Putting chicken on the World Cup menu

Brand’s, whose signature product is chicken essence, is set to launch a TVC promoting the product to those preparing to live a double life: catching World Cup matches by night and excelling in the workplace by day.The TVC will be aired on television tonight, running until 13 July.“The concept behind the TVC came from the insight that watching World Cup matches overnight is a temptation for many people. But it means that they have to sacrifice their mental vitality for work the next day,” said Brand’s general manager Timothy Chow.The ad campaign is consistent with the brand’s long-term branding strategy of portraying the chicken essence as a kind of buddy that accompanies the employee through tough times such as pulling an all-nighter at the office.Another part of the campaign is an online game set up on a dedicated mini-site.Players are asked to send chicken essence to colleagues who are exhausted after a night of watching World Cup games, but the volume of chicken essence that needs to be delivered differs according to their status. One colleague has panda eyes, one’s mind is wandering and a third is still obsessed with the previous night’s game.[gallery link="file" ids="53429,53428,53430"]Each player is given 30 seconds to play and the person with the most points at the end of each day will receive two movie tickets.The week’s top scorer will receive Brand’s products as a prize, while the high-scorer in the final week will be awarded a massage chair.The game is advertised through online banners on the PC and mobile versions of Apple Daily, Facebook ads and Google and Yahoo SEM ads.Print ads have been placed in a special World Cup issue of the TVB magazine for targeted marketing and free newspaper Headline Daily.Chow says relevancy makes up the core of the brand’s overall marketing strategy.“Most of our research has revealed the key motivator required to trigger the purchase and consumption of chicken essence is a relevant brand image and a timely occasion,” Chow said.“The strategic direction is to strengthen customers’ emotional connection to the brand and to increase the brand’s relevancy to them. Another part of that is to continue building the brand as young and contemporary, and to strengthen our relevancy to customers on the right occasions and with the right touch-points.”In the long run, he hopes the campaign will help customers associate the brand’s chicken essence with improved mental performance, not just during the World Cup.The World Cup is the peak season for campaigns by food and beverage companies, but Chow argues the brand plays an entirely different role and therefore does not face direct competition with other F&B brands.“The message of this campaign is, ‘Let’s partner you up with any challenges you face the next day after watching the World Cup overnight’ while others, such as snacks and beverage brands, are trying to deliver the message of, ‘Let’s cheer you on as you watch the game’.”He says the association of chicken essence with men is common because the product is seen as an energy booster, which men seem to need more.“But according to our research into usage and attitudes, the user profile of our essence of chicken is more balanced between male and female than you might think.“Our communication touch-points for this campaign targets general white-collar workers without any gender bias. Our campaign targets both male and female World Cup fans equally.”