The Campaign

Horlicks is a family nutrition brand by GlaxoSmithKline. In developing markets it helps mothers close their kids' nutrition gaps, fighting what the World Health Organization calls "hidden hunger". But more than a good product, Horlicks is also a brand with a meaningful purpose: to nourish children’s potential. In 2014 Horlicks began to bring this purpose to life, going far beyond the functional category norm to launch the Horlicks School Journey Initiative. This program strives to help make the journeys kids take to school easier, faster and safer, all around the world – because 57 million children lack access to an education (according to UNESCO). With its first project in Malaysia and more lined up this year, Horlicks is proving its purpose, driving real change, and seeing positive engagement and business results.

The Brief

To change the conversation, from functional messaging to a broadly engaging story about helping fulfil children’s potential. And it needs a lot of help: UNESCO estimates that 57 million kids have limited or no access to education. Horlicks aimed to link its brand to the larger theme of education, since children's academic success is important not just to every mother but to the development of society in general. Ideally, then, project by project, the brand would develop highly involving content that would build popularity for both the brand and its purpose, while bringing Horlicks into meaningful conversation with mothers.

Creative Execution

The global category team started by developing the initiative’s core assets: the mission statement, rules of engagement and project manifesto were launched as part of the new Horlicks websites going live around the world. Simultaneously, and crucially, the team also launched the first pilot project, in Kampung Chuweh, Malaysia. Here, in collaboration with a trusted NGO partner, Horlicks implemented substantial change, building a school-prep center, hiring a specialist to groom village kids for their first-ever school experience, even securing a boat for their [XX-km] journey. And by documenting every step of the way – the backstory to the project, branded documentary videos in multiple episodes, social media posts and regular updates, media events, online banners – Horlicks also ensured a constant flow of meaningful, interesting and engaging content. Meaning: new reasons for mothers to think about, talk about, and engage with the brand.

While it’s a global campaign, the Horlicks School Journey Initiative is designed first and foremost to create local impact, with projects, stories and content meant to reach mothers in the same market. And the strategy is working – in Malaysia and beyond How do we know? Because in only 5 months the pilot touched nearly 37 million people – that’s 7 million more than the entire population of Malaysia. Website visits jumped +2147%, with nearly 40% of visitors brought there by project content. The engagement rates illustrate the power of the story: organic reach of a single post 9.2% versus the average of 2-3%. Low paid media investments were needed making this a highly efficient approach. An approach creating tangible results in the pilot market: In Malaysia the School Journey Initiative played a key role in re-igniting brand consideration – volume sales grew year on year by 22%.

GSK and the Horlicks category team knew: actions speak louder than words. Launching an initiative is easy, but following through and actually driving change is what makes the difference. Besides: no change, no story. So the core of our strategy was to identify and run real, education-focused projects with real local relevance in key markets. Documenting, packaging and promoting these stories would do more than just provide content for the Horlicks digital ecosystem. It would drive earned media reach. Reach mothers in each market and beyond. And create an emotional halo differentiating Horlicks from a category inundated by functional benefit communication.