How Sun Basket Uses Switcher Studio to Livestream Their Cooking Show

Whether you love seeing pictures of people’s food on Facebook and Instagram or you hate it, there is no denying that food is as much a visual experience as a tasting one. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why cooking shows are so popular. Watching a chef bring a meal to life in all its color and texture is so much more engaging than trying to follow the words on a page in a cookbook.

At Sun Basket, a healthy meal kit delivery service, the company has capitalized on the “show me” aspect of cooking demonstrations and the marketing power of live video to produce Facebook Live videos that engage their customers in an authentic way. Using Switcher Studio, Sun Basket creates videos that mimic real TV productions, without the cost and setup, and interact with customers in real-time.

Based in California, Sun Basket prides itself on offering only organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. Their nutritionist-approved recipes include paleo, lean & clean, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean and family options. Each meal is ready in about 30 minutes, with no grocery shopping required.

Choosing Live Video and Switcher Studio

At the end of 2016, Sun Basket was evaluating its marketing efforts and looking for a way to more actively engage with its customers. With an already robust social media presence on Facebook, the company turned its attention to Facebook Live. “We saw the potential of Facebook Live as getting into our customer’s homes and cooking our recipes alongside them or featuring recipes to potential customers,” says Matt Chavez, Sun Basket video production.

After one broadcast using the Facebook Live app, Chavez says they realized they needed multiple camera angles and better audio quality. That’s when they discovered Switcher. “We’re able to get the crazy angles we want at multiple times to cover multiple steps in the cooking process and the kitchen,” says Chavez. Switcher has also allowed them to hook up microphones for better audio than an iPhone can provide.

Sun Basket currently broadcasts twice a month. The frequency has fluctuated a bit based on other demands, but keeping a consistent day and time has been key to their success. Sun Basket’s broadcasts are on Wednesdays at 4 p.m., PST, and typically include live cooking demonstrations of recipes in the coming week’s menu. The company has also streamed other live events, such as cooking classes and outreach efforts.

Finding Success 

Two of the biggest advantages of using Switcher for Sun Basket are its cost-effectiveness and the user-friendliness of the app. True to Switcher Studio’s simplicity premise, Sun Basket uses only three iPhones as cameras and an iPad as the control panel. When Chavez isn’t going to be on hand for a broadcast, he can train a co-worker on the interface in a matter of minutes.

The proof that live video, with the use of Switcher Studio, is helping Sun Basket reach their goals is in the increased viewership and engagement on their Facebook Page. While engagement with the initial videos started slow, Chavez says now, “Every video is starting to see record amounts of views during the video, and, actually, see a huge amount of views after the video is finished and posted.” Sun Basket is relishing the opportunity for home chefs to replay the videos and cook along with their head chef or learn a new technique while cooking dinner.

Chavez attributes Sun Basket’s live video success to the quality of their productions and the ability to communicate with customers in real-time. “It shows we’re real people. We care about the food we’re making for you,” he says.

Check out Sun Basket's Facebook Page to see their latest videos or visit their website – www.sunbasket.com.