It seems WhatsApp — the free international texting and chat app that was featured in a recent Katy Perry video — is the place to be for teens. Israeli chocolate brand Klik understandably wants to get in front of this demographic. But since WhatsApp doesn’t have ads, Klik worked its way in through the back door. It built its own game to play on the platform.
With the help of agency Great Interactive, Klik created a Simon Says-style game called “Klik Says” just for WhatsApp. In order to launch the game, players have to add Klik’s number, listed on Facebook, as a contact. Once fans added Klik, the game could begin. Like in “Simon Says,” Klik asked fans to carry out actions, starting each command with “Klik says …” For example Klik asks a fan to grow a mustache, and she messages back with a picture of herself holding up a doodle of a mustache over her mouth.
According to Klik, more 2,000 have teens added the brand on WhatsApp and 91 percent of them completed their Klik Says tasks. The Klik Says initiative also created buzz on Facebook, resulting in almost 1 million impressions for Klik Says content. Engagement rate for Klik increased by 51 percent on Facebook.
This isn’t the first time a mobile app has asked consumers to add a brand to their contacts. Acura recently used popular mobile app Snapchat to give fans a sneak peak of its new car model. Taco Bell also tried its hand at Snapchat. Expect to hear more about WhatsApp as other brands climb on board.
Check out the Klik Says case study video to get a sense of how the game works (and the Katy Perry video with WhatsApp is just below, you know, just in case you need to see it):
Ad position: web_incontent_pos1
More in Marketing
In the marketing world, anime is following in the footsteps of gaming
As marketers look to take advantage of anime’s entry into the zeitgeist, they might be wise to observe the parallels between the evolution of anime as a marketing channel and the ways brands have learned to better leverage gaming in recent years.
With the introduction of video ads and e-commerce, Roblox looks to attain platform status
Roblox is expanding into more areas than just ads in 2024. Much like platforms such as Amazon and Facebook have transcended their origins to evolve from their origins as online marketplaces and social media channels, Roblox is in the midst of a transformation into a platform for all elements of users’ virtual lives.
PepsiCo wants to remain a ‘driver of culture’ as it turns to influencers and activations amid rebrand
The soda-maker says it can translate cultural relevance into sales volume.
Ad position: web_bfu