Insight
Ramadan is a special month in the Islamic calendar. During this time, Muslims all over the world fast during the hours of daylight to then break the fast in the evening with family and friends, a key meal occasion. For these few weeks the mother’s role in the family is more important than ever. The whole family looks forward to the meal prepared by her after a long day of fasting and her extra efforts are really appreciated.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, Ramadan is the biggest annual volume opportunity. However, Coca-Cola wasn’t seen as a natural beverage choice, people preferred anything from plain and rose-flavoured water to isotonic and fruit beverages.
To increase consumption, Coca-Cola couldn’t just promise refreshment, it needed to establish an emotional connection to earn Coca-Cola a place at the table, and Ramadan was a great chance for this to happen.
As a time when everyone is encouraged to be a better person, the small acts of kindness that take place in Ramadan refresh and uplift people’s spirits. Coca-Cola decided to make a synonymous with these small acts and empower kindness within families, communities and to those less well off, via the medium of Coke’s iconic packaging, aiming to “share its Ramadan spirit” with them.
Strategy
Coca-Cola intended to inspire a movement where small acts of kindness and goodwill are spread throughout the community via Coke bottles.
Ramadan customs in Indonesia and Malaysia are slightly different, however, the pillars remain the same. Community and togetherness (Ummah), purity and cleanliness (Taharah), Humility and Modesty and Family Knowledge (Taleem) are the four key pillars.
Leveraging its insight that the spreading of goodwill starts with one small act, Coca-Cola created a goodwill sharing movement called ‘Sempaikan Semangat Ramadanmu’ in Indonesia, and ‘Sebarkan Semangat Ramadhan’ in Malaysia and Singapore. Translated into English this means ‘Share the Ramadan Spirit’.
The vehicle for goodwill was a Coke bottle redesigned to induce a space for a hand-written message on the label. Consumers could write a special message to a loved one, and then gift them the bottle during Ramadan as a small act of kindness. Each bottle symbolised the giver’s selflessness.
Scale was critical, but so was execution. Ramadan is a particularly religious time, and it was necessary to show that Coca Cola recognised its core values. To do this, Coke decided to also create its very own act of kindness via acts such as carrying someone’s groceries and giving someone an ice-cold Coca Cola on a hot day.
Execution
Coca Cola employees wrote messages and delivered ice-cold refreshment to mothers and people in need in Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya in Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpar, Penang and Kuantan in Malaysia.
A writable pack was introduced in Indonesia and Malaysia, on TV, OOH, Radio and in-store. Coca- Cola’s campaign launched with the hand delivery of 170,000 bottles to Indonesian mothers, completed with a handwritten thank-you note from Coke employees.
Three thousand Coca-Cola pop-up shops were set up to catch commuters on their way home. Coca-Cola also went online and created the Coca-Cola Goodness Machine online, in partnership with charity Coin a Chance. This online application vended virtual ‘goodwill’ cans – each complete with a personalised message- to be shared with friends and family. Every can shared contributed to a fund helping underprivileged children go back to school. Bloggers created a buzz and Coca-Cola spread the message on-ground distributing 170,000 1.5 litre bottles of Coke to low-income families and bazaars in Indonesia.
Captive videos and messages of goodwill drove PR in press, TV and online, and kept the movement alive. In Malaysia and Singapore, an in-store promotion, giving away limited edition Coke collectable plates with any purchase, took place to symbolise the importance of sharing one’s blessing in Ramadan.
In Singapore, where the Malay population is smaller (only 14% of the total population), the execution stuck to TV, radio and on-pack, and demonstrated good deeds via on-ground partnerships with Malay radio and TV stations, Warna and Suria.
Results
In Indonesia, the campaign sold 2.5 million more cans of Coke during the Ramadan, than it did in the same period the previous year- an increase of 50%. Market share during Ramadan grew by 9% and Coke’s brand scores for “uplifting brand” bubbled up by 2%. The campaign generated $277,000 of free media impressions, with an estimated leadership of over 7.5 million and Coca-Cola’s goodness machines raised enough funds to provide 20 children with a full three-year high school scholarship.
In Malaysia, “Sebarkan Semangat Ramadhan” reached 2,700,000 people, with 150,000 bottles of 1.5L Coke being distributed to rural homes. The virtual sharing machine app achieved over 57,000 unique users, with more than 22,000 messages shared. Spontaneous ad and brand awareness both increased by more than 4%, and repeat consumption increased from 73% to 83%.
In Singapore, “Sebarkan Semangat Ramadhan” reached 87% of Malays in Singapore. 1,200 people attended Coca-Cola’s on-ground event and there was a 30% increase in donations year on year. Spontaneous brand awareness increased by 6% and repeated consumption increased by 1%.