WONKAAAHHH!
FRANKEL, Summer 2002
OVERVIEW WONKA's 68-year history has allowed them to lead innovation and strategic growth in both the confectionery category and within the Nestlé Brand. With $206 million in annual sales, WONKA's innovative quality treats provide a fun-to-eat experience, while its inherent fictional association inspires imaginations in kids of all ages. As a relatively "smaller" player in the candy world, WONKA has historically found it difficult to stand out during the seasonal candy periods (Halloween, Easter, etc.) dominated by candy giants such as Hershey and M&M/Mars. Furthermore, WONKA had seen summer sales lagging for the past several periods. Summer 2002 was the perfect period to re-energize WONKA sales while standing out against the candy giants - who don't typically promote in summer. Furthermore, while individual WONKA products were perceived as innovative, the WONKA brand overall was perceived as "young." We recommended changing WONKA's broad 6-14 target to the more opinion-leading 10 to 12 year olds – knowing that the younger kids would follow.
PROMOTION OBJECTIVES • Create an innovative, engaging, multi-brand WONKA consumer promotion that stimulates sales of NERDS, NERDS Rope, OOMPAS and SHOCK TARTS during May-June 2002. • Connect with the passion of our new 10-12 target by providing a fun and exciting brand experience. • Stimulate interest and excitement among consumers, system and trade for the WONKA brands by providing integrated campaign messaging.
PROMOTION DESCRIPTION This promotion leveraged the insight that for kids, roller-coasters are more than just a ride, they are a rite of passage. Kids want the bragging rights to riding the fastest, tallest, longest and screamiest coasters around. So we created a ride they'd never seen before and delivered it in a way that only WONKA could dream up. We created a coast-to-coast roller coaster ride that you could only win if your pack actually screamed "WONKAaahhh!"
IN-PACK GAME To play the instant win game, kids simply looked inside packages of WONKA candy. Millions won free WONKA candy or SIM Coaster games instantly. But a lucky 200 kids opened their packs to hear the package actually scream "WONKAaahhh!" This meant they had won either our Grand Prize cross country roller-coaster adventure-with stops at Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL), Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) and Six Flags (Los Angeles, CA), or our First Prize, a season pass to Six Flags Theme Parks for their family. Package Design: 50 million packs of NERDS, NERDS Rope, OOMPAS and SHOCK TARTS featured a dynamic package burst. And 200 Grand and First Prize winning packages actually screamed "WONKAaahhh!" A first for the candy category. "Scream" technology developed by agency. Broadcast Advertising: WONKA created breakthrough advertising with their first-ever 3D computer-animated TV spot. Willy Wonka, the roller coaster experience and screaming packages came to life in a big way. Print Advertising: Over 5.5 million hot tween publications featured the sweet WONKA promotion. In-Store Merchandising: In store the "WONKAaahhh!" grabbed attention with dynamic floor-stand and counter displays that utilized the same graphic look and feel found in advertising, packaging and event signage. On-Line Interactive Roller-Coaster: A Wild Coaster Game with thirteen levels, featuring NERDS, NERDS Rope, OOMPAS, and SHOCK TARTS both as candies and characters challenged kids to the wackiest roller coaster ride of their lives. On-Line Promotion Center: Web page featured all the details about the WONKAaahhh instant win promotion. On-Line WONKAaahhh Event Locator: Web page featured locations of upcoming Wonka events. WONKAmobile: Brightly colored and full of fun, the WONKAmobile traveled to WONKAaahhh events and provided kids with an exclusive glimpse into Willy Wonka's fabulous factory. Willy Wonka Appearances: Willy Wonka interacted with kids at the national and local events. Sampling: Free samples of RUNTS, GOBSTOPPERs and TART 'N' TINYs were distributed in key markets during the promotion. National Scream Event: Kids screamed their heads off at Six Flags over Texas as they looked to break the world's record for the loudest scream by a crowd. Local Scream Events: WONKA brought the scream to local markets and gave kids a chance to win a $1,000 U.S. savings bond. Radio Promotion: Radio Disney featured a week-long radio promotion leading up to the national event and coverage at the event. Media Kit: WONKA looked to leverage the unique nature of the promotion - the scream - as the central theme for a media kit targeting trade publications, TV, radio and kid-targeted print publications. Key Accounts: At key accounts WONKA invited kids to unleash their wackiest "WONKAaahhh!" scream for a chance to win a $1,000 U.S. savings bond and year's supply of WONKA candy in WONKA's WACKY SCREAM-OFF! Store Circulars: Select retailers featured the upcoming event in their store circulars.
PERFORMANCE RESULTS "WONKAaahhh!" stimulated interest and excitement for the WONKA brands and received an overwhelming positive response from consumers, retailers and sales force alike. Sales increased by 57%, creating an incremental $6 million in revenue. Retailers ordered nearly double the amount of forecasted POS. Initial projections of 27,000 units were blown away by over two times the amount with a final sell in of 60,000 pieces. PR campaign generated 50 million total impressions, exceeding goal by 40% (includes 209 TV segments, 298 radio mentions, 39 print placements and 11 online placements). Local events provided a fun and exciting brand experience gaining 14,662,747 impressions, greatly surpassing the goal of 3,000,000. Impressions reached with kids online reached 2,295,000 — over 4x the goal of 500,000.