DISTL TRANSFORMS JUST KERNELZ INTO AUSTRALIA'S PREMIER GOURMET POPCORN DESTINATION
Announcement posted by Distl 03 Oct 2025
PERTH, WA - October 10.
Leading Perth-based digital marketing agency Distl has successfully launched and scaled Just Kernelz, transforming a single Harrisdale storefront into a thriving omnichannel business with distribution across Western Australia and interstate. Through strategic branding, premium visual storytelling, and agile social media marketing, Distl helped establish Just Kernelz as Australia's premier gourmet popcorn destination.
THE CHALLENGE: ELEVATING POPCORN FROM CINEMA SNACK TO ARTISANAL EXPERIENCE
When Just Kernelz first approached Distl, the brand had a clear vision: revolutionise how Australians think about popcorn. With over 20 unique gourmet flavours crafted from locally-sourced ingredients, from classic caramel to innovative varieties like Birthday Cake, Cinnamon Bun, and trending options like Dubai Chocolate and Matcha, Just Kernelz was poised to introduce Perth to a product category that barely existed in the local market.
However, the brand faced significant challenges. Their existing branding was basic, with only a placeholder website. Operating from a single physical location in Harrisdale, they needed to rapidly establish both their online presence and position themselves as a premium brand worthy of the artisanal product they'd created.
The challenge was multifaceted:
Create a premium digital presence that elevated popcorn from cinema staple to gourmet treat
Build awareness in a market where dedicated gourmet popcorn stores were virtually non-existent
Drive e-commerce sales to complement and eventually surpass physical retail
Establish wholesale relationships to expand into retail stockists across WA and beyond
Develop reactive marketing to capitalise on trending flavours and viral food moments
STRATEGIC APPROACH: PREMIUM PRODUCT DEMANDS PREMIUM PRESENCE
Distl developed a comprehensive digital strategy that recognised a fundamental truth: to position Just Kernelz as a premium brand, every touchpoint needed to reflect that positioning.
Building the Digital Foundation
The first priority was establishing a robust e-commerce platform that would serve as Just Kernelz's digital flagship. Distl built a comprehensive eCommerce website that didn't just facilitate transactions, it told the story of locally-popped, artisanal popcorn made with care in Perth.
The site architecture was designed to showcase the full range of flavours whilst making the shopping experience seamless. Product pages highlighted the quality ingredients, the local Perth story, and the artisanal craftsmanship behind each batch.
Simultaneously, Distl launched integrated organic and paid social media campaigns across Instagram and Facebook. Understanding that building brand awareness would be crucial for a product category brand new to the Perth market, the team prioritised consistent, engaging content that introduced the concept of gourmet popcorn to potential customers.
Elevating Through Visual Storytelling
Premium positioning requires premium presentation. Recognising that the brand's existing product photography didn't match their aspirations, Distl commissioned and art-directed comprehensive product photography shoots.
The brief was clear: create magazine-quality imagery that made Just Kernelz popcorn look as gourmet as it tasted. Each shoot meticulously captured the texture, craftsmanship, and vibrant colours of innovative flavour profiles, from the rich tones of Cookies & Cream to the playful aesthetics of Birthday Cake popcorn.
The contrast was striking. Where Just Kernelz once had basic product photos, they now had a library of professional imagery that could compete with any premium food brand. These visuals became the backbone of their entire digital presence, from website hero images to social media content, paid advertising creative to retail partner marketing materials.
Riding the Wave of Trends
Just Kernelz's willingness to innovate with trending flavours, from Dubai Chocolate during its viral moment to seasonal specials, meant Distl needed to be equally agile. The agency developed a rapid-response content system that could capitalise on viral food trends whilst they were still hot.
What this approach included:
High-quality product photography for new flavours as they launched, ensuring premium visuals were ready immediately
Street interviews and customer reactions that generated authentic engagement and showcased real responses to the product
Influencer collaborations with Perth food bloggers and content creators, regularly generating 20,000+ impressions per campaign
Reactive social campaigns that jumped on trending topics, memes, and food moments whilst maintaining brand voice
Strategic paid media using the best-performing organic content to drive targeted traffic and sales
This dual approach, premium brand building through stunning visuals combined with trend-driven, reactive content, allowed Just Kernelz to simultaneously establish credibility and stay culturally relevant.
THE RESULTS: FROM SINGLE STORE TO STATEWIDE SENSATION
The transformation has been remarkable, exceeding initial projections across every key performance indicator.
