Center Fruit aimed at owning the genre of comedy by developing a stand-up show with MTV India and created curiosity through digital media. Here’s how they did it.
This Case study takes a deep dive into how Center Fruit in collaboration with MTV India leveraged branded content campaigns and exceeded targets for both on-air and digital KPIs while keeping comedy at its core.
Category Introduction
The India confectionery market was valued at INR 320.6 billion ($4.3 billion) in 2021. Center Fruit is a leading player in the chewing gum (confectionery) market with a loyal fan following that attracts people aged 18-24 years old.
Summary
Comedy shows have always resonated well with the Indian audience and garnered good viewership. Center Fruit grabbed onto this insight and used comedy as a means to drive brand affinity and metrics.
Along with organising a stand-up show, the brand intetgrated itself into the shows set clevery. They cladded the winners’ podium, judges’ table, trophies, goodie bags and more with brand logos and colours which acted as a promotional activity.
Objective
Being a brand that promises freedom from boredom, Center Fruit has looked for ways to uplift the consumer’s mood i.e. make everyone’s MOOD TING TONG!
And research threw up an exciting nugget of information – Comedy was identified as one such driver of mood upliftment for the TG. From performing to 25 people in 2010, to now having multiple daily shows and performing to crowds of a few hundred on average, live comedy has come a long way in India, making comedians the new, more accessible and relevant SUPERSTARS!
With that insight in place, Center Fruit looked to own the genre of comedy with the goal of making the world a happier place, with more laughs, more joy and a switch to make your Mood Ting Tong.
It defined the objectives as follows:
- Business Objective: Drive more sales
- Marketing Objective: Increase brand visibility
- Creative Objective: Use comedy as a means to drive brand affinity and brand love metrics
Target Audience:
Demographics: 18-24-year-olds, Male & Female, Residing in tier 1 cities in India viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune
Psychographics: Be it studies or work, this audience set is easily bored and often finds themselves needing to break away from monotonous and boring tasks. This makes them look for something fun (be it consumable content or a consumable product), that would re-energize them and uplift their mood.
Creative Strategy
A Unique Stand-Up Comedy Reality Series
Center Fruit developed a stand-up comedy reality series, Comedy Base Camp (CBC), in collaboration with leading youth media entertainment (YME) brand, MTV India, that understands what makes young India tick.
20 aspiring comedians from all over India were shortlisted to feature on the 5-part show (from entries submitted on an exclusive microsite), where they competed to see who will be the future of funny, giving us 5 mega winners who shall now get the once in a lifetime chance to trek and perform comedy at the Everest Base Camp!
MTV Comedy Base Camp
A primetime delight, the show was played for 5 weeks with playouts scheduled on Friday, Monday and Thursday at 6:30, 9:30 and 5 PM respectively, ensuring Center Fruit reached out to the comedy fanatics at all costs and times!
The show was hosted by Cyrus Broacha, India’s widely loved quick-witted prankster.
5 of India’s most talented comedians feature on one episode each to judge and mentor the up-and-coming comics and find India’s next generation of Comedy superstars! The judging panel included Anu Menon, Gaurav Gera, Kumar Varun, Amit Tandon and Nishant Suri. And the surprise of the season, Bhuvan Bam joined as the series finale judge!
One comedian was crowned the winner in each of the 5 episodes, The Top 5, who will soon compete in a pinnacle of a grand finale at the Everest Base Camp in September 2022. The winner will not only take the trophy home but also be awarded cash prizes.
In-content branding and digital amplification via paid, owned and earned media ensured there was constant chatter before, during and after the campaign, keeping brand communication engaging and topical.
Also Read: Case Study: How Fevicol used Instagram Reels Remix feature to engage users
Execution
Phase 1: CFE – On Air + Digital
Center Fruit published a graphic teaser to build intrigue and invited comedians from across India through a fun, self-aware CFE promo ft. Cyrus Broacha.
