ROM wanted to create a virtual crowd sourced persona that could represent our true values, be objective, easy to talk to and loved by both the new generation and the media alike.

That’s how the idea of ROMBOT came to life. ROMBOT is the first virtual ambassador of a country, a co-created artificial intelligence designed to learn from Romanians about Romania, with a clear mission to tell the world who we truly are as a country.

To feed the conversation, we shared constant updates from the learning process of ROMBOT on social media. This sparked a national debate regarding our national values and rallied people to come together to teach the virtual ambassador the right things.

ROMBOT was communicated abroad through targeted banners on Romania related search terms, inviting people to come discover what Romania is all about.

ROMBOT sales results

ROMOT became star product among all its available packages + 11% vs same period last year

ROMBOT learning results

1,5 millions of answers gathered from Romanians by ROMBOT

More than 212.167 minutes spent on site – 442 days of ambassadorship

Returning visitors: 21,9%

Average time spent on site: 01:47 min

ROMBOT media results

73% national reach ? 13,463,250 persons all, national

Online earned media: 200% vs. spending

684,293 International media impressions

CTR: 0.09% (vs. 0.08% benchmark)

The new generation of Romanians is feeling misrepresented on an international level. The way foreigners see Romania is not how they really are. So ROM chocolate, the brand that has a history in awakening Romanian pride, has taken up this challenge and wanted to change the face of Romania abroad.

This is how ROMBOT, the first virtual ambassador of a country was born: a crowd sourced artificial intelligence that learnt from Romanians and told an entire world about it.

People could scan the special designed ROM chocolate bar and talk to ROMBOT or simply access: www.rombot.ro where the AI would ask them questions about Romania.

Though the front end of the ROMBOT made it look like a chatbot, the back-end was a true learning machine because every conversation was stored and analyzed turning the data received into knowledge. With the help of Romanians who fed the ROMBOT with over 1.5 million answers, we created its English speaking version who is able to talk to foreigners and answer their questions about our country.

Romania is entering a new era of its history where the new generation is stepping up to fight for what they believe in. Recent massive protests against the government which gathered millions of Romanians on the streets and the attention of the international press all over the world as a fight of a new generation, proved once again that the young Romanians feel misrepresented and want to move the country forward.

In this context ROM Autentic, the Romanian chocolate bar with a strong heritage since 1969 was losing share of the market and needed to reconnect in a relevant way to this proud new young generation and be their voice again.