Gerber Generation Photo Contest Generates Social & Mobile Buzz

BY: 

Dave Forde
November 28, 2013

Nestlé GerberBack in 2012, Nestlé Gerber Canada sought out to find a way to engage with consumers on a deeper level and the brand turned to Facebook to create a fan page.  With the help of RIVET, the agency of record (AOR) for Nestlé Infant Nutrition and Vigorate Digital Solutions, a digital marketing company, a photo-upload contest was created that allowed the audience to vote and help select the next Gerber Canada Star. Fans could upload a photo of their baby, share their entry, browse the gallery and also vote for their favourite baby pictures every day.  Fans voted and submitted photos of their babies for an opportunity to step into the spotlight and be the next Gerber Star!

Ultimately, Gerber’s panel of judges reviewed entrants from the top 10 consumer votes to select the winning Gerber Canada Star. The 2012 contest drew over 15,000 unique entries and generated over 34,000 ‘likes’ on the Gerber Canada Facebook page.

“By harnessing the power of social and mobile, we wanted to resonate with on-the-go parents through an interactive, fun and rewarding contest for Nestlé Gerber baby fans,” says Melanie Plewes, Marketing Leader, Infant Nutrition, Nestlé Canada. “Mobile was the perfect platform, as it’s where parents are seeking information not only from the brand, but from their social community.”

The 2013 program brought great anticipation and even more opportunity for participation and success and the campaign evolved to become significantly more accessible and more rewarding. Fans could enter to win desirable prizes, like RESP contributions to put towards their children’s futures, as well randomly awarded weekly prizes.

A newly developed Nestlé Gerber mobile application allowed the (typically hands-full and time-starved) audience to participate from their mobile devices. An intuitive flow facilitated simpler photo uploading, plus easier sharing, voting and photo browsing. An extensive media buy was deployed, with a major component delivered to subscribers of the Nestlé Baby email program.

The results, exceeded expectations: Gerber’s Facebook ‘likes’ have expanded to over 540,000. The contest attracted over 90,000 entries, escalating the number of votes to almost two million.

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Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 20 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses. He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.


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