Cadbury - Sweet Fighter: Bite Size Chocolate

The Cadbury Bytes Sweet Fighter: Journey of Two Tastes, demonstrated that it’s not just the right channel but also an engaging idea that leads to success. In difficult recessionary times faced with declining growth, we chose to engage our audience in a near competition free environment and avoid a fierce price-promotion war through a relevant gaming platform. The game not only entertained and engaged them, but also kept Cadbury Bytes top-of-mind. A successful campaign that led to Cadbury Bytes’ becoming the number 1 brand in the Bitesize chocolate segment. 

What was our strategic communications challenge? 

It is widely believed that the chocolate confectionery industry is rarely affected by recession. After all it is only a small indulgence. But during this recession, that rare occurrence happened in Malaysia. In a Nielsen study encompassing 69 FMCG categories, the chocolate category was one of the harder hit with a -11.7% in Q1 volume growth and a -21.2% in Q2 volume growth (Source: Nielsen Malaysia’s Retail Index dated Sep 2009)  

And within the chocolate category, the Bitesize segment which Cadbury Bytes competes in showed the biggest decline (Source: Nielsen Retail Audit Apr-Jun 2009). Consumers were opting out and opting out fast. The result was a competitive frenzy and a scampering to do whatever it took to maintain both growth and share. Price wars and fierce tactical promotions became the norm as volumes dwindled. We needed to protect our turf because Cadbury Bytes had the second highest market share after M&Ms, the traditional segment leader. 

What were our campaign objectives?

Despite these turbulent times, the client’s business objective was as ambitious as ever: 20% increase over 2008’s average monthly sales during the campaign period (Source: Cadbury Confectionery Malaysia 2009 Nationwide Consumer Engagement KPI Setting)

The client’s brief was to create a nationwide consumer promotion campaign with the allocated minimal budget that would help Cadbury Bytes achieve its sales target and buck the recessionary trend facing our competitors.

What was our big idea? 

A case of the channel becoming the idea: a gaming activation.

How did we arrive at the big idea? 

While on-ground tactical promotions traditionally drove sales, on-ground activation did require larger budgets, especially at a national level; a luxury we just did not have. So while competition was engaged in a competitive, outdo-each-other activation war on-ground, it became clear to us that we needed a new battlefield. A battlefield that was not based in super/hypers, convenience stores or even the local sundry shops. We needed an idea that circumvented competitive initiatives.

We turned to digital and in specific to computer gaming; an activity increasingly gaining favor with our audience. In fact an agency study revealed that computer gaming came in as the next favorite activity, after watching TV and playing football among teenagers (Source: Agency Research). Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) like Luna Online had attracted so much interest that a Malaysian version was created to cope with the growing number of players. And Cyber Cafes had mushroomed all across the country, all wanting to tap into this growing trend. To a point that the local authorities had to closely scrutinize and regulate these outlets due to parents’ increasing concern of their children’s time spent there.

We knew this medium would strike a chord with our younger audience because it allowed gaming to proliferate across the country (Source: Q208 MAL Nielsen Media Index Jul07-Jun08 (NMR) & (Source: Synovate Young Asians Survey 2007)

In this space we wanted to create a platform where our teenage consumers could immediately engage in a two-way interaction with the brand. The challenge was how to get them excited enough to not only engage the game but to also use WOM to spread it among their peers. More importantly, we wanted it to be a no strings attached deal where consumers did not need to purchase any product to play. An obvious link to product purchase during a recession we felt would detract rather than invite consumers to the brand. 

How did we bring the idea to life? 

Cadbury Bytes Sweet Fighter: A Journey of Two Tastes, a ‘choose your adventure’ online role playing game was conceptualized and produced. And the product’s USP of being both Crunchy and Sweet was weaved into the game as a ‘decision-making’ device. It was this choice that formed the core of the gaming idea. The participants that clocked the fastest time were then chosen as winners.

To drive awareness, we leveraged traditional off-line mediums that were effective in delivering high reach and prominence e.g. TV promotion tag-ons, In-program mentions in teenage TV programs, collaboration with schools for visits as well as in-store collaterals.

How do we know it worked? 

By the end of the campaign, the results exceeded both Cadbury and Agency’s expectations (Source:Cadbury Confectionery Malaysia 2009 Nationwide Consumer Engagement KPI Review & Sales Value):

1. The game site achieved 31,734 visitors over 6 weeks @ 755 visitors per day (51% higher than the client’s target of 21,000 visitors over 6 weeks @ 500 visitors per day)
2. 10,653 gamers registered, which translated to 40% increase in Average Monthly Sales ( 20% higher than the client’s target of 6,000 registrants, or 20% increase in Average Monthly Sales)

And more importantly, our idea translated into business growth for the Client:-

• Cadbury Bytes outperformed the Bitesize segment, posting a 2.4% growth VS a Segment Decline of -4.4% (Source: Nielsen Retail Audit MAT May 09

• Trial and consumption gained positively (Source: Milward Brown Brand Health Tracking 2009):-

           Awareness improved by 7%

           Ever Tried improved by 18%

           Consumed within the past 3 months improved by 14%

           Consumed within the past 1 month improved by 12%

           Consumed within the past 1 week improved by 9%

• And for the first time since Cadbury Bytes was launched in 2005, it over took M&Ms as the market leader in the Bitesize chocolate segment (Source: Nielsen Retail Audit MAT May 09)

In summation, by bucking the category trend and engaging consumers where it really mattered to them, the campaign delivered brand value which ultimately translated to sales.