We had both earned and paid working together in harmony and it's a best practice we will employ going forward. What lessons have you learned that you plan to apply now?ĮE: The first and biggest lesson learned is the true power of an integrated campaign. In fact, we led with PR and influencer activities, and paid media followed later, allowing us to appropriately seed the right message with the right people. We focused on simple engagement for our core target that would help us and our community make a difference. The epidemic directly influenced our core marketing and communication objectives, as we attempted to amplify our message and drive engagement. What role did public relations thinking and PR agencies play, and how did they fit into the overall plan?ĮE: Veritas Communications was an integral part of the campaign and worked with our other inter-agency partners. Seed packs were also sampled and the campaign video was previewed with media and consumers in attendance. Tapping into a passionate and eco-friendly audience aged 50-plus, we created a unique brand presence and media moment for Honey Nut Cheerios at Canada Blooms, Canada's largest garden show. Championing the cause and lending credibility to the brand, she toured media in Toronto and was interviewed by several national outlets prior to the official launch of the campaign. Marla Spivak, as our campaign spokeswoman. We enlisted world renowned entomologist and Ted Talk star Dr. Since General Mills has been supporting various organizations working to support the bee populations for years, we made sure to work with credible experts to make sure we made the right impact. This campaign truly started from an authentic place. Often, when you run a campaign rooted in cause marketing, you will have people question the brand's right to play in this space. It was a good problem to have and we found a quick solution, but this year we are prepared with a larger goal. What were the risks and challenges you encountered in the campaign?ĮE: The main challenge we faced was running out of seed packs early in the campaign. The iconic Buzz being taken off the box contributed to increased sales. We measured the success of the campaign by media stories, traditional and social media impressions, seed packs distributed and of course, sales lift. How have you quantified the success of the campaign?ĮE: Awareness and engagement were the goals of the campaign. We wanted to run a campaign that was authentic to our brand, a simple and natural fit, yet one that engaged consumers and gave back to the environment at the same time. The devastating effects of a rapidly declining bee population became a huge concern for us. The bee population is responsible for the pollination of one in three bites of food we eat. The goal was to distribute 35 million seeds, one seed for every Canadian.ĮE: Our iconic honey bee became the inspiration for this campaign. HONEY NUT CHEERIO BEE NAME FOR FREESo, we invited consumers to #bringbackthebees by registering online for free wildflower seeds. It wasn't enough to just raise the issue without a constructive solution. It was also a campaign centered on Canadians getting involved and making a difference, we love that. Bees are near and dear to our hearts, as we have a bee as our mascot and honey is a key ingredient in one of our legacy products, Honey Nut Cheerios. Why focus on a social goal like this for your marketing campaign?Įmma Eriksson: We wanted to engage consumers in a meaningful way and in one that supports a cause that matters to us. The Holmes Report spoke to Emma Eriksson, vice president of marketing, General mills Canada about the risks, challenges and keys to success for a purpose based marketing campaign. Meanwhile, the 2017 edition of the campaign has dispersed 1.5bn wildflower seeds to Canadians and Americans in just one week, a huge increase from its initial goal of 200m. It also resulted in considerable engagement and increased sales. The 2016 campaign connected participants with 115m seeds, far surpassing the goal of 39m - one for each Canadian. The award-winning effort removed mascot Buzz the honey bee from cereal boxes, leaving only his silhouette as a reminder of the current threat to bees as a key food source. In 2016, General Mills and Veritas Communications launched Bring Back the Bees, a Honey Nut Cheerios campaign that aimed to raise awareness of a rapidly declining bee population by giving consumers wildflower seeds to plant.
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