This work is relevant for the Direct category because it addresses ketchup fraud through an innovative design change in the Heinz Tomato Ketchup label. The campaign leverages a control label that empowers customers to easily verify the authenticity of the ketchup they are consuming. The campaign effectively engages the target audience and promotes a change in behavior among street food restaurants, encouraging them to serve genuine Heinz products. By using a direct design solution and integrating social media and digital platforms, the campaign successfully tackles the issue head-on and generates tangible results in addressing ketchup fraud.

Situation:

Heinz Tomato Ketchup is a popular choice for food lovers in Turkey, but its brand integrity was being compromised by a widespread practice of "ketchup fraud". Small Turkish street food restaurants were refilling empty Heinz bottles with lesser quality ketchup, which misled customers and damaged the brand's reputation for quality and consistency.

Brief:

We were tasked with creating a campaign to address ketchup fraud and ensuring customers could identify genuine Heinz Tomato Ketchup. The goal was to remind food lovers of Heinz's authenticity and superior quality, while also empowering them to distinguish between genuine and imitation products.

Objectives:

Develop a solution to help customers identify genuine Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Reinforce Heinz's brand identity and commitment to quality and consistency.

Increase usage of Heinz ketchup in street food restaurants.

Reduce fraud by discouraging restaurants from refilling bottles with non-Heinz ketchup.Strengthen brand loyalty and trust among customers.

The "Is That Heinz?" campaign focuses on addressing the issue of "ketchup fraud" in Turkey, where small street food restaurants refill empty Heinz bottles with lower quality ketchup to attract customers. The inspiration for this campaign came from the fact that Heinz Tomato Ketchup has a universal, consistent, and instantly recognizable red color, which distinguishes it from other brands.

The exact red color of Heinz Tomato Ketchup is identified using the world's universal Pantone color scale and added a stripe around the label. This innovative solution allowed customers to easily compare the ketchup inside the bottle against the label's edge color, enabling them to determine the authenticity of the product.

The campaign not only empowered customers to verify the genuineness of the product, but also reinforced Heinz's brand identity and commitment to quality. This simple yet effective design solution significantly improved customer experience and helped maintain Heinz's brand integrity.

Data Gathering:

We developed a campaign to address the issue of ketchup fraud in Turkey's street food restaurants by gathering information on its prevalence and impact on consumer trust and brand perception

The primary target audience included:

Consumers: Heinz Tomato Ketchup enthusiasts and food lovers of various demographics who value authenticity and quality in the products they consume.

Organizations: Small street food restaurants engaging in ketchup fraud.

Approach:

We created a control label with a Pantone-matched stripe that reflected the exact shade of Heinz ketchup, using social media platforms raise awareness, engage customers, and encourage participation.

Call to Action:

The campaign's call to action was to verify the authenticity of Heinz Tomato Ketchup by comparing the color to the control label, and to encourage customers to share their experiences on social media. Restaurants were encouraged to prioritize serving genuine Heinz products to maintain customer trust and satisfaction.

Implementation:

We identified the exact shade of Heinz Tomato Ketchup using the Pantone color scale and designed "Is That Heinz?" bottles with the control label. We simultaneously developed an Instagram filter as a supportive asset for customers to check the ketchup color in restaurants

Timeline:

The campaign was executed in several phases:

Research and development of the control label

Production and distribution of the "Is That Heinz?" bottles.

Supporting it at Social Media and introduce it to consumers.

Placement:

The "Is That Heinz?" campaign was launched on social media platforms, primarily focusing on Instagram to maximize engagement and reach, also gaining visibility in street food restaurants, where the control label bottles were displayed and used.

Scale:

The campaign was implemented on a national level in Turkey. Bottles with the new control label were distributed to various restaurants across the country, and the Instagram filter was made available to all customers.

The "Is That Heinz?" campaign led to a significant increase in sales, with more than 500 restaurants eager to prove their loyalty to Heinz purchasing 95% of all available "Is That Heinz?" bottles. This demonstrated a strong commitment to the brand and its genuine product.A 73% decrease was seen in the rate of refilling bottles with non-Heinz ketchup. Additionally, 97% of consumers were able to identify real Heinz ketchup, further highlighting the campaign's impact on consumer behavior. The campaign also improved Heinz's brand perception as a trustworthy and transparent brand that values quality and consumer satisfaction. Additionally, a 24% increased usage rate of Heinz ketchup in street food restaurants showed that restaurants prioritize genuine Heinz Tomato Ketchup over cheaper alternatives. The 97% response rate among consumers further demonstrates the campaign's effectiveness in raising awareness and influencing behavior.

Turkey has a rich culinary culture with a wide variety of street food restaurants that offer a diverse range of dishes, attracting both locals and tourists. In this context, the use of high-quality ingredients, including condiments like ketchup, is essential for maintaining the reputation and authenticity of these establishments.

In Turkish culture, hospitality and customer satisfaction are highly valued. By refilling Heinz bottles with lesser quality ketchup, restaurant owners were attempting to satisfy customer preferences for the brand while cutting costs. The "Is That Heinz?" campaign resonated with the Turkish audience, as it tackled a culturally relevant issue and empowered customers to make informed choices while dining out. Also it is to mention that the culture amongst restaurants in Turkey, favors freebies given by providers. Thus the freebie bottles given by Heinz also improved relations while empowering authenticity of the brand and the restaurant.