2011 IAB Awards | Brand Loyalty & Retention Winner
Whiskas Pledge
Agency: Starcom
Client: Mars Petcare
Strategy
The main objective of the campaign was to turn consumers into brand ambassadors. The challenge was to convince lapsed WHISKAS buyers who had switched to a competitor’s cat food to reconsider their brand choice. WHISKAS needed to be recognised as the proud category leader in innovation and variety, and remind buyers that WHISKAS is the number one brand for a good reason.
Tactics
The strategy was to bring cat talk out of the closet, by connecting cat owners privately and celebrating them publicly, then leveraging it to drive brand and category growth. The solution was to create the world’s largest online cat community, a place for owners to talk about their cats and connect with other cat lovers.
Results
The campaign’s success exceeded all ROI investment expectations, delivering over 300% the anticipated response, with a massive 330,167 cat owners pledging their love of WHISKAS! 405,680 unique cat lovers visited WHISKAS.com.au, submitting a staggering 854,491 votes & 389,270 comments. WHISKAS Pouch sales rose by 26.8% and achieved market share of 19.8% (objective 18.6%), increasing penetration growth by 4% points.
Judges’ Comments
“This campaign achieved great results in a tough category. The longevity of the strategy meant they were able to continue the conversation.”