Distribution Explosion: From 0 to 30+ Stockists Just Kernelz products are now stocked in over 30 locations across Western Australia and interstate. What began as a single Harrisdale store has expanded into independent retailers, speciality food stores, and premium outlets throughout the region. Each new stockist relationship was supported by Distl's marketing materials and digital strategy.
Digital-First Growth: E-commerce as Revenue Driver The custom wordpress e-commerce platform became a crucial revenue driver, enabling Just Kernelz to reach customers across Australia. The seamless online shopping experience, combined with compelling product photography and strategic paid advertising, converted browsers into buyers at scale.
Social Media Community: 6,500+ Engaged Followers From zero social presence, Just Kernelz built a thriving community of 6,500+ followers across Instagram and Facebook. More importantly, this audience actively engages with content, shares their experiences, and has become brand advocates who organically promote the product within their networks.
Customer Acquisition: 500+ New Customers Through the combined efforts of e-commerce optimisation, paid social advertising, and organic content strategy, Just Kernelz acquired over 500 new customers, a significant achievement for a premium-priced product in a nascent category.
Brand Recognition: Premium Positioning Achieved Perhaps most significantly, Just Kernelz successfully established itself as Australia's premier gourmet popcorn destination. The premium imagery, consistent branding, and quality product delivery created a perception that matches the product's artisanal reality.
Viral Reach: 20,000+ Impressions Per Influencer Campaign Strategic influencer collaborations with Perth foodies regularly generate substantial reach, with individual campaigns achieving 20,000+ impressions and driving measurable traffic to both physical and digital stores.
NAVIGATING A REBRAND: TO JUST KERNELZ
Throughout the partnership, Distl supported Just Kernelz through a significant brand evolution, the transition to "Just Kernelz." required careful management to maintain customer recognition whilst refreshing the brand identity.
Distl's role during the rebranding included:
Maintaining social media momentum and engagement throughout the transition
Updating all digital assets, website elements, and advertising creative
Communicating the rebrand to the existing customer base
Ensuring consistent brand presentation across all new stockist relationships
Leveraging the rebranding as an opportunity to reinforce premium positioning
The seamless transition ensured that business growth continued uninterrupted, with customers embracing the updated identity.
WHAT'S NEXT: CONTINUED EXPANSION AND INNOVATION
The success of the Just Kernelz launch has created momentum for continued growth. Just Kernelz loved the results so much that additional photography shoots are already being planned to showcase the full product range as it continues to expand.
As Just Kernelz explores new retail locations, additional flavour innovations, and potential interstate expansion, Distl continues to ensure their digital presence remains as premium as their product. The partnership demonstrates what's possible when strategic digital marketing, stunning visual content, and agile execution combine to support a genuinely innovative product.
The success of Just Kernelz proves that with the right digital marketing partner, even brand-new products in emerging categories can rapidly build premium brands. By combining strategic thinking, magazine-quality visuals, and trend-responsive execution, Distl helped transform popcorn from a simple cinema snack into Perth's newest gourmet obsession.
Just Kernelz behind-the-scenes social media production with Distl.
THE TEAM BEHIND THE SUCCESS
The Just Kernelz account is managed by Distl's experienced digital marketing team:
Becca Humphrey
Paid Media Service Lead Becca led the paid social media strategy, optimising campaigns across Facebook and Instagram to drive customer acquisition and maximise return on ad spend.
Jade Shaikh
Digital Account Manager Jade coordinated the overall digital strategy, ensuring seamless execution across web development, content creation, and campaign management.
Simon Du
Digital Account Manager Simon managed the ongoing account relationship, social media content strategy, and collaborated on the visual direction for photography shoots.
ABOUT JUST KERNELZ
Just Kernelz is Western Australia's first dedicated gourmet popcorn store, offering over 20 unique flavours crafted from locally-sourced ingredients. From their Harrisdale base, Just Kernelz has expanded to 30+ stockists across WA and interstate, establishing themselves as Australia's premier gourmet popcorn destination. Available online at justkernelz.com.au and at selected retailers.
ABOUT DISTL
Distl is a highly sought after Perth-based digital marketing agency specialising in branding, web design, e-commerce, SEO, Google Ads, and social media marketing. With a philosophy of "Brand Purity. Digital Potency," Distl combines strategic thinking, stunning visuals, and agile execution to help brands build premium digital presences that drive measurable business results. Based in Jolimont, WA, Distl serves clients across Australia.
For more information: Just Kernelz case study
Media Contact:
Account Manager & Operations Lead at Distl.
Email: jack@distl.com.au
Phone: (08) 9381 4441