"Wherever you go, the excitement follows" with Omachi's campaign.

Lẩu tự sôi is still a relatively new product to Vietnamese consumers. Let's see how the Omachi brand will win people's hearts with this new product through the campaign "Wherever you go, the excitement follows", Omachi x Khoai Lang Thang. Here's a brief overview of the Omachi brand.

An overview of the Omachi brand

Omachi is an instant noodle brand produced by Masan Consumer Corporation. Omachi is known as the first instant noodle product in Vietnam made from pure potato fibers, known for its skin-beautifying and health-improving properties. With significant achievements in product quality and smart communication strategies, Omachi has made a special mark in customers' hearts with its famous slogan "Potato noodles, eat without fear of heat"

Instant noodles are convenient, affordable, and easy to use food items. Therefore, Omachi is sold both in rural and urban areas. However, there is a greater focus on cities within urban areas, where there are stable occupations. High income levels will have a higher proportion and density compared to other rural provinces.

Furthermore, Omachi's instant noodles are also exported to Russia, Australia, Italy, Canada, etc. This is aimed at expanding the target market and increasing customer base and revenue.

In less than 3 years since its inception, Omachi has helped Masan capture 15% of the market share, securing the second position in market share, surpassing both the long-standing brand Vifon and another strong manufacturer, Asia Food.

In addition to the basic instant noodle soups, Omachi also continuously captures trends and consumer demands to introduce a variety of products such as spaghetti noodles, mixed noodles... and most recently, self-boiling crab and beef corn soup.

What makes Omachi's self-boiling hot pot stand out?

In the past 2-3 years, the trend of self-cooking foods has become more popular, thanks to TikTok videos. Self-cooking dishes are currently mainly distributed on e-commerce platforms, offering a variety of options such as hot pot, spicy rice cakes, rice, porridge, noodles, etc. The prices of these products range from 70,000 to 200,000 Vietnamese dong, depending on the dish.

Masan Consumer quickly caught onto this trend and introduced Omachi Self-Boiling Crab and Beef Corn Soup. Inside the Omachi self-boiling hot pot box, there are small packets containing all the necessary ingredients for a hot pot, such as noodle or vermicelli packets, vegetable packets, seasoning, dried meat, chili packets, utensils, and a self-boiling chemical packet.

The interesting point of this self-boiling hot pot lies in the self-boiling packet. A tightly sealed self-boiling packet contains a mixture of magnesium, iron, and salt. When in contact with water, magnesium participates in a metal oxidation reaction, generating increased heat and enhanced reaction due to the presence of iron and salt components.

The method of heating using heat-generating packets is not a new practice in life, as it has been previously employed in the military to heat food. However, this heating process requires ensuring the principle of tightly packaged chemical packets to prevent leakage during use, as well as using utensils capable of withstanding high temperatures.

Challenges in launching the Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot in the Vietnamese market.

The Omachi Self-Boiling Crab and Beef Corn Soup hot pot is not an easy product to sell. Consumers won't make purchasing decisions easily due to two reasons: high price and unclear product value.

The product is currently sold on the official LazMall store of Masan Consumer at a price ranging around 100,000 VND. At that price point, netizens argue that buying this self-boiling hot pot is not worth it compared to going out for buffet hot pot, buying a box of noodles, or having two bowls of pho.

Understanding these issues, Masan Consumer's Omachi brand has launched a marketing campaign titled "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" to introduce this new product. The campaign aims to promote the Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot both online and offline, creating experiences, increasing demand, and making it a "worth-the-money" product.

The launch communication campaign for Omachi's new product is currently unfolding in the following sequence: Invitation - Experience - Amplifying.

Stage 1: Invitation

Introducing the product at the Shareholders' Meeting and announcing plans for export.

The public first heard about the Omachi Self-Boiling Crab and Beef Corn Soup hot pot when Masan representatives introduced the product at the Shareholders' Meeting.

Masan's representatives confidently showcased the Omachi Self-Boiling hot pot on the stage of the Shareholders' Meeting to declare their ambition of fully exporting Vietnamese cuisine with self-boiling technology, ensuring the full flavor without the need for cooking.

Launching the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" contest.

WHAT IS "SÔI"?? With Omachi, "sôi" isn't just the temperature of the self-boiling hot pot, but also the youthful passion, the bubbling spirit, ready to conquer the incredible lands of the homeland. Therefore, Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot officially launches the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" contest to infuse the zest into the prime of youth with young people on a journey of unforgettable "feasts," full of delicious flavors and memories!

That is the message conveyed in the official post opening the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" contest on Omachi's official Facebook fanpage.

The contest rules are announced as follows:

Step 1: Capture a check-in video/photo at one/several extraordinary locations with the Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot.

• Definition of extraordinary location:

A unique and iconic landmark, possessing distinctive characteristics, rarity, beauty, and romance either in Vietnam or in the local area where you reside, suitable for the backpacking trend.

A remote location, lacking the necessary material conditions for a formal meal, yet you also do not want to settle for a casual, haphazard dining experience.

Step 2: Publicly post on your personal Facebook or TikTok account with the content "Your Name" HAS BOILED UP WITH OMACHI SELF-BOILING HOT POT AT "LOCATION" #OMACHI #SelfBoilingHotPot #WhereverYouGoTheExcitementFollows

Example: NGUYEN A HAS BOILED UP WITH OMACHI SELF-BOILING HOT POT AT NHIEU CO SAN - LAO CAI #OMACHI #SelfBoilingHotPot #WhereverYouGoTheExcitementFollows

Step 3: Comment the link to your contest entry post under Omachi's post.

The contest will take place from November 14th to December 11th (For participants in Hanoi, submissions will be accepted by the organizer from November 18th, 2023).

