In April, the Ball Park brand decided it needed a game plan that would put it front and center during the summer.

"For the hot dog category, the late spring and summer months are crucial because that's barbecue season," says Joe Cohen, VP at MWW Group, which has worked with Sara Lee for the past year and a half.

"[Ball Park] wanted [to] keep the brand top of mind from May to August and surge activity around July, which is National ...