Batelco: SIM SIM O-NET

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Social Media Marketing

Advertiser: BATELCO

Product/Service: SIM SIM O-NET DEVICE

Agency: FP7/BAH

Date of First Appearance: May 9 2010

Entrant Company: FP7/BAH, Manama, BAHRAIN

Entry URL: http://www.batelco.com/showcase/simsimonetinteractive/

Creative Director: Fadi Yaish (FP7/BAH)

Art Director: Yahya Ismail (FP7/BAH)

Copywriter: Steve De Lange (FP7/BAH)

Agency Integrated Producer: Mar Wai May (FP7/BAH)

Online Experience Developer: Fadi Yaish (FP7/BAH)

Illustrator: Muhammad Mustafa (FP7/BAH)

Media placement: VIRAL FILM - Youtube, FACEBOOK - 9 MAY 2011

Media placement: ONLINE INTERACTIVE CAMPAIGN - Facebook.com/simsim.onet - 9 MAY 2011



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

When BATELCO first launched their prepaid broadband service SIM SIM O-NET, the results were not as good as expected. Our challenge was to relaunch SIM SIM O-NET in an indifferent market.



Creative Execution

Our idea was to get 500 O-net devices to end up with socially active people, who would spread the gospel using Facebook’s social media platform. SIM SIM the device became SIM SIM the character. The first 500 people who tagged a picture of themselves with SIM SIM O-NET on Facebook would win a free O-net device. In few days we exceeded our goal and the pictures kept coming. It became a race for SIM SIM’s love. People led the campaign, photoshopping, creating arts and crafts, even posing as SIM SIM look-alikes. Hooked on the character, people were ready to be hooked on the device. After 500 winners received free devices, phase two began. Each winner was sent pictures of ten different SIM SIM characters and on each, asked to tag a friend who would get a discount on the device. SIM SIM instantly had 5,000 brand ambassadors.



Results and Effectiveness

In four weeks on Facebook: - Exceeded 500 picture target by 150%. - Tagged 12,000 people,10% of Bahrain’s Facebook community. - Made 3240 friends, 600% over initial target - Got over 659,900 wall impressions. SIM SIM O-NET recorded a 111% increase in sales leading to a 70% sales increase of post paid. Generating over USD 75,000 unpaid media, brand recognition increased 87% amongst youth. What brands spend years and big budgets to achieve, SIM SIM O-NET did in four weeks, with a next to zero budget. A bland USB device was relaunched, a nationwide love brand was born.