The Campaign

Immediately responding to the situation, Nissin made an official apology, recognizing that despite stipulating that Donbei requires 5 minutes to cook, leaving it for 10 minutes made the noodles just as tasty. Nissin officially apologized on their website and on news shows, creating TV commercials and online videos that promoted the “10-minute Donbei” concept.

Execution

After 5 days following the initial tweet introducing the “10-minute Donbei” concept, Nissin announced the creation of a website for their apology. This was followed by “10-minute Donbei” TV commercials that began to air days later. In addition, a tool to support the “10-minute Donbei”, the “10-minute Donbei timer” was made available after days.

The 10-minute DONDEI became incredibly popular all across Japan, the buzz leading to the product selling out all over the country. In addition to the 10-minute version, people started to experiment other new ways to enjoy DONDEI, creating further buzz and conversation, consequently spreading and promoting the concept of culinary diversity amongst the Japanese people. The campaign also resulted in NISSIN achieving a 150% increase in sales over the previous year.

The Situation

The campaign successfully prompted a change in people’s perception and behavior, while significantly increasing sales.

The Strategy

This was a responsive campaign to an individual tweeter who came up with a new culinary concept, the “10-minute Donbei”. By building on the “10-minute Donbei” buzz that already existed on Twitter, Nissin was able to gain consumer favorability, while aiming to further spread awareness. Nissin also created TV commercials and tools that showcased their commitment, making a continuous effort to keep the “10-minute Donbei” topical among consumers.