Case Study: How Havmor used a viral social media post to urge people to opt for ice-creams over Soan Papdi this Diwali

Diwali is a time when families are bombarded with sweets and Soan Papdis become the highlight. People often have mixed feelings about this particular gfting choice and it eventually gets passed on. This Diwali, a society notice board sparked a frenzy online which urged people to choose icecreams over Soan Papdis. Havmor cleverly leveraged this viral moment and garnered 34K+ reach. The social media campaign was conceptualised by SoCheers and here's a case study on how it turned out. 

Category Introduction

According to recent research by the IMARC Group, the ice cream market is expected to reach INR 508.4 Billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5% during 2023-2028. The shifting consumer preferences toward premium, indulgent, and innovative ice cream flavours, the rising disposable incomes, and the growth of modern retail formats, such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores are among the key factors driving the market growth.

Brand Introduction

Founded in 1944, Havmor has a legacy of over 75 years in the ice cream industry. From a one shop outlet in Ahmedabad, it is now one of India’s well known ice cream brands with a strong footprint in the West and North parts of India. It has recently forayed into markets in South & East parts of the country. The brand has 72K retail outlets and over 200 flagship stores strategically positioned nationwide. 

Summary

Diwali often brings a flood of Soan Papdi as presents. But often people have mixed feelings about this sweet treat. Some love it, some not so much as they end up getting excessive amounts of sweets during the festival. This sentiment echoed loudly when a society notice board sparked a frenzy online. The notice, penned by a witty society chairman, humorously suggested swapping Soan Papdi for ice creams, setting the stage for us.

Seizing this viral momentum and riding the wave of relatable memes, Havmor strategically took the opportunity to connect with the audience, inviting them to be ideal guests by gifting Havmor Ice Creams.

Objective

The brand's primary aim is to captivate the consumer's attention and guide them towards an innovative approach to gifting this Diwali season.

Creative Idea

The idea stemmed from claiming on the viral social media trend that playfully nudged guests to swap Soan Papdi for Ice cream as Diwali gifts. Since the viral notice board had the picture of Hamor Ice Creams as an example, Havmor leveraged this trend by taking it to their Instagram account and urging the audience to be ideal guests with Havmor Ice Creams. 

Challenges

One of the primary challenges encountered during this was persuading the audience to transition from the tradition of gifting Soan Papdis to Havmor Ice Creams as a Diwali gift. Additionally, the timing was critical. Its effectiveness hinged on capturing the trend's momentum while it remained fresh and pertinent. Any delay in the response or execution risked diminishing the impact and relevance of Havmor's engagement within this evolving trend. 

Execution

The brand's strategy centered around a viral social media post featuring a society chairman urging guests to bring ice creams instead of Soan Papdis for Diwali. In a short span that notice sparked millions of conversations on the internet, especially Instagram with hilarious memes and jokes.

Thus, leveraging Instagram, Havmor shared a post saying, "Be an ideal guest with Havmor. Festive packs available everywhere." This further invited people to swap the traditional sweet for Havmor Ice Creams, maximizing humor and relatability.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Havmor Ice Creams (@havmoricecreams)

Results

With 1.8K+ engagements and 34K+ reach, the activity effectively resonated with the audience, fostering meaningful conversations, and evoking a favourable sentiment towards the brand. Additionally, the official post on Havmor’s Instagram handle received 1.6K+ likes and 1K+  shares signifying a strong and positive response from the audience.

Rajni Daswani, Director of Digital Marketing, SoCheers, said, “We truly believe that identifying opportunities in real-time and crafting a swift, engaging response plays a vital role in the digital landscape. Thus, when we saw people talking about a really interesting 'Diwali Guest Notice' with funny comments and shares which urged people to buy ice-creams, we leveraged it smartly to integrate Havmor as an effective icebreaker to own the viral trend."