Results and Effectiveness

Despite contributing only 4% in the P2.1B category spending in H1 2012, Ulalammm was able to capture a significant portion of the C2DE market. In the launch week alone, volume sales already increased by 20%. Positive real-time comments were monitored on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. The creative executions with experiential marketing components translated to a 28% sales increase in May, surpassing the monthly target for the first time this year. The brand was able to reach all-time high with 134% actual sales in July, during the semi-final round of the PBA Governor’s Cup.

Creative Execution

To magnify the festive feel of the creative material, Ulalammm was featured in fiesta-themed portion buys on programs associated with the popular pop star and brand endorser, Sarah Geronimo. These came with sampling opportunities and on-air mileage showing people eating Ulalammm. The first execution (Sarah G Live) showcased Ulalammm’s sponsorship of a local flower festival attended by more than 10,000 people. It is unlikely for a product like Ualalammm to be used as the community’s celebratory dish, but the execution automatically heightened its brand recall. This continued through a production number with in-studio sampling on ASAP2012, a top-rating musical variety show. This stint created a massive online hype that it became a trending topic on Twitter. Taking into consideration the Filipinos’ love for basketball, Ualalammm also did a season-long execution on the Philippine Basketball Association’s Governor’s Cup wherein fans were shot eating Ulalammm inside the arena, a first in PBA’s history.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

When it comes to ready-to-eat food, Filipinos tend to go for long-established brands. It’s always a newcomer’s dilemma to disrupt this purchase pattern and secure a significant market share. Not to mention the heavy clutter of advertising in the RTE category. While rigid in their choices, however, Filipinos are strongly influenced by tradition. They’re active in local festivities. They religiously follow celebrities and sports idols; and more interestingly, they are natural foodies. Newcomer Ulalammm should up the ante by leveraging on these insights. A way to do so is to employ sensorial marketing tactics through most-anticipated festivities and events to complement non-standard TV executions. The campaign went about the end-goal of capturing the RTE food market by emotionally and graphically appealing to the mindset and comfort zones of consumers. With a pop star endorser, these buys positioned Ulalammm as the perfect food for special occasions, sports-watching and merry-making in general.