Ashley RobertsIt’s difficult for a brand to reach a 100% positive social media effect after a new campaign, but when Hershey’s chocolate in Brazil released its Her/She campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day by highlighting female artists on its packaging, it did just that. During the HP Indigo Global VIP Event held last week in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jose Gorbea, global head of brands and innovation at HP Indigo — producer of the digital press solution that produced the Her/She packaging — explained that brands need to “give a voice to [their] audience” with relevant campaigns that connect with them in some way.
The Hershey campaign was just one example Gorbea used to illustrate the need for print service providers to acknowledge that brands and printers are part of what he called the “co-creation generation.” Tying this element to the event, he explained that digital printing “has the key to providing meaningful interactions with consumers … relevantly, timely, and authentically.” The reason for this, he said, is that the “one-size fits all” era is gone. Consumers want personalized and unique experiences with brands, and for the most part, they appreciate what print has to offer.
In a powerful display of this, Gorbea welcomed Julieta Loaiza, VP marketing, communication & corporate affairs at Nestlé Mexico, to the stage. Loaiza shared campaigns Nestlé introduced for its Nescafé line of instant coffees in Mexico. The first campaign she shared was intended to rejuvenate the brand, capitalize on seasonality, and bring the idea that “It all starts with Nescafé” to life. Three hundred different “resolutions” like “start climbing mountains” and “start going out more,” were printed on the labels of 15 million jars of Nescafé. The packaging was coupled with an aggressive media campaign that included TV and online video spots, social media, digital features on platforms like Spotify, and strategies across e-commerce, earned media, and point-of-sale. After six years of this campaign, Loaiza explained that it continues to promote growth for the brand.
Loaiza shared a second campaign from Nescafé, which celebrates the coffee farmers who make the product possible. The purpose of the campaign, she explained, was to “improve Mexican’s life quality by celebrating our shared pride around the value of our coffee,” while strengthening the brand’s perception of sustainability, breaking down the myths of the quality of soluble coffee, and increasing relevance among consumers.
The campaign created 1,000 label versions featuring the images and names of real coffee farmers in Mexico. Connecting the product with the real people who farm and produce the product had a major impact in helping to develop Mexican fields, support small producers, improve the life of coffee growers, and affirm that Nescafé is a “socially responsible brand.” The omnichannel campaign resulted in more than 10 million impressions on traditional media, digital media, the website, and in-store. The brand’s market share in volume grew more than 9.5% as a result of the campaign.
Real stories and variable packaging worked for Nescafé in connecting with consumers and getting them excited and engaged with the brand, and it’s a lesson for other brands looking to create a deeper impact with consumers.
“By involving people, you actually get them to learn,” Gorbea advised.
