BRAND:
CARLSBERG
AWARD CATEGORY:
The Best Social Media Campaign
CAMPAIGN TIME RANGE:
01/03/2023 - 05/02/2024
CREDITS:
TV HUB
CASE STUDY VIDEO
STRATEGY
In 2023, Carlsberg navigated a challenging landscape marked by global economic recession, reduced consumer spending, a declining beer market, and stricter regulations against drunk driving. Nonetheless, the company persevered by setting ambitious objectives to become AN AGGRESSIVE CHALLENGER in the super Premium segment, achieve revenue and profit GROWTH, and POSITION the Carlsberg brand as PREMIUM and prestigious.
At the same time, the global economic downturn had left many feeling anxious and demotivated, exacerbated by the temporary influencers and scammers. This pressure to achieve rapid and exceptional success made people underestimate the significance of small wins and even failures, which serve as the foundation for success. Carlsberg provides a CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE, REDEFINING SUCCESS, and CELEBRATING with you.
To realize these goals, Carlsberg focused on a three-pronged strategy to revive the spirit of entrepreneurship and business for Vietnamese entrepreneurs during this economic recession:
- Firstly, to quickly establish Carlsberg as the best beer for celebration, Carlsberg partnered with the highly-regarded reality TV show "Shark Tank" - the most trusted and famous business show in the world and Vietnam. This strategic alliance placed the brand in front of a large and engaged audience, many of whom aspire to success and premium experiences.
- Secondly, Carlsberg collaborated with renowned elite KOLs (key opinion leaders) as brand ambassadors. These individuals, such as Sharks and Miss Universe, embodied the brand's desired image of prestige and accomplishment. Carlsberg aimed to transfer their positive attributes to the brand by associating with these respected figures.
- Finally, Carlsberg intensified its communication and advertising efforts. This involved meticulously crafting messaging reinforcing the brand's premium and prestigious qualities. By consistently highlighting these aspects across various communication channels, Carlsberg aimed to elevate brand perception and position itself as the beer of choice for discerning consumers.
INSIGHT
To effectively connect with their target audience of aspiring, entrepreneurs, Carlsberg delved into two key insights:
1. Recognizing Small Wins:
Amidst the pressure to achieve quick and significant success, small victories often go unnoticed. However, these incremental achievements are crucial stepping stones on the journey to success. Carlsberg saw an OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE these often-overlooked milestones, RECOGNIZING the startups participating in the program and CAPTURING THEIR STORIES to inspire consumers.
2. Navigating Ad Avoidance:
Consumer behavior has shifted towards ad avoidance, with growing familiarity and fatigue towards branded sponsorships. To overcome this challenge, Carlsberg focused on CREATING ORGANIC CELEBRATORY MOMENTS featuring the brand naturally. This approach went beyond mere logo placement and hashtags, tailoring content to resonate with each platform's unique audience.
By leveraging these insights, Carlsberg crafted a targeted strategy to engage and inspire the target audience.
Key Strategic Elements:
- Celebrating Small Wins: Recognizing and honoring the incremental achievements of aspiring entrepreneurs, showcasing their journeys to success.
- Authentic Storytelling: Crafting compelling narratives that resonate with the target audience, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of startups.
- Platform-Specific Content: Tailoring content to the unique characteristics of each social media platform, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.
- Organic Brand Integration: Incorporating the brand into celebratory moments in a natural and unforced manner, fosters a positive brand perception.
CREATIVE IDEA
Based on the provided insights, Carlsberg's campaign was developed through two main Creative Ideas:
1. Narrative Content:
Impactful Branding whole on TV, Digital & Offline events by appearing on relevant key moments: It's not just about the logo, and hashtag, but the brand's presence was also very meaningful, with the message "Only one spirit, matches a thousand achievements," and appeared at the right time when startups were flexing their achievements, or just receiving investment. • Crafting socially relevant brand content tailored specifically for Carlsberg allowed us to seamlessly integrate our brand into key moments without any sense of forced promotion. As Shark Tank reached its peak during filming and broadcasting, every startup was awarded a souvenir trophy and 5 packs of beer to commemorate their achievements on the show. Whether striking a deal with the Sharks or not, appearing on Vietnamese TV screens to share their startup stories with the audience marked a significant milestone worth celebrating.
• Setting up progress bars at events across three regions – Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City – allowed us to engage entrepreneurs nationwide through Shark Tank auditions and workshops. We also had dedicated Carlsberg bars at these events to celebrate the wins of the entrepreneurs with a refreshing beer Pilsner. It's all about finding that perfect balance – working hard, playing hard, and cherishing every success along the journey.
• Encouraging startups to enjoy and share their experiences with Carlsberg on social media was a key part of our strategy. Additionally, Shark Tank continued to share celebratory moments of real entrepreneurs and their stories with Carlsberg across all social media platforms, spreading positivity to over 5 million Shark Tank followers. Each celebratory post also included a short link to an e-commerce platform for generating sales.
2. KOL Strategy:
• Carlsberg and Shark Tank had an awesome team of elite KOLs who are super successful entrepreneurs, like Shark Hung, Shark Minh Beta, and the runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam, Huynh Pham Thuy Tien. They're like role models for our brand's forward-thinking vibe!
