KFC’s #WattaBox takes social media by storm with cutting edge technology
Imagine a scenario where you’re sitting with a box of juicy chicken wings, some soda to sip, and your darling phone gleaming with a full battery in one hand. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Global fast food chain KFC has risen to put this imagination into reality.
Tech and food in a box
Bringing in the better of two worlds, KFC is offering its audiences with technology and food, all in one box. For its limited edition product promotion, the brand conducted a digital campaign through a video.
Showing off their fancy product #WattaBox on the digital forum, KFC just got something to boost your body and device. The product involves a 5-in-1 meal box with a built in power bank for your smartphone and USB cables for Android and Apple users.
“With India overtaking the US to become the second biggest market for smartphones, millennials who are always on the go are constantly on the lookout to find a charger or a charging port to charge their smartphones, especially when their batteries are dead or about to die. We wanted to offer a smart and easy cool way for our consumers to recharge their smartphones that would give them more of the moment to enjoy their meal and have one less thing to worry about. And so the limited edition KFC “Watt A Box” was born,” shared Dooj Ramchandani– Co Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Blink Digital India discussing the consumer insights that went behind the campaign with Social Samosa.
The video supporting this campaign is empathetic towards the significance of smartphones in our lives, exactly why they built up on this idea reaching out to the majority of smart-phone addicts and foodies.
To build on the interaction factor the brand urged users to tag their friend who is constantly a prey to low-battery crisis; the friend stood a chance to win this innovative box. #WattaBox will be available to limited customers in Delhi and Mumbai and is a part of their promotional activities to grab some engagement on their page and outlets.
The missing pieces tell the story, of a box full of electrifying glory! Can you guess what it is? pic.twitter.com/U8y9K46uAV
— KFC India (@KFC_India) June 14, 2016
Product brief
The global food chain with this campaign has stepped up a notch, rising way beyond the market by blending in fast food with technology, the contemporary fad of the audience. It has identified what the audience desires and come up with an ultimate way to put up its product in the market.
The pace of mankind has accelerated, with little or almost no time in life or battery in the phone which has become more than an accessory today.
Rising way up through this modernism, KFC gives a hard time to its competitors McDonalds and Burger King. Though all these brands are well-established and share their target audience, the steady rivalry is a push for them to do better than the other and this time KFC pretty much snatches the cake.
Campaign overview
Innovation always finds a way to be intriguing and has the knack to get noticed, plus bringing out a limited edition box will drive faster and greater traffic towards them as everyone wants to grab on to one.
A product, if promoted wisely instantly elevates in its value which slightly went missing through this campaign. As the brand with the collaboration of food and technology had massive creative freedom failed to utilize GIFs or illustrations around the product.
Nevertheless, with a strong product as such, #WattaBox has already found its way in the popularity chart giving a reason for the brand to celebrate.
Whaaat. I mean watttt. #kfc #wattabox #india #awesome https://t.co/RyO8NE3Eys
— Nikhil Furtado (@NikhilFurtado) June 24, 2016
KFC India is adding a sixth item to their 5-in-1 box, USB charging ports. Because, we needed that. Hashtag #WattABox #SabPeBhari
— ⌛️ TechUpdate ⌛️ (@techupdate14) June 23, 2016
@KFC_India #WattABox @adityakoul786 he is a person looking for sockets and charger more than food and air ?he need it the most!
— SAJAL Kr. AGGARWAL (@wacky2ska) June 23, 2016
Energy in the social sphere
Social media went frenzy over this new product and got big media houses talking about it. Since June 21, the video received 206k views, 2.9k positive reactions and 234 shares. The brand was responsive with their audience, through one staple comment.
@KFC_India..loved ur #WattABox cheers
— Pradeep Verma (@infomativ) June 23, 2016
“The “Watt A Box” became an instant hit and was completely driven through earned media. From Indian publications such as Times of India, Economic Times, Indian Express, India Today, CNBC News 18, NDTV, DNA, Firstpost, Deccan Chronicle, etc to International publications like Forbes, Huffington Post, Time, Telegraph, Mashable, Engadget, The Verge, The Next Web, etc started talking about it. Trending on Facebook happened has a result of that,” added Ramchandani.
Digital PR played a very important role in making #WattaBox a trending subject. While most brands rely on influencers, KFC took social media by storm through strong digital PR axioms.
The campaign, however, also attracted flak for the possible e-waste that it might create. The toxic rays of a battery charger near the food also seemed to be a concern.
#KFC meal box with battery for mobile recharge | toxic battery next to your food | not a good idea#WattaBox.
— Vijay (@iamthevijay) June 23, 2016
#KFC before: Unhealthy food#KFC now: Unhealthy food + Toxic waste.
Thanks, but no thanks. #WattABox— Sneha Naik (@MultiMinionaire) June 23, 2016
Though the brand did not play more around #WattaBox on its page, it still managed to garner massive interest. Through this product invention, KFC became the ideal brand who acknowledges its audience and their needs thus reigning on the digital forum since its entry.
