Launching a new product group in a young market? Why not! Asahi Group managed to successfully launch Viper, the first hard seltzer in their portfolio, in Romania. Why was this a challenge? Because this is not a common drink in Eastern Europe.
Before we dive deeper into this case study to see how Asahi Group managed to increase sales by 60% for Viper, we should focus a bit on this interesting beverage.
What is hard seltzer and why is it becoming a buzz-worthy category?
The very short history of hard seltzer started back in 2013, less than 8 years ago, in the United States. The first brand of hard seltzer that hit the stands was Bon & Viv. Three years later, White Claw was launched. From 2016 to 2021, this beverage became more and more popular, especially among Millennials.
Why?
Because the beverage is a low-calorie, gluten-free, and carb-free alternative. Also, it is a light alcoholic beverage, with ABV of 5% or less. Hard seltzer is now positioned at the intersection of convenience and a better-for-your-health alternative to regular alcoholic drinks.
While in the US this is the preferred drink for both young male and female drinkers, in Europe this drink segment is relatively unheard of. This is why it was a bold move for Asahi Group to focus on Romania, an Eastern European country.
Asahi Group is a world-renowned player in the beverage market. They produce and sell 19 brands of beers, including Ursus and Timisoreana, two of the most popular beers in Romania. That’s why they decided to bring hard seltzer to Romania.
Viper, Asahi’s hard seltzer, needed a boost for its 360° launch in Romania and found the best solution: Tokinomo.
Asahi Group’s Objectives: Launch, Present, Amaze
Considering the fact that hard seltzer is not a well-known beverage in Easter Europe, Asahi’s objectives were:
- Raise awareness for both the beverage category and the product (Viper)
- Generate trial among customers
- Position as a new and cool alcoholic drink
- Set a new trend in the field of alcoholic beverages
360° launch with a twist in-store
Considering the fact that Asahi basically launched a new beverage category in Romania, they needed to raise awareness on all channels. However, they wanted to do something different in store. That is how they decided to use Tokinomo, the robotic POP display that makes products come to life.
Their in-store activation, implemented by IPP Romania, took place in 25 Auchan stores in Romania, to generate trial among shoppers. For 14 days, the Viper hard seltzer was the drink that literally spoke to shoppers inside grocery stores.
Curious about how the campaign went? Take a look!
Raising awareness
Tokinomo is the perfect POP display you can use to raise awareness. Because of its motion, light, and voice technology, it can make products promote themselves. Asahi Group managed to raise awareness for Viper hard seltzer and to successfully introduce a new beverage category in the Romanian market.
Shoppers were surprised by both the new beverage and the fact that it started moving on the shelf. With the help of this in-store activation, Asahi Group managed to position Viper as an innovation in the Romanian market.
Generating trial among shoppers
While older generations tend to be more conservative when it comes to foods and drinks, Millennials are the ones that want to experiment. They also think about health before making any decisions regarding food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages.
Viper managed to attract attention and generate trial among shoppers. Shoppers were curious to test the newest beverage on the market, especially because of its low-calorie promise.
60% increase in sales without price cuts
While most FMCG brands rely on price cuts during their in-store campaigns to increase sales, Asahi didn’t want to affect the image of Viper by marketing it as a low-budget drink. That’s why they relied on the message and on Tokinomo to increase sales, without changing the price of the product.
In just two weeks, the newest drink on the Romanian market managed to increase sales by 60%!
This is an amazing result, especially because the product is new, which means brand loyalty is out of the question.
Asahi Group's feedback about the campaign
Asahi Group managed to complete all of its objectives with the help of Tokinomo:
- Raise awareness for the newest beverage category and their product
- Generate trial among customers
- Position as a new and cool alcoholic drink
- Set a new trend in the field of alcoholic beveragesâ
Apart from the 360 launch campaign was the in-store activation using the Tokinomo solution. The stand-out generated trial among shoppers which led to a sales increase of more than 60%.
Viper, the new trendsetter in the beverage industry
With a successful 360 launch combined with an innovative in-store activation, Viper had an amazing start on the Romania market. By using Tokinomo since day 1, the product was positioned as an innovative drink, perfect for consumers that want to experiment new things.
Are you a trendsetter?
If you want to present a new product to the market you need to be prepared to attract the attention of customers from day 1. New and innovative brands use Tokinomo to increase engagement at the point of purchase and to generate trial among shoppers. Many well-known FMCG brands promoted their products with the help of Tokinomo and you can see more case studies here.
