Cannes Lions

Pocket Franchise

HO COMMUNICATION, PART OF ACCENTURE INTERACTIVE, Shanghai / KFC / 2019

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Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Background

For China's youth, eating out used to mean eating at KFC. But in today's social age, the rise of food platform giants on China's social expanded their dining choices; it also changed dining habits to ordering in. The challenge was how to attract today's youth to eat out at KFC.

Idea

Idea: KFC Pocket Franchise

Your social media is valuable real estate, build your own KFC Store on it.

Instead of launching social ads, we launched a new business model: Social Gaming Commerce.

KFC gave netizens an opportunity to own and build their own KFC Pocket Franchise on their Wechat, China's social giant. Then they pick their pocket staff. Directly from their social feeds, friends can buy exclusive deals and claim at any KFC branch. The pocket franchise owner earns real Cash profits!

Social Ranking is important in China. Customers can leave virtual tips that unlock sweet deals and store expansions, to help raise Friends Ranking, Store Popularity Ranking, Sales Ranking.

Strategy

Food Delivery platforms on China social, backed by China's top digital and social giants, shifted the dining habits of China's youth. Meal choices and deals exponentially increased, all accessible with a tap. KFC's physical location dominance became less relevant.

Meal decision making happens on social messaging, before stepping out of the door. KFC has 0 social presence during this decision making process. The original task was to do ads on social to remind people to dine at KFC. Instead we built loyalty by letting them...

Own a KFC Pocket Franchise

Your social media is valuable real estate, build your KFC Store on it.

Execution

We created a new business model: Social Gaming Commerce

It's built like a social game but with real social commerce selling KFC. You can DIY your store design right on your Wechat social. Compete with friends on design popularity and sales rankings. Customers can leave virtual tips that unlock sweet deals and surprises.

But this virtual store earns real cash profits, when friends buy from your social account and claim at any physical KFC branch.

This was launched on 11/27/2018 on Wechat, China's social giant. It is now a part of the KFC business.

Outcome

The social campaign is now a NEW KFC BUSINESS MODEL

From 0 stores on social to 2,500,000++ KFC Pocket Franchises in just 120 days

560,000 opened on Day 1

2 Million peak Daily active users

42,000,000++ CNY in direct sales alone, in 120 days. Excluding additional sales during store visits.

Even celebrities opened KFC Pocket Franchises on their own social estate.

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