Category: Best integrated content campaign
Advertiser: VODAFONE CZECH REPUBLIC
Product/Service: CILICHILI MAGAZINE
Agency: BOOMERANG PUBLISHING
Senior Editor For Branded Content: Martin Pistulka (Vodafone)
Creative Director: Simon Brown (&&&Creative)
Application Developer: Tomas Zverina (Multimedia Atelier)
Microsite Designer/Illustrator: Ludek Lehár (Fg Forrest)
Project Manager: Jakub Kasparek (Boomerang Publishing)
Copywriter: Jakub Konig (Boomerang Publishing)
Media placement: Magazine - Print - 1 - 31 January 2012
Media placement: Magazine - Online - 1 January 2012
Media placement: Social Network - Facebook - Online - 1 January 2012
Campaign Description
Within the context of branded entertainment in Czech Republic, Vodafone CR's strategy to communicate products and services to its target customers has developed into a unique project, which manages to deliver branded content through a number of media and platforms. In 2004, while the branded content environment in Czech Republic was still in its infancy, Vodafone took advantage of the market gap and replaced the standard brochure format, featuring sterile phone and service offer layout, with a sexy corporate lifestyle magazine: the biggest on the market. Besides serving its readership a ‘portion of a pretty wicked read’, ČiliChili magazine also incorporates a hard sale section with choice of mobile phones and programs. In order to engage customers further, the project launched an online version of the magazine together with a Facebook fan page in late 2008. In this way, Vodafone managed to establish a certain sub-brand, well known to the public, with a firm fan base on Facebook currently counting 25,539 people, magazine readership of 250,000 (with more than 2 readers per copy) and an online version with average 180,000 unique views per month. In late 2011, the project went SoLoMo and developed its first app, WC Guide.
Effectiveness
The campaign's strategy was structured to promote Vodafone's data services by creating a mobile application, WC Guide. It would be available through its lifestyle magazine, ČiliChili, which has been building up brand awareness mostly among its target audience consisting of early adopters.
The campaign was launched through ČiliChili, whose feature and design running throughout the whole issue dealt with public toilet culture. This was reflected in the cover design containing a unique creative QR code. The QR codes turned out to be the biggest challenge, as it involved creation of the very first functional creative QR codes in the CR that would visually incorporate the feature dominant in the magazine and therefore fully serve the purpose of the WC Guide app, developed especially for this issue. This geolocation app, running on data service, allows its user to find the nearest available public toilet, add toilets to the database and post pictures and ratings on a Facebook wall. The practical and gamification dimension (users won free subscription for special check-ins) aimed to draw attention to the campaign's message that mobile internet can really be useful when looking for public toilets.
This idea was developed through guerrilla installation of 2 toilets in a public space with special magazine feature design and QR codes leading to the WC Guide microsite running under the magazine's online version with branded YouTube channel showing viral videos: a parodical rendering of teleshopping format. In the case of online magazines, embedded ‘Like’ buttons allowed for the viral spread of branded content within close social networks (especially on Facebook) which featured regular promos of all activities regarding the campaign. Along with a link to the Android market for downloading the app, both the online version and fan page contained an app viral video, as well as the making-of video and photo-reportage of the designing and installation of toilet booths.
Implementation
Various platforms were used during this campaign. An elaborate feature design employed creative QR codes, placed on the magazine's cover and inside the feature section, leading to a viral video embedded on a microsite running under the magazine's online version and to its Facebook fan page. The microsite further contained a link to the Android market for downloading WC Guide. The Facebook fan page also contained a making-of video, and a photo-reportage of the guerrilla installation of toilet booths with QR codes, in a frequented public space. All online branded content contained ‘Like’ buttons to ensure effective spread across social networks.
Outcome
Within 1 month following the launch of the campaign, the app reached 10,000 downloads (CR has 190,000 smartphones using permanent data service). Out of the total downloads, 2,000 were via the creative QR codes placed in the magazine issue of 125,000 copies, the making-of video (placed on the Facebook page), the online version of the magazine, as well as on the toilet booths (installed in a frequented public space and used by hundreds of people). There were also 132 check-ins at those toilet booths during their month-long guerrilla installation. As for media coverage, the launch of the campaign drew attention both on part of all major news portals, as well as on 3 out of 5 major dailies. Owing to the response triggered by its practical and gamification dimensions, the application further caught the eye of one of the biggest commercial TV stations in the Czech Republic, TV Nova, which decided to cover its story full-time in an infotainment show called ‘Weekend’, thus reaching an average prime time audience share of 42% in the 15-54 target group. The launch also triggered an increase in customer flow in Vodafone shops, with vendors using the app to demonstrate benefits of mobile internet.