During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Pizza Hut Malaysia faced a formidable challenge with its Cheesy Poppers Pizza campaign amidst intense competition and media clutter. To stand out, Pizza Hut Malaysia identified an innovative solution: targeting the burgeoning community of 1.2 million mobile football gamers. These gamers were actively engaged in recreating live match scenarios and streaming on platforms like Twitch, presenting a unique opportunity to integrate Pizza Hut into the football conversation effectively.
Cheese Codes Campaign: Pizza Hut Malaysia's Innovative Approach to Engage Football Gamers
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Increase in Sales in 25 days
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Media Impressions
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Unique Viewers
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Contributed to Q4 Revenue
The Challenge
The FIFA World Cup is a global event that captures the attention of millions worldwide, including avid football fans and gamers alike. Pizza Hut Malaysia aimed to leverage this enthusiasm to boost sales of its Cheesy Poppers Pizza amidst a crowded advertising landscape. Traditional marketing approaches were unlikely to cut through the noise effectively, necessitating a fresh and engaging strategy to capture the attention of their target audience.
Solution
Pizza Hut Malaysia, in collaboration with Dentsu Creative and Carat Malaysia, devised the Cheese Codes campaign, a pioneering approach that resonated deeply with mobile football gamers:
- Integration with Gaming Culture: Pizza Hut created unique "Cheese Codes" such as MBAPPEPPERONI and CRISPIANO, blending football player names with pizza toppings. These codes were strategically displayed in-game whenever the corresponding player scored a goal during live TV broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup matches. This real-time integration allowed gamers to interact seamlessly by ordering pizza combos directly from their gaming platforms without interrupting their gameplay.
- Partnerships and Amplification: The campaign leveraged partnerships with popular football gaming communities and amplified its reach through Twitter. Each time a player named in a code scored during a match, Pizza Hut released additional codes, capitalizing on the excitement and engagement generated by live game events.
Results
The Cheese Codes campaign proved highly successful, delivering tangible results that surpassed expectations:
- Sales Increase: Within just 25 days, the campaign led to a significant 14% increase in sales for Cheesy Poppers Pizza, demonstrating the effectiveness of the innovative approach in driving consumer engagement and purchase intent.
- Media Impressions: The campaign garnered an impressive 8.4 million media impressions, amplifying brand visibility and engagement across digital and social media platforms.
- Unique Viewership: It reached 1.1 million unique viewers, primarily comprising active mobile football gamers who embraced the campaign’s integration with their gaming experience.
- Contribution to Q4 Revenue: Cheesy Poppers Pizza sales contributed significantly to Pizza Hut Malaysia’s Q4 revenue, accounting for 29% of the total, underscoring the campaign’s impact on business outcomes.
Innovating to Impact
The Cheese Codes campaign by Pizza Hut Malaysia exemplifies a pioneering approach to marketing that effectively engages a niche audience while driving substantial business results. By targeting mobile football gamers during a globally celebrated event like the FIFA World Cup, Pizza Hut not only expanded its customer base but also set a new standard for real-time, non-intrusive advertising in the digital age.
The campaign’s success lies in its ability to enhance user experience, foster community engagement among gamers, and adapt to evolving consumer behaviors in the digital era. It showcased the power of creativity and innovation in capturing consumer attention and driving sales growth, while also solidifying Pizza Hut Malaysia’s position as a leader in innovative marketing strategies.
The Cheese Codes campaign by Pizza Hut Malaysia, in collaboration with Dentsu Creative and Carat Malaysia, stands as a testament to the transformative impact of creative marketing solutions. By seamlessly integrating pizza ordering into the live football gaming experience, Pizza Hut not only achieved impressive sales growth but also strengthened its brand presence and customer loyalty. Moving forward, campaigns like Cheese Codes highlight the importance of adapting to digital trends and consumer behaviors to drive meaningful engagement and business success in today’s competitive landscape.
“The campaign solidified the partnership between Dentsu Creative, Carat Media and Pizza Hut Malaysia, with gaming being a key communication channel in this year's marketing plan. The success of this campaign exceeded our personal and marketing expectations. The gamified approach and business results speak for themselves. We look forward to engaging new customers in their own gaming worlds in 2023 and beyond.”Emily Chong, Chief Marketing Officer of Pizza Hut Malaysia
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