Kingfisher’s #KFUltraShowstopper Extends Online Marketing into an Offline Experience for Social Media Users

Kingfisher has always been known for its association with fashion & lifestyle, not to forget the desirable Kingfisher calendar. Over the years this association has grown strong, resulting a reputable brand image within the glamour industry. The aspirational value that the brand creates through its social media campaigns strikes a high chord with the right audience.

KF Ultra has associated itself with the tagline, ‘The Emperor of Good Times’ and aims at giving its fans a taste of fashion through its campaign #KFUltraShowStopper. As a part of the Fashion Week across India that the brand is associated with, Kingfisher Ultra aims to give their online fans an opportunity to live the life of a showstopper for a day. Kingfisher Ultra with this campaign ensures an opportunity to live a once in a lifetime experience for the winner.

Connecting itself with fashion enthusiasts though an online-offline campaign is an interesting way to communicate its brand image which stands for glamour, a high life and the razzle dazzle of real life. The campaign also signals a message which clearly spells out an effort from the brand to elevate the life of a commoner to that of a celebrity.

The objectives of this campaign are:

• Engaging online users and making them a part of the brand identity
• To give their online community an opportunity to rub shoulders with the top models of India
• Drive conversations using #KFUltraShowStopper

Execution:

Giving its online audience a credible platform to showcase their talent, Kingfisher Ultra invited its online community from all over India to come and be a part of this mega event, not just as one of the models walking the ramp, but to be the ultimate show-stopper at the event with Facebook & Twitter being their major social media marketing platforms.

A participant simply has to send his / her picture to Kingfisher, either by registering on their website or tweet the picture at @kingfisherworld or share their most glam pic on Facebook by using the hash tag #KFUltraShowstopper.

Winners will be chosen by an ace designers for whom the model would be walking the ramp as a show-stopper. Though this is a social media campaign, the selection process is not on the basis of votes from friends or on the basis of how many followers one may have. This clearly states the fact that someone with the potential of being a model is chosen to be the show-stopper & will be given that once in a lifetime opportunity to stand tall & walk the ramp with all pomp & show!

Participation started pouring in through their social media channels.

A simple call-out post on Facebook, directing fans to the website was put out –

From Facebook, it diverted traffic to their website where participants would have to register with their details to stand a chance to be the ultimate show-stopper.

Here are tweets of few participants using the hash tag #KFUltraShowstopper

Kingfisher Ultra sets the stage for its Online Audience

The #KFUltraShowstopper campaign gives fans a prestigious feel, something that not even money can buy. Involving your fan base into your mainstream event eventually attracts more number of fans. Kingfisher is known for raising the glamour quotient since forever, while keeping the glitzy gate open to its social media fans. This drives more excitement.

Since Kingfisher Ultra is giving aspiring models a chance to walk the ramp for India’s Fashion Week, this campaign works as an excellent social media strategy involving their online community with the best in the industry. Winners from four major cities in India received the much awaited spotlight and exposure to the fashion industry.

The King of Good Times, has done a phenomenal job of short-listing participants from a long list of budding models and selfie addicts from all over India via social media. Through their Youtube channel they have introduced every winner, representing each city to let their fans know a little more about them and the team of designers working behind the wardrobe and make-up of models.

Experiential marketing as part of a Social Media Strategy

What better way to engage with your target audience, than by giving them a feel of your brand by inviting them to be a part of your mainstream mega event? Gone are the days when the audience would merely work as voters or spectators of the show & would be made to feel that they are the chosen ones to witness the event live. Tables have turned with brands like Kingfisher making their online community the main highlight of their mega event. If you want to leave a mark on your audience, you need to give them an experience they wouldn’t forget all their lives. Make them live your brand!

Turn fans into Brand Advocates

When your customers know your brand inside out, is when they can talk favourably about you to others. There is a stark difference between an influencer, a loyal fan & a brand advocate. Though an influencer may talk good about your brand in the market, his main aim yet is to come across as an influential person. A loyal fan on the other hand, will stay with your brand as long as you are fulfilling his / her needs. While a brand advocate is the one who’s not only loyal towards your brand, but also when the need arises will stand by your brand because he / she has lived & experienced your brand. Kingfisher Ultra strives to build some brand advocates through this campaign.

With more focus on giving the social media audience that once in a lifetime experience, Kingfisher positions itself as a desirable brand that gives its online audience a platform to steal the lime-light with top models of India. The brand recall of being positioned as the king of good times, comes straight across through this campaign. Bringing the online community to be a part of your offline event engraves a positive sentiment in the hearts of the audience.