Dr. Oetker Stories
The love of baking
Around 80,000 baking fans are provided exclusive recipes and tips on baking and share their passion in the Dr. Oetker Baking Club. Founded in 1989, the “Back-Club” is constantly reinventing itself.
7.2.2022 • Products and Services
"Make sure you fold the flour and cornstarch into the egg and sugar mixture well," explains Gabi Beck, Back-Club project manager in the German test kitchen. She and her colleague Andrea Haselhorst are standing in an empty Dr. Oetker seminar kitchen – and yet they are part of a community of baking enthusiasts. A camera is set up in front of them so 18 Back Club members can follow from their kitchens at home as they prepare a tiramisu sponge cake roll. And of course, everyone joins in, because they have one thing in common: they are united by their love of baking. This passion finds a home in the Dr. Oetker Back-Club.
Members benefit from many services
For the membership fee of €14.90 per year, members benefit from exclusive Back-Club services: They find inspiration in the club magazine Gugelhupf, which is sent to them six times a year. In the magazine, the Back-Club team presents seasonal recipe ideas and interesting facts about baking. Members also regularly receive free product samples and shopping benefits in the Dr. Oetker Online Shop. And they learn a lot in free baking seminars such as today's on tiramisu sponge cake rolls.
"Baking is much more than a cake. There's a lot of love in baked goods that is shared with each other. And that's what we celebrate at our Back-Club."
Katrin Pade, product manager Back-Club
Katrin Pade, product manager Back-Club
A member remains loyal to the Back-Club for an average of eleven years
What's special about the Back-Club? The members are extremely fond of baking and trust the Dr. Oetker brand. This enthusiasm results in loyalty: on average, a member is part of the club for about eleven years. "In dialog with our members, we learn a lot about their needs and desires," explains Katrin Pade, who, as product manager, pulls the strings in the Back-Club. Among other things, she is concerned with strategy, further development and getting new members interested in the club.
As part of this exchange, Gabi Beck and Andrea Haselhorst from the test kitchen regularly show members tips and tricks. Members have a direct line to the two baking experts
for questions and suggestions via their free hotline. It becomes clear: In all activities, the focus is on the members. "They are our best baking ambassadors because they live and spread the enthusiasm for baking and the Dr. Oetker brand," emphasizes Katrin Pade.
Sharing the love of baking on Instagram
A shared enthusiasm for baking – that also works digitally. When the pandemic made on-site seminars impossible, the Back-Club asked its members to share their love of baking on Instagram with the hashtag #BackClubMoments. Those who enter #BackClubMoments in the Instagram search bar will find posts from members who are excited about the latest Gugelhupf booklet or have tried out an exclusive Back-Club recipe. On the Dr. Oetker Germany Instagram channel, Gabi Beck and Andrea Haselhorst also held live baking events where non-members could get in touch with the Back-Club. And this bonding love of baking goes beyond Instagram. Since May 2020, #BackClub moments have also been embedded in a hashtag gallery on oetker.de, inspiring people who stop by the Back-Clubs own website as potential new members. "We will also continue to work on an attractive web presence in the long term," says Ronja Berg, who is working with Katrin Pade on further developing the Back-Club. "For example, members will be able to create user profiles, save recipes and rate them."
The digital club space of the future
And this valuable community should continue to grow: Katrin Pade and Ronja Berg want to make the Back-Club a community of baking enthusiasts that thrives on networking and interaction. Participation in the Hinterland Hackathon 2019, a competition for innovative solutions to a wide range of issues, provided additional inspiration for the future digital club room.
The digital baking seminars are part of a digital club space: Equipped with the necessary technology, Gabi Beck and Andrea Haselhorst have been conducting online seminars since August 2021. They bake live in front of the camera, with up to 25 participants participating from their kitchens at home. The advantage: members from all over Germany can participate digitally. In today's online seminar, experienced baking enthusiasts and hobby bakers from all over Germany were able to learn new things. In this way, the Back-Club team has achieved what is important to them: The group has baked together, exchanged tips, and created moments of pleasure for home.