Rule of the game / This campaign is an example of an effective and simple promotion that aligns with the behaviour of the gaming community. According to DFC Intelligence, there’s an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe – a lucrative opportunity for brands to reach consumers. However, it’s crucial that campaigns positively contribute to the gaming experience, rather than being intrusive or pushing a sales message too hard. As Joe Barnes, marketing director of Bud Light, told us, brands have to find ‘an authentic stance within the space and [show] up as a member of the community, not just a sponsor’. Here, KFC has integrated a gaming mechanic into its offering in a fun way to earn the brand a bit of attention and help position it top-of-mind if players want a mid-game snack.
Ease of play / Part of what makes Shift+K+F+C successful is its simplicity. The QSR didn’t overcomplicate the customer journey but made it fun, compelling as well as easy for gamers to engage with the idea. By giving people the option of either their go-to favourite menu item or the Gamer’s Box at the click of a few buttons, KFC has streamlined the route to purchase and taken out the hassle of picking what to have for lunch. As this Forbes article reveals, there are six key barriers to revenue growth that range from issues like giving people too many options or too much information, to poor branding. However, the common theme is the need to minimise the complexity before and after purchase. And KFC has achieved just that by creating a straightforward shortcut on its website.
Value for money / Creative effectiveness does not go hand-in-hand with a big budget; brands can connect with their audience by truly understanding their behaviour. By identifying a common habit among gamers and mimicking it on the KFC website, the restaurant chain was able to increase the number of online bundle combos by 19% and the 58% rise in visits to its site is no small feat as a result of a low-budget coding tweak. Take a look at our low-budget collection for more examples on how brands that operated on small media and production budgets were able to use creative thinking to gain organic impressions and steal headlines.
