Tabasco TTL campaign delivers more than 1000% growth in online audience

Examples of the new Tabasco ‘Campaign for Change’

The Tabasco 'Campaign for Change' adopted an integrated approach, with digital and below-the-line taking centre stage to deliver a visually appealing and engaging consumer drive. Boasting a formidable 1700% growth in online fans and a significant boost in store sales throughout the two-month campaign, Tabasco is now well placed and front-of-mind to launch its 2013 brand campaign.

Digital drive

Partner digital agency, Base2, delivered a comprehensive online campaign, focusing primarily on bringing to life the campaign trail; it was Red versus Green in a race to win the hearts (and palates) of South Africans. The campaign included extensive online spend in the form of page takeovers, promotional blocks, advertorials, newsletter inserts and banner ads. This was supported by Facebook Page post ads and sponsored results at the coalface of the competition, driving users to like and engage with the Tabasco Facebook Fan page like never before. The results were astounding; a reported 1700% growth in Facebook fans over the campaign period (growing from just 230 in August to 4365 in January). "The results of the Tabasco campaign were really encouraging," says Adam Oberem, Managing Director of Base2. "Undoubtedly a great case study to prove how a well-executed integrated campaign encompassing the combination of great eye-catching creative, strategically targeted media spend, on-the-ground activations and a holistic social media content strategy are the foundations of getting great online traction."

Into the real world

With the hearts and minds of consumers captured online, the integration of a below-the-line sales drive was essential to ensure conversion from awareness to actual sales. Volcano enlisted the services of BTL agency, The Sound Media Group, to execute an in-store version of the campaign, bring polling booths to 20 major retailers in and around Gauteng. Once again, consumers were encouraged to vote for their favourite Tabasco, with Red beating Green across the finish line in a final instalment of an epic campaign challenge. More than 1300 bottles of Tabasco were moved off the shelves during the in store activation.

"Not only was the Campaign for Change an exciting campaign to work on," says Volcano Creative Director, Francois Boshoff, "but it also proved to lay a solid foundation for the work we will be doing to further build the brand this year. It's great to see consumers so willing and excited to engage with the brand, and we look forward to repeating and exceeding these results."