Decathlon and KitKat's Effective Reactive Outdoor Campaigns

The Impact of Decathlon and KitKat's Reactive Campaigns

Decathlon's Response to the Global Outage

Last week, while the world faced a global outage that affected airplanes, banks, businesses, schools, and more, outdoor brand Decathlon and Nestlé's chocolate brand KitKat took the opportunity to generate sales and build their brand.

In reaction to the global outage, Decathlon purchased a digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad space to encourage consumers to head outdoors and shop. The ad, which mimics Microsoft Windows' error screen, flipped the sad face emoticon to a happy face and featured white text that read: "Outage? Get outside." The ad also informed consumers that the brand would be having a sale with up to 50% off on outdoor goods.

KitKat's Emotional Approach

KitKat, on the other hand, took a much more emotional approach. Similar to Decathlon, the chocolate brand recreated Microsoft Windows' error screen in its brand color and reminded users to take a break, aligning with its slogan "Have a break, have a KitKat." The text on the image read: "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart, aka, it's taking a break. You should have a break and recharge too." The image also featured a link to shop for KitKat products and urged viewers to give IT support staff a break too.

The Importance of Agility and Quick Response

The ad, according to a Nestlé spokesperson when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out, falls under one of its longest-running campaigns - "Have a break, have a KitKat." It also aimed to create a lighthearted moment for consumers while showcasing the brand's agility and responsiveness. The ad was created by the KitKat global team in partnership with VML and was primarily shared across digital platforms.

According to industry professionals, reactive marketing is not new. However, the speed at which Decathlon and KitKat reacted is commendable. Joyce Gan, partner and group client services director of Fishermen Integrated, believes that both ads were clever, authentic, and highly relevant, especially since reactive digital campaigns often add a layer of humanity to the brands.

Benefits of Reactive Campaigns

In Gan's opinion, capitalizing on trends or current events to engage with your audience in real-time definitely works. This, in turn, provides immediate engagement and visibility. Shouvik Prasanna Mukherjee, chief creative officer of Golin APAC, agreed that it is beneficial for a brand to leverage a cultural moment if it is relevant to its customers and aligned with its brand personality.

Mukherjee highlighted that the agility demonstrated by the Decathlon and KitKat teams in reacting quickly was notable. While there could arguably be tighter copy for the billboard, the OOH insert in this case is ultimately for wider optimization on the web, and both brands nailed that. "Done is better than perfect. More importantly, they played on their long-term campaigns 'Get Outside' and 'Have A Break', making them consistent and credible," added Mukherjee.

How to Execute an Effective Reactive Campaign

To execute an effective reactive campaign, brands first need to find a relevant cultural moment and react in an authentic voice that is aligned with the brand personality, said Mukherjee. It’s important to also consider any potential sensitivity around the topic. Additionally, consistency is key. KitKat had executed a similar activation for a previous Facebook and WhatsApp outage.

Gan believes that the success of a reactive campaign depends on timeliness, creativity, and relatability. Brands need to be able to cleverly identify current events, news, and happenings that they can hijack. It's similar to improv comedy, where it has to be quick, clever, and memorable if executed well, so it doesn't miss the mark.