Nescafé Tarot Cà Phê successfully revitalized Nescafé's market share in Vietnam by incorporating Tarot readings into the coffee experience. The campaign targeted young millennials and generation Z who sought spiritual guidance in their decision-making process, using a branded Tarot web-app called "Coffee Tarot" or "Ta Rót Cà Phê." Users were able to receive personalized life guidance based on their coffee preferences, while the brand collected valuable data for retargeting purposes. The campaign resulted in a significant increase in market share, sales growth, and improved brand perception among the target audience.
Objective:
Ten months ago, Nescafé's connection to its young consumers was severed. The six-month-long lockdown strained the brand's production line, making it difficult to meet the high demand from panicked shoppers. As a result, consumers turned to competitors. By the end of 2021, Nescafé experienced a decline in both total market share and key equity scores. The objective of this 2022 campaign was to fully regain the market share from 2021. Moreover, the brand aimed to reconnect with lapsing customers and attract new Vietnamese coffee lovers by aligning its beloved coffee choice with their dynamic consumption styles. In addition to driving sales, Nescafé sought to uplift the declining trends in key equity attributes such as "innovative brand" and "fit my lifestyle."
Target Audience:
The target audience consisted of Vietnamese young millennials and generation Z, who were digital natives known for their tech-savviness. Despite their technological prowess, they sought spiritual guidance when making choices. They turned to divinatory practices, like Tarot, to find answers beyond the physical world. Tarot became their compass in navigating various aspects of life, from simple decisions about daily coffee drinks to complex choices like saying "Yes, I do!" Tarot provided them with guidance and direction.
Creative Strategy:
To rebuild Nescafé's fortune and establish a connection with the target audience, the brand introduced "Coffee Tarot," a branded Tarot reading experience. The interactive web-app allowed users to discover life guides and possibilities based on their coffee preferences. To maintain the brand essence without becoming overly spiritual, the brand creatively adapted the Tarot term to "Ta Rót," which means "pouring" in Vietnamese.
The Coffee Tarot reading experience was hosted on the web-app, offering guidance in four important areas of a young person's life: friendship, career, love, and family. Each area featured 16 cards, with each card representing a Nescafé variant and featuring generation Z-relevant styles of art and language. For example, "Gút-Gồ" means Google. The campaign also collected robust coffee preference profiles and personalized retargeting journeys using data from the experience.
Context:
Starting in 2022, Nescafé made a major comeback with a full stock power across its coffee portfolios. The campaign strategically aligned with the Lunar New Year season, which served as the initial debut to recover the brand's losses.
Overall Campaign Execution:
To engage consumers, the brand designed a digital-first universe called "Ta Rót Cà Phê" that encompassed the entire campaign. The central activity of the campaign was the mobile-friendly "Ta Rót Cà Phê" web-app, which combined Tarot readings, coffee recipes, and social sharing options. Other online touchpoints generated buzz and traffic, while offline activations, including reading booths and QR codes, drove engagement.
To raise awareness and drive traffic to the web-app, Nescafé utilized an extensive digital media plan. Over 120 interest-based ads across love, family, friendship, and career affinities were strategically placed to maximize online traffic. Real-time coffee preferences were used to serve cross-product ads after each reading completion. Additionally, popular TikTokers and communities endorsed Nescafé recipes within their content. The campaign extended to offline channels, such as Super Brand Day activation, where participants could experience the Tarot reading directly at the booth or through scanning QR codes.
The coffee culture in Vietnam has become more diverse and flexible, embracing elements of Western coffee culture and modern lifestyles. The campaign successfully reignited the connection with lapsing customers by incorporating Tarot into the coffee experience during challenging times.
Firstly, the campaign not only regained what was lost but also achieved substantial growth:
Secondly, connecting with lapsing customers through "spiritual coffee talk" proved to be a meaningful approach:
The introduction of mysticism to Nescafé's coffee offerings enhanced the perceived taste:
Furthermore, the "Coffee Tarot" provided Nescafé with an opportunity to deepen its connection with coffee lovers:
Lastly, the campaign achieved outstanding results:
