. Story completion is a Tier 1 signal. Regulars become loyalists when they feel like insiders.
Reel The Community
"We've had customers come in for 40 years. We asked one of them why."
Short, candid interview with a multi-generational regular. Their words, their face, their story. Real customer explaining why they keep coming back.
Why it works: Social proof from real customers outperforms any brand claim. Long-time regulars signal legacy to new audiences in a way advertising never could.
BOFU
Bottom of Funnel — Action & Conversion
Drive a specific outcome — a catering inquiry, an online order, a first visit. Every post has one job and one CTA.
Reel The CTA
"This is what a Carl's Deli catering spread looks like."
15-second Reel showing a real catering setup — the trays, the meats, the sides. Ends with a direct CTA: "Order link in bio. Minimum 10 people." No fluff.
Why it works: Catering consideration is high-intent but low-awareness — most people don't think of a deli first. Showing the product in context closes that gap and drives DMs.
Carousel The CTA
"Planning an event in Cincinnati? Here's why Carl's is the easiest catering decision you'll make."
5-slide carousel: what's included, how ordering works, price range, lead time, final CTA slide with the link. Answers every question. Removes the friction to say yes.
Why it works: Decision-stage buyers need clarity, not convincing. A carousel that answers every objection converts hesitation into action.
Stories The CTA
"Online ordering is live. Here's the link."
Single-frame Story with a strong food photo and a clear link sticker. Posted Tue–Thu at 11am when lunch decisions are being made. Runs weekly. The food and the link do the work.
Why it works: Link sticker taps in Stories are the most direct conversion event on Instagram. Timing to lunch consideration windows maximizes intent-to-click.
Reel The CTA
"We're at Findlay Market Tuesday through Friday. Here's how to find us."
10-second location Reel — the Findlay entrance, the Carl's sign, the counter. Ends with hours and "see you there." Tagged with Cincinnati + Findlay Market for local search.
Why it works: Foot traffic conversion depends on people knowing you're there. Local SEO on Reels surfaces this content to nearby users exploring OTR.

This is a sample — not the full strategy. A Blueprint engagement builds this out across 90 days, mapped to your IVP, your seasonal calendar, and what the data tells us is working. These 12 ideas represent the direction. The full system is what makes it compound.

How We Work

Cincinnati-based. Instagram-first. Data-driven.

Scroll Media specializes on one channel — because mastery beats mediocrity. Locally rooted and recognized by the OTR Chamber of Commerce.

30+
Brands Served
100%
5-Star Rated
2+ yrs
Avg. Client Relationship
Month 1

Foundation

Strategy Month
  • Ideal Viewer Profile (IVP)
  • Content pillars + formats
  • Social SEO keyword bank
  • 90-day content calendar
  • Brand voice + visual direction
  • Two-account architecture answer
Months 2–3

Execution

Build & Test
  • Monthly content creation
  • Reels + carousels + Stories
  • Format and hook testing
  • Caption writing + SEO
  • Monthly performance report
Month 4+

Optimization

Refine & Convert
  • Double down on what works
  • Catering and ordering focus
  • Audience quality optimization
  • Monthly attribution reporting
Investment

Two ways to start working together.

The right starting point depends on where you are and what you need most right now.

Done-For-You

Signature Package

$2,975+ · /month

Full-service Instagram management. Strategy, content creation, execution, and reporting — all handled. Blueprint is Month 1. We execute every month after.

  • Everything in the Blueprint, plus full execution
  • Monthly content creation and posting
  • Professional Reels, carousels + Stories
  • Community management
  • Monthly performance reporting
  • Dedicated account strategist
View Signature Details →
Next Steps

Here's what the path forward looks like.

If there's a fit, the process is simple.

Step 01

Custom Proposal

Based on what we cover today, we'll put together a clear recommendation — with the right starting point and investment options built around Carl's goals.

Step 02

Proposal Review

We'll walk through it together, answer questions, and make sure we're fully aligned before anything moves forward.

Step 03

Contract & Kickoff

Once aligned, we sort the paperwork and schedule the onboarding call. Strategy Month kicks off and we start building the foundation.