On 9 February 2021, Weetabix put Heinz Baked Beans on top of its cereal and ‘broke’ the internet. One standalone tweet from the cereal brand received 1.3 billion views and around 1,200 media mentions.
The stunt caused pandemonium online, with big name brands like Superdrug, Papa Johns and even the NHS jumping in to ride the wave and give their take on the unique food pairing. The tweet even prompted a debate in the House of Commons.
That tweet should come with a health warning
— NHS (@NHSuk) February 9, 2021
Gareth Turner, the former head of marketing for Weetabix and leader of the campaign execution at the time, spoke about the potentially risky stunt at last week’s Technology for Marketing expo.
“Were we scared? As long as it didn’t damage taste perceptions and our reputation … what was the worst that could happen?” he said, explaining that the work was part of a mission to increase the brand’s ‘spontaneous awareness’.
“97% of the UK population recognise the Weetabix brand. I reckon the other 3% are lying. But two years ago, our spontaneous awareness wasn’t where we wanted it to be. The truth is that this execution was just one way of doing something we’ve been doing for many years.”
The famous cereal brand has run similar promotions in the past, releasing recipe books with unique dishes like Weetabix-coated chicken gaining a lot of traction in the national press.
“As a team we started thinking that maybe this stuff that’s a bit more ‘out there’, gets through to people more. That’s where this idea came from,” Turner continued.
Breaking the internet
Originally the Heinz Beans Weetabix collaboration was just one of many flavour-mixing tweets sent out to grab the attention of social media users. Working with creative agency Frank, the brand also created posts that saw Innocent Smoothies being poured on Weetabix and the ‘love it or hate it’ opinion-splitting spread Marmite being smeared along the top of the cereal biscuits.
However, it was only the Heinz tweet which went viral.
Needs more beans. https://t.co/XviGc4LZmM
— innocent drinks (@innocent) February 9, 2021
“We went big with the Heinz post,” Turner agreed. “Spontaneous awareness increased by 15% in the next six months as a result of the execution.”
Despite the post racking up an impressive 1.3 billion impressions, Turner also revealed that, despite a ‘breaking the internet’ level of engagement, the viral tweet had “no tangible effects” on the brand sales at all.
“The campaign as a whole delivered great results for us, but not that tweet. With a brand like Weetabix you’re not going to see a massive uptick immediately. People may have a shopping list and may not be in the market for another cereal for another few weeks. People do not go out immediately and buy into a different brand as a result of one solitary campaign.
“You need to think about why people buy cereal. It would be different if we were a soft drink brand or chocolate bar and customers thought, ‘Yes, actually I will go and buy that’.”
Turner accredits the performance of social media campaigns to “proper planning and preparation”. There was no thought given to the idea of failure throughout the process – primarily as it was widely considered that the brand essentially had nothing to lose.
“Customers are not going to suddenly say ‘oh well, I didn’t like that tweet you posted, so now I’ll change the breakfast habit I’ve had for the last 10 years’.
“As long as you’re true to strategy and not going off-brand, then you’re not going to risk people losing trust. It’s your job as a marketeer to make sure everything is pulling in the same direction. If you’re doing something that is pulling away from your brand and that then goes viral – well, then you may have a bit of a problem.
“If you know what you’re doing and you’re consistent, then I don’t think there is a massive risk. The reality is, most people couldn’t give two hoots about the brand and just carry on with their lives.”
Tone of voice and being bold
Staying true to a brand’s tone of voice is very important to Turner.
“Even someone like the betting company Paddy Power for example, who have been on social media for a long time, are very punchy and know their audience. They’ve got a very clear tone of voice and are true to that tone of voice,” he says.
“Though some may find it offensive, their off-colour tweets appeal to their core audience. For a conservative brand it would be a problem of course. But the brands we approached for the Weetabix campaign executions were very active on social media and had a clear tone of voice.”
Love it or hate it, we've gone there! Weetabix can be enjoyed all sorts of ways, so here's @Marmite on a buttered bix. We reckon, one of our best pairings yet. What do you think? #LoveItOrHateIt 🙋🏼♀️ #HaveYouHadYourWeetabix pic.twitter.com/nj0groruR3
— Weetabix (@weetabix) February 8, 2021
Now the founder of marketing consultancy Big Black Door, Turner believes that being bold with creative campaigns is more crucial than ever.
“It’s not just Generation Z… people of all ages skip boring ads that aren’t irrelevant. The job of a marketeer is to create work that is interesting and create advertisements that people want to see.
“If you can get a viral campaign or viral execution it helps because then you’ve got something interesting. You’ve got cut through to stay relevant and stay with people. You’ve got to fight for attention.”
The ex-Weetabix CMO believes that while there is a “fine balance” between being brave and reckless, being “bold and innovative” is critical.
“It comes back to knowing what’s right for your brand and your audience,” he said.
“Good marketing strategy comes from understanding what your target audience is about and a deep understanding of what your brand has got to offer.
“If a trend works for you then jump on it. The key is to have a point of view instead of just appearing to stand for something. If you can talk about something and be slightly provocative but in a positive way, then you can get a conversation going and gain traction.”
Of course, not every brand is able to boast 97% audience recognition, but ultimately the lessons remain the same; be bold and take risks – but never forget the importance of staying true to your strategy.
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