A name synonymous with beer in India, Kingfisher, stands for excitement, youth, and camaraderie
Brands play an influencing role on people, communities and society during times of adversity. Kingfisher, through the 'Stay at home' campaign, aspired to bring to life an important social callout, while engaging with the fans in a remarkably quirky way. The InMobi platform was key to creating, hosting and promoting this innovative gamified brand experience.
The Challenge
With the announcement of a complete lockdown on March 24, India was getting ready for the biggest challenge in a long time – the flattening of the curve of coronavirus cases in the country by sheltering at a place. As the pandemic hit 85 percent of the globe, it was imperative for the government, brands, and consumers to play their part in preventing the spread of the disease through contact, especially across hotspots. However, awareness about the virus, its effects and associated safety measures were drastically low across the affected areas. It was highly important that citizens received the right information but in a way that elevates their mood. This unique combination can not only drive recall and engagement but positive word of mouth as well.
The Objective
Kingfisher, as a brand, is not only synonymous with beer but also ‘Good Times.’ It is an integral part of the happy moments in people’s lives –be it a get-together, a farewell party, team outings, sports nights or a relaxed evening. The pandemic brought all of it to a standstill. However, the brand was committed to not let these unprecedented times crush the spirit of the Indian diaspora. It aimed to reassure consumers that the good times shall return, but only if each and every individual plays their part. Kingfisher aimed to tackle the issue head-on by spreading awareness about the most critical safety measure at that point in time –Shelter at Place. With a rapid rise in cases, the need of the hour was for consumers to avoid public places and to keep the good times tucked indoors.
The Solution
The ‘Janata curfew’ on Sunday, March 22, acted as a precedent to the nationwide lockdown. The enforcement of the curfew immediately spiked mobile app usage by 80 to 100 percent, especially news, and was an indication of things to come. Keeping this in mind, Kingfisher launched a mobile-only campaign to achieve its objective. The brand leveraged InMobi Audiences and its state-of-the-art creative services to spread the word.
Identifying Audiences
InMobi Audiences combined mobile-first and location-based signals to deliver the ad experience. The brand targeted frequent Restaurant/ Pub Visitors, Music Lovers, Social Media Enthusiasts, Gaming Enthusiasts and Business Park Employees. The campaign also precisely targeted Apartments, Condos and Houses, Upscale Residence Dwellers and Gated Communities using InMobi’s polygon geotargeting. As the lockdown progressed, the message was delivered to consumers where they were seen spending a majority of their time – across news, music, gaming and other mobile apps.
Driving virality
The game encouraged citizens to participate in a gamified 'Stay at Home' challenge. The main character in the game was Kingfisher’s brand mascot – The Kingfisher bird and the objective was to ensure that the bird doesn’t leave home. If the objective is achieved, a screen opens up congratulating the participant and to “Keep the good times tucked indoors. Stay home, stay safe.” The gamified ad unit embedded a share option for participants, irrespective of winning or losing, to further promote the cause and inform near and dear ones via WhatsApp and other communication apps on their smartphone. The campaign reached consumers across the major metros, genders, age groups and delivered the required impact.
You can watch the case study video on this link.