In the vibrant tapestry of Vietnamese culture, the tradition of exchanging lucky money (Lì xì) during Tet holds immense significance. Tet, the Lunar New Year, is a time of joyous celebrations and laughter. Recognizing the cultural resonance of these practices, Mirinda, with its brand positioning as a "Bold Fun Enabler," decided to infuse inspiration and motivation among the Vietnamese youth. The aim was to initiate a revolution in the art of giving lucky money: a transformation marked by gifting smiles, embodying the beautiful aspirations for the recipients.
Setting the Stage
While the summer season is typically associated with high carbonated beverage consumption in Vietnam, Tet marks the peak period for this industry. However, competing for market share during Tet is a formidable challenge, especially when compared to industry giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Mirinda, with its limited marketing budget and previous absence during Tet, needed an innovative approach to stand out.
Objectives
With a constrained budget, Mirinda aspired to achieve intelligent and distinctive communication during Tet 2016. The brand's mission was to embrace its identity as a "bold fun enabler" and foster a surge in sales figures that exceeded the industry average. Additionally, the goal was to elevate the brand's value among the targeted demographic: teenagers aged 14-18, primarily concentrated in major cities.
Strategic Approach
Today's Vietnamese teenagers are avid users of the internet and mobile devices, particularly social media platforms and smartphone applications for communication and connection with friends and family. While tradition holds a special place during Tet, young people seek novelty and meaning in their celebrations.
The tradition of exchanging lucky money during Tet carries deep cultural significance, signifying well-wishes and luck. However, over the years, this tradition had lost some of its charm and authenticity, becoming more mechanical and less meaningful. On the other hand, laughter is an essential element of Tet celebrations. Vietnamese people believe that the New Year should be filled with laughter to usher in a year of happiness and fortune.
Recognizing these cultural trends and the importance of laughter, Mirinda, with its "Bold Fun Enabler" positioning, decided to spark inspiration among the Vietnamese youth. The brand aimed to revolutionize the concept of giving lucky money through meaningful smiles - a way to express heartfelt wishes for the recipients.
The Creative Concept
The campaign "Mirinda - Tet Filled with Laughter" was conceived. This marked the first time that laughter-based lucky money was introduced offline in Vietnam. Simultaneously, a set of Mirinda stickers was launched on Zalo, the most popular chat application in Vietnam. These stickers aimed to inspire millions of Vietnamese youngsters to send joyful wishes to their families and friends. In lieu of traditional money, the currency of this lucky money was laughter itself - a gesture that added depth and value to this timeless tradition.
Implementation Strategy
With a budget of less than $300,000, divided into 60% for TVC broadcasting and 40% for digital and PR, Mirinda strategically focused on platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Zalo, and online media.
Viral Clip
A viral clip was unveiled on Youtube, showcasing six celebrities playfully "captured" in a lighthearted kidnapping scenario. Mirinda's mascot challenged them to bring forth the most meaningful and joyful laughter during Tet. Rejecting material gifts, they embraced Mirinda's stickers as the sole winning idea. In the clip's conclusion, the influencers called their fans to spread the Mirinda stickers during Tet.
Moreover, the campaign included two days of banner placement on Youtube Masthead, amplifying the clip's reach through renowned influencers and celebrities on Facebook.
Mobile Strategy
On the same day as the viral clip's release, Mirinda introduced its brand mascot sticker set on Zalo. The mascot leaped out of the lucky money envelope, carrying wishes brimming with joy. The sticker set was designed to allow voice recording, enabling users to personalize their well-wishes within the lucky money envelopes. These unique messages could then be sent to their loved ones.
TVC
Concurrently, a 5-second TVC was launched to enhance brand recognition across public platforms. Additionally, thousands of lucky money envelopes were sent to Mirinda's customers, offering a fortuitous twist on traditional Tet celebrations. The campaign initiated discussions about the significance of sharing laughter, yielding a substantial amount of earned media for the brand.
Consumer Promotion
To cap off the campaign, Mirinda aimed to own the New Year's Eve and the first day of Tet. This was accomplished by gifting lucky money envelopes filled with smiles to 10,000 randomly chosen teenage users of Mirinda's stickers.
Results
The viral clip garnered 7 million views on Youtube and Facebook, with over 278,000 shares. This made it the most shared brand clip during Tet Lunar New Year 2016.
The campaign broke Zalo's record, amassing 6.4 million downloads and 14.5 million usages during Tet.
The campaign successfully achieved nearly 1 million positive interactions online, with earned media accounting for over 65% across 200 media channels.
Most notably, the campaign propelled Mirinda to become the sole carbonated beverage brand of Suntory PepsiCo (excluding Pepsi), resulting in a 2.1% increase in market share and an 18% revenue growth during Tet, surpassing the industry average of 6%.
The campaign received recognition through various awards:
Youtube Ads Leaderboard Tet 2016
Nominee for the Best Use Of Digital category at PR Asia Awards 2016
Nominee for Brand Awareness, Relationship/CRM, Most Engaging Mobile Creative, and Cross Mobile Integration categories at The Smarties Vietnam Awards by Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
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