Cadbury hopes to avoid ‘wallpaper’ marketing with digital-first campaign

Cadbury is launching a campaign for its Heroes miniatures range that will focus on digital content in a move it hopes will engage consumers more than a traditional media plan.

Its first advertising campaign since 2013 features parents trying to reconnect with their teenager children by getting involved in their hobbies. Created by VCCP, the ‘Families Reunited’ activity features a series of digital content shorts, including one showing a father learning to ride a BMX bike.

“We are pushing something out that’s a bit more entertaining rather than a pure advertising message because engagement has never been as important as it is now,” Cadbury Roses and Heroes brand manager Aislinn Campbell tells Marketing Week.

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The digital-content series is a first for Heroes, which wants to ensure its marketing stands out in an increasingly competitive market.

Campbell explains: “The key thing for us is evolving from one key message and talking one way at consumers, to getting them to choose to engage with something they think is engaging and links to our campaign.

She adds: “It creates a much deeper connection and a richer consumer experience than they would get from a traditional media plan.”

Heroes’ target audience is families with teenagers and the hope is this series will tap into the reality of modern family life, as well as reconnecting teens and parents by watching the series and eating Heroes.

“We know modern family time isn’t really how it used to be. Nobody really sits around the TV anymore on Saturday night. Teens are often doing their own thing and on their phones and probably watching something on their laptop at the same time as their parents on TV.”

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Cadbury is pushing consumers to engage with long-form format in order to build more brand love and ensure that Heroes cut through the noise online.

Campbell explains: “What used to be really new and different can become wallpaper quite easily now. It takes a lot more to cut through and to catch people’s attention. The value of a campaign and a brand connection is so important.”

The campaign comes as Heroes introduces new packaging, with a carton that becomes a sharing tray. It also updated the range earlier this year with the addition of two new chocolates – Dinky Deckers and Crunchie Bits.

“It was so well received. We were blown away by the response from consumers in the press and the sentiments and comments. It was so lovely to see people so happy about Heroes, especially as we hadn’t supported the brand for so long,” she says.

“We hoped but we weren’t sure that brand love was still there.”