2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

In a traditional and saturated category, leveraging mobile technology, to respond to changing customer habits, created a golden opportunity for Tide and Ariel. As buying detergent is inconvenient to consumers due to weight, volume and un-sealable packaging, we created and launched eDirect – a Direct-To-Consumer application that allows people to deliver smart detergent containers with the click of a button. The campaign was launched (1) online, through YouTube, SnapChat, and influencer collaborations, and (2) on-ground, in malls and door-to-door. The app caused a major disruption in the category and the launch exceeded our targets across volume/sales/repeat purchases/app installs and communication.

Background

Laundry is a 60+ year category in KSA and hasn’t taken any advantage of technological advances to make buying/storing detergents more convenient. In addition, 65% of Laundry is sold via the Hyper-Super-Market channel, where shoppers buying laundry on promotion has become the norm. Despite being market leaders, this dynamic has hit Ariel and Tide’s profitability, in addition to households using only 60% of the recommended dosage per load. e-Direct aims at creating a new e-DTC (Direct to Consumer) channel in Saudi to change shopping habits from Hyper-Super-Markets to app ordering, with the following objectives: (1) increase volume and spend per buyer purchase to 16Kg / SAR 108, compared to 5Kg / SAR 42 per retail trip, (2) achieve a minimum of 5% repeat purchases via the app to ensure the program’s financial sustainability, (3) drive app installs in a cost-effective manner – 25,000 installs in 7 months at $2.5 CPI.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Our audience is increasingly open to buying online: eCommerce in KSA is estimated at $9.8 Billion in 2020, almost 6 times what it was in 2015, and accelerated following the COVID19 pandemic, with 77% of our audience shopping more online. However, eCommerce delivery alone cannot tackle the storage problem. When researching the proposed solutions, the concept of using “resealable smart containers” scored highest with our audience. We needed an easily repeatable end-to-end solution, so we designed a custom refillable smart box that complements home delivery. Our idea: Click to upgrade your detergent experience: easily buy in bulk from the app, get it delivered, and keep it fresh. Combining the practicality of eCommerce ordering with custom packaging and repeatability of household distribution led to solving current unmet needs.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

85% of KSA audience chooses powder detergent over new detergent types such as gel and pods. People love the cleaning effectiveness of powder and contend with its inconveniences such as its weight and the messiness of storing it. The average shopper carries heavy cartons or polybags (5Kg to 15Kg) at shopping trips. Polybag looks messy while carton is prone to getting wet. Once opened, the current packaging doesn’t protect the powder from losing its fresh scent or from humidity ‘caking’. P&G consumer research has identified three unmet needs: convenience in buying, resealable packaging, and better value (despite promotions). Given the novelty of the service in Laundry, we needed to (1) create awareness and desire for eDirect, (2) educate on its ease of use, and (3) incentivize trial. Also, the biggest budget share was allocated to paid media, tackling awareness and conversion through Google mainly and Facebook as a secondary platform.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

We pushed videos on YouTube & Google UAC showing the main benefits of the eDirect service: free delivery, smart storage box, and great value. Educational videos demonstrated how to use the app. Custom vertical videos were pushed on Facebook and Instagram to appeal to early adopters. We collaborated with select influencers on Instagram, such as Sarah Al Hamad and Mona Al Zahrani, who discussed the service on their Instagram accounts. In parallel, we set up premium booths in malls to educate people on eDirect and help them set up their account. They were also provided with discount and referral coupons to invite their friends to try the service. We also opted for door-to-door distribution of educational leaflets and coupons to drive eDirect adoption. 100% of the budget was invested on mobile.

List the results (30% of vote)

eDirect caused a major disruption in the category and the launch exceeded our targets across volume/sales/repeat purchases/app installs and winning communication: o App-Downloads: Achieved +100,000 App installs in 7 months (4X our target), due to our winning acquisition and communication strategy (305 CEI in Ipsos Advertising-2.0 testing methodology – GLOBAL top 1% in IPSOS effectiveness database) o Cost-Per-Download: $1.5 vs. $2.5 Target. o Repeat-Rate: 24% Repeat Rate in first 6 months (5X our target), thanks to our Retention & Loyalty Program with ‘Cash-Back’ & ‘Refill’ functionalities. o Average Basket Size per order: 24KG in e-DTC channel vs. 5KG Volume per Trip in other offline channels. o Average Basket Value per order: 155 SAR in e-DTC vs. 42 SAR Spend per Trip in other offline channels. eDirect can drive category volume growth and to address the challenge of dosing compliance in the region, leading to increased delight from Laundry.