Back in 2015, one of the most loved brands in the country, Maggi faced one of its worst nightmares.
The noodles were banned and declared unfit for human consumption, they were taken off the shelves.
I believe, in India, Maggi is not just an instant noodle brand- it’s an emotion.
With millions of consumers loving the brand, Nestle had to ensure to regain trust and not lose out.
This is how the brand worked towards creating a space back into the shelves and consumers’ heart
Background:
When a brand is put in a tough situation like this, a lot depends on the kind of reaction that comes through, this in turn decides the fate of the brand.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned Maggi since they found more than the permissible amount of lead and monosodium glutamate in their packs.
Even though Nestle appealed to the High court regarding the same, a lot of packets were still recalled from all parts of the country.
Nestle was later asked to have lab retests to ensure the quality check, soon Maggi was back on the shelves.
The question that arose now was, how do we win back customers' trust?
Objective:
There have been multiple instances of situations like this, but each brand has reacted differently more so in regards to the brand fit in the consumer’s mind.
Maggi could have easily come up with a campaign to inform the consumers that it's safe to resume consumption.
However, more often than not, it's not as easy.
Especially when it’s a brand like Maggi.
They decided to launch a series of short films with the hashtag, WeMissYouToo.
The objective of the campaign was to portray, that as a brand, Maggi believes in the emotional connection the brand has with its customers and chose to highlight the same.
Execution:
The execution was really simple, with no elaborate creativity layers, etc.
This was important to ensure that the consumers connect with the brand.
The short films were dedicated to all the fans who supported and stood by the brand.
It portrayed a Maggi fanboy/fangirl who has had a very strong association with the brand.
The videos highlighted instances of when Maggi is usually consumed, like a late-night snack, as an evening snack, or just when you are bored.
Towards the end of each of the videos is a general plea ‘Please come back soon, we miss you’.
Of course, the best part of the campaign is the fact that there is no brand mention throughout the video, but the end frame has a Maggi logo and #WeMissYouToo.
Learnings:
In a situation like this, brands are not only tested on how they react legally but also in regards to how they interact with their consumers.
In Maggi’s case, the part that I love the most is the fact they did not get a brand ambassador on board.
We had seen this in the case of Cadbury with the worm controversy, and also Coke with pesticide problem.
However, Maggi believed an actual customer to customer connect was a better choice. The brand ensured to stay in touch with the customers throughout, which talks volumes about the brand.
When Maggi was facing this problem, competitors like Yippee, Top-Ramen, etc. could of course leverage on the opportunity, hence it was important to ensure to react fast and well.
For die-hard fans of Maggi, like yours truly, a Top-Ramen curry noodle might be tasty, but…it’s not Maggi. The emotion attached, says it all!