The Snickers “Hungerithm” campaign was a clever and data-driven marketing ploy by Mars, the company behind Snickers chocolate bars. It aimed to connect hunger levels with social media sentiment and use that information to adjust Snickers bar prices in real-time.
Campaign Overview
Goal :
Promote the core brand message: “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Utilize real-time data to create a dynamic and engaging marketing campaign. Increase Snickers sales by offering targeted discounts during peak “hanger” moments.
The "Hungerithm":
Social Media Monitoring: The campaign utilized a complex algorithm (“Hungerithm”) to monitor social media platforms, particularly Twitter. The Hungerithm monitored online sentiment by analyzing around 14,000 social posts daily. It understood slang, sarcasm, and context variations, ensuring accurate mood assessment. As internet “hanger” levels rose, Snickers prices dropped.
Sentiment Analysis : The algorithm analyzed a vast amount of social media posts, focusing on keywords and phrases associated with negativity, frustration, or anger.The system determines whether the internet is happy (and doesn’t really need a chocolate break) or angry (in which case, a Snickers break is definitely required). Based on automated sentiment analysis, the algorithm adjusts the price of a Snickers bar.
Snickers Bar Pricing: Based on the overall sentiment detected online, the price of a Snickers bar would fluctuate in real-time within a designated app. More negativity meant lower Snickers prices, essentially suggesting that a Snickers bar could improve your mood. Prices updated over 140 times a day. Discounts reached as low as 82% off the normal shelf price. For instance, if Donald Trump received Republican Party endorsement, a Snickers could plummet to 50 cents!
Claiming a Snickers: Users visited snickers.com.au and clicked “Get a Snickers.” A unique barcode generated, redeemable at any of 7-Eleven’s 630 stores across Australia. No app downloads or printed vouchers needed.
Impact:
Positive Buzz : The campaign generated significant online buzz and media attention due to its innovative use of real-time data and social media sentiment analysis.
Sales Increase (Potential): By offering discounts during times of high negativity, the campaign might have led to increased Snickers sales.
Social Proof : The campaign potentially capitalized on the “bandwagon effect,” with people buying Snickers not just for the discount but also to participate in the trending topic.
Impact and Results
The Hungerithm campaign has garnered over 70 million media impressions, a 67% increase in sales, and over 5,040 price changes. Additionally, there has been a 120% rise in Twitter mentions.It also won a cyber lion award at the 2017 Cannes Lions festival.
Lessons Learned
Real-Time Marketing : The campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of real-time data and audience insights in crafting dynamic marketing strategies.
Humor and Relevance : The lighthearted approach to hunger and social media negativity resonated with audiences.
Data-Driven Marketing: Utilizing data analytics can lead to targeted and potentially more successful marketing campaigns.
