“We believe in operating our business in a way that spreads the greater good for people, the planet, and producing high-quality products that consumers love,” comments Tinus Pretorius, GM of sales and marketing at Woodlands Dairy. “It’s an extension of our brand story to be able to allow others to show their appreciation, just as we appreciate those who work to get great products from the farm to the shelf.”
Working with Boomtown on the strategy to inspire heartfelt gestures, Woodlands Dairy wanted to link goodness of kindness with its First Choice Custard product. The aim was to encourage consumers to purchase the product and bring the values of the campaign into their homes.
The campaign and mechanics
Consisting of print and TV advertising, social media and on-pack promotion, Pour Your Heart Out was easy to enter and participate in. Consumers could SMS a short code to submit their heartfelt gesture. Five winners were announced fortnightly, with each winning a R20 000 heartfelt gesture.
“Consumers like brands which do good, and those which take their vision and mission off the paper and into the real world,” says Boomtown business group head Ebert Grobler. “In its third year, First Choice Custard, Pour Your Heart Out proves itself as a positive, brand-building campaign that also has a positive impact on product sales. Last year, First Choice Custard sales increased by 30% when comparing December 2015 to February 2016 to the same period in 2014 to 2015.”
First Choice’s heartfelt gesture
First Choice supports the Friends of the Children’s Hospital, an organisation providing non-medical support to patients, their parents and caregivers at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. “Each Pour Your Heart Out campaign sees us also support this wonderful organisation,” notes Pretorius. “And for 2016, rather than making a financial donation, we will be sponsoring various marketing tools for Friends of the Children’s Hospital.”
The organisation will be able to use the tools to publicise their work and to create awareness to increase the number of volunteers they have, as well as much needed donations.