A microsite was created to host participant entries and other information on CBC.
Phase 2: Launch
The campaign kick started with the judges’ line-up reveal and a glimpse of the mega hunt, big jokes, bigger talent and all the madness.
Countdowns on social media took Center Fruit’s audience behind the scenes, introducing them to Comedy Base Camp’s contestants via videos that spoke about their inner keeda.
Phase 3: Showtime + Sustenance
On air: Episodic Playouts from Sep 24-Oct 22, 2021 with Episodic On-Air Reach of 2.37 million*
Social Media: Center Fruit did it all
MTV India’s social media handles were used as one of the sources of promotions, where weekly episodic promos were aired. Additionally, to reach the audience from every corner, the brand uploaded the episodes on Facebook as well.
To engage the audience better, the brand also shared behind-the-scenes footage which gave the viewers an insider look while also capturing and promoting special moments for each winning contestant.
Using Instagram’s swipe-up feature, the brand drove traffic to their YouTube channel. Instagram Reels were also used where judges gave expert takes on comedy and more.
To engage with the viewers, the brand held PJ Wars on their social media handles that urged the audience to show their not-so-funny side via their best PJs.
Earned Media:
- The brand scaled up reach with YME (Youth, Music, English) brands under them Viacom 18 banner (MTV Beats, Colors Infinity TV, VH1 India, Comedy Central, Colors Cineplex)
- The Host & judges’ of the show shared posts and stories on personal Instagram handles.
In-content Branding in the show ensured brand visibility via integrations such as:
The brand intetgrated itself into the shows set very clevery. They cladded the winners’ podium, judges’ table, trophies, goodie bags and more with brand logos and colours, integrating themselves into the show.
The set design included the brand’s colours and the look and feel of a base camp. With this, there was a special Center Fruit segment at the beginning of every episode, showcasing Cyrus Broacha caught in different hilarious and intentionally over-the-top situations where Center Fruit came to his rescue.
Camera angles played a big role as well. With every reaction shot from the contestant’s area, Center Fruit pack shot was captured. Frequent prosuct consumpltions from both judegs and contestants were captures. A branded cheque was also set in place.
Mood Ting Tong – the campaigns tag line was used in in-content branding as well. A Mood Ting Tong meter was in place that indicated the episode’s best jokes. Throughout the episodes, the judges frequently called out to Mood Ting Tong. Lastly, special video bytes from contestants were shared for to engage with the audience.
Results
On-Air:
- Reach – 77.6 M+ (cumulative reach, excluding episodes)
Digital:
Social Media content pieces like memes, PJs and topicals spoke Center Fruit’s mind in its audience’s (s)lang, giving Center Fruit:
- 3.7 M+ Reach
- 4 M+ Impressions
- 33.4 K+ Engagements
- 650.4 K+ Views
- Link Clicks
By posting exclusive behind-the-scenes content, the brand generated:
- 4.2 M+ Reach
- 5.6 M+ Impressions
- 43.8 K+ Engagements
- 1.5 M+ Views
- Link Clicks
The brand also scaled up their reach through the judge’s, hosts and YME brands (MTV Beats, Colors Infinity TV, VH1 India, Comedy Central, Colors Cineplex) official Instagram accounts by sharing stories and posts:
- 22.3 M+ Reach
- 31.2 M+ Impressions
- 102.8 K+ Engagements
- 6.5 M+ Views
The overall digital reach:
- Impressions – 104.5 M+
- Reach – 57.4 M+ (2X of target)
- Engagements – 250 K+
- Views – 13.5 M+
Total Reach in 5 Weeks: 135 M+
Market Impact
The campaign achieved all 3 objectives (business, marketing & creative) resulting in:
- +4% increase in sales
- +2% increase in Brand Imagery
It brought consumers and the brand closer by providing an engaging experience on air and on digital, aiding brand recognition and positively impacting brand growth and development.
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