• Pictures speak louder than words, right? Our visuals show powerful images of sharks raising a toast with Carlsberg – "Just one great beer for countless achievements!" It's all about spreading that positive vibe and energy.
• UGC Content: Besides our shark KOLs, the startups themselves become mini influencers, helping to spread the word about Carlsberg and what we stand for. Every episode, we give out gifts to the startups as a big thank you, encouraging them to keep spreading the love for our brand.
CONNECTION PLAN
Phase 1: Soft Launch (July - September 2023)
To generate awareness and anticipation for the campaign, there were 2 activities:
- KV and TVC Launch in Strategic Placement: The campaign kicked off with the launch of KV on billboards and digital screens, and TVC featuring real Shark Tank investors, like Shark Hung and Shark Minh Beta, alongside Miss Universe Vietnam runner-up Huynh Pham Thuy Tien. Set in a realistic recreation of the Shark Tank stage, the KV and TVC will showcase the journey of startups from ideation to securing funding.
- Press Conference: Organize a press conference with over 300 journalists and business leaders to officially announce the strategic partnership between Carlsberg and Shark Tank Vietnam. This strategy goes beyond the typical press conference format. By inviting not only media but also startups, the event fosters a sense of community and inclusivity. Furthermore, the selection of younger Shark Tank investors like Shark Minh Beta and Guest Shark Tue Lam generates additional interest and relevance for the target audience.
Phase 2: Launch (October - December 2023)
To drive engagement and brand association with Shark Tank Vietnam, we launched:
- Prime Time Television Broadcast: 16 episodes of Shark Tank Vietnam became the most anticipated TV show airing at 8:30 p.m. every Monday night on VTV3 and YouTube. This introduced 48 prominent entrepreneurs of 2023 to nationwide audiences
- Integrated Branding: Strategically place the iconic Carlsberg hop-leaf logo within the Shark Tank set design Carlsberg presence seamlessly into natural and spontaneous celebratory moments when deals are finalized between investors and startups.
- Exclusive "Cheer To Progress" Bar: Stationed there, the Miss Universe Vietnam runner-up would welcome each startup and celebrate their milestones, both successes and defeats. This innovative on-air content injects a more entertaining and contemporary vibe into the program, creating a global first for the Shark Tank franchise.
- Social Media Activation: Develop customized native content for each social media platform to promote the Carlsberg and Shark Tank Vietnam partnership campaign.
- Partnership Buzz: Partner with Celebrity Start-ups (Long Chun, Thuy Lieu, Mai Quoc Binh), the key pitches of the season, for episodes 3, 6, and 13. Co-create strategic marketing activities with them to generate significant buzz for both the show and the Carlsberg brand. (Source: Social Listening, YouNet Media, 25/09-19/01/2023).
Phase 3: Amplification & Sales (January - February 2024)
All activities are to leverage the peak beer consumption season to drive sales with a target of 1,000 Carlsberg cases within a two-week timeframe.
- Influencer Marketing: Utilize targeted influencer collaborations to leverage social media and promote Carlsberg's association with the success stories showcased on Shark Tank Vietnam.
- Targeted Email Marketing was sent to 2,000 potential B2B customers. Combine email marketing with direct customer relationship management to drive sales conversions.
- Streamlined Purchase Journey: A seamless online purchase path for consumers within the campaign communication, including incorporating direct buying links and dedicated sales representatives to support customer inquiries was set up.
OBJECTIVE-BASE KPI
1. Business Objectives:
- Drive Sales Growth:
Sales Volume: The campaign achieved a record-breaking sales increase, with a 14x uplift in Modern Trade and a 6x uplift in Traditional Trade.
- Expand Brand Awareness and Consideration:
Brand Awareness: Brand awareness increased by 18pts, the highest level since the brand's launch.
Trial Rate: The trial rate rose by 10pts, 2x vs previous period
Younger Audience Acquisition: The campaign successfully attracted a younger demographic, with a 2x increase in younger drinkers within the P1M segment.
Brand Objectives:
- Enhance Brand Image (Source: YouNet Media, Online Survey, Feb 2024):
Imagery KPIs: The campaign significantly surpassed targets for brand image perception:
Over 95% agreed Carlsberg is a premium brand. and a brand for impressing others, celebrating, and successful people.\
These metrics represent a 20% increase above target expectations.
93% of respondents expressed a desire to purchase Carlsberg.
- Drive Positive Brand Sentiment and Organic Reach:
YMI Ranking: Carlsberg climbed 8 positions in the YMI ranking to become a Top 10 Beer Brand. The brand boasted the highest positive sentiment score within the ranking, indicating strong consumer favorability.
Organic Performance:
Average Rating: Content associated with the campaign received an average rating of 7.7. Media Coverage: Over 722 online articles were published by 73 PR outlets.
Social Media Reach and Engagement:
Facebook: 180 million reach and 15 million engagements.
Total Platform Views: 158.8 million views across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
Besides, The campaign is supported by the business and startup community, the PR publisher, and the Vietnamese Government. The press conference at phase 1 was evident through its viral social media presence, generating over 198 ORGANIC PR articles. The event's video even trended on TikTok for three consecutive days, further amplified by coverage on Vietnam Television's (VTV1) news feed.