Prizes for the winners:

• 02 Grand Prizes: Northern Lights Hunting Tour in Northern Europe valued at 167,990,000 VND - awarded to the 02 most outstanding videos selected by the organizers.
• 02 Weekly Special Prizes: GoPro 12 worth 12,500,000 VND each - awarded to 02 individuals who check in with Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot at the most extraordinary locations.
• 04 Excellent Video Prizes per week: Marshall Major 4 Black headphones worth 3,800,000 VND each - awarded to 04 individuals selected by the organizers.
• 10 Excellent Photo Prizes per week: Sony SRS-XE200 Bluetooth Speaker worth 1,500,000 VND each - awarded to 10 individuals selected by the organizers.
• 20 Interaction Prizes per week: 01 Vietravel travel coupon applicable for domestic and international tours, as well as other services (booking accommodations, renting cars, plane tickets, visa...) worth 1,000,000 VND - awarded to 10 contest entries with the highest interactions on Facebook and 10 contest entries with the highest interactions on TikTok.

WHAT DOES OMACHI GET FROM ORGANIZING THIS CONTEST?

To participate in this contest, contestants will certainly have to purchase a box of Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot to shoot their experience video. Therefore, Omachi will succeed in getting more people to purchase and try the product.

Furthermore, as more people participate in shooting travel videos across the country with Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot, the product image will be further disseminated with the intended main function that the brand wants the public to remember. That is "convenient and quality meals when traveling in remote places!"

This contest helps Omachi subtly spread the message that Omachi Self-Boiling Crab and Beef Corn Soup hot pot will be a quality and convenient meal companion for you on your adventurous trips, exploring remote and less-equipped places. Just like the spirit of "Wherever you go, the excitement follows"!

It's also a response to feedback comparing the value of this product to other outdoor meals such as pho or a buffet hot pot. Because when traveling to remote places without service facilities, restaurants, or easy access to other ready-made meals, and without utensils to cook more complex dishes, the Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot will be a very sensible meal option!

Choosing YouTuber "Khoai Lang Thang" as the ambassador.

The "chosen face" selected by the company to represent this campaign is Khoai Lang Thang!

Khoai Lang Thang, whose real name is Đinh Võ Hoài Phương, has crafted the nickname "Khoai" for himself and chosen the YouTube channel name "Khoai Lang Thang." The term "lang thang" embodies Khoai's passion for exploration and movement. With creativity and relentless effort, Khoai's videos have gradually gained popularity, and the name "Khoai Lang Thang" has become an icon beloved and mentioned more often by audiences.

Choosing a vlogger who has become familiar and beloved to the public through a series of vlogs on travel, experiences, exploration, etc., is a very wise decision by Omachi. Khoai Lang Thang is indeed the most suitable Key Opinion Leader (KOL) to represent the inspirational message of "Wherever you go, the excitement follows," aligning perfectly with the spirit that Omachi wants to convey to the public.

In addition to Khoai Lang Thang, Omachi also collaborates with 2 other travel experience vloggers, namely Trần Đặng Đăng Khoa. They have appeared together in posters, promotional videos for the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" contest, and have posted promotional content on their personal Facebook and TikTok pages to contribute to spreading the campaign.

Stage 2: Experience

Experience Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot with the "Free Boiling Station"

With the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" contest, Omachi has also created a powerful media ripple effect and attracted more people to try the Self-Boiling Hot Pot product. However, to change consumer perceptions, behaviors, and influence their purchasing decisions, Omachi needs to bring this product into the hands of even more people through brand activation activities that create direct experiences.

Understanding this, within the framework of the "Wherever you go, the excitement follows" campaign, the Omachi brand has organized highly attractive product experience activities called "Free Boiling Stations". These "boiling stations" were set up at events and Tet festivals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Here, young people could enjoy the program:

• Group Boiling: A group of 4 people gets to experience Omachi Self-Boiling Hot Pot for FREE.
• Private Boiling: Enjoy 2 NEW products (mixed meat skewer noodles and corn beef crab soup noodles).
  
• Boiling to Take Away: Special OFFERS when purchasing products from Omachi.

Stage 3: Amplifying

Livestream add-ins on Pew Pew and Phạm Thoại's grocery channel.

A successful new product promotion strategy in the era of e-commerce naturally cannot overlook the live stream sales channel. This time, Masan has entrusted its product to 2 leading live stream KOLs, Pew Pew and Phạm Thoại.

Starting live sales streams on TikTok around early September, the "PewPew Grocery Store" channel has attracted a large viewership with its unique selling style: going shopping during the live session when customers inquire, weighing products to demonstrate accurate weights, testing sanitary pads for women, etc.

"I never thought I could sell so much. It's not about the income, but about the demand from the audience and customers. The amount of messages and emails I received on all platforms has exceeded 2,000 brands. If I continue to sell to about 4 brands per week as planned now, I think I can make a living for 1-2 years," PewPew shared."

Phạm Thoại is a familiar name in the online community. Phạm Thoại, or Norin Phạm (born in 1996), is well-known to many. Currently, he owns a TikTok channel with 4 million followers and a series of clips with millions of views. He is also famous for livestreaming sales that attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, along with his unique fashion sense and personality.

In early January 2023, the hot TikToker set a livestream record on the TikTok platform with 3 million views, 22 million likes, and nearly 50,000 orders within a 12-hour live broadcast. This is the highest number ever recorded by the platform before being surpassed by the "review deity" Hà Linh.

Masan Consumer has first booked Pew Pew for live add-ins of Masan products in the time slot of 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM on January 20, 2024, and January 30, 2024, and booked Phạm Thoại for 9:00 PM on January 22, 2024. Omachi Self-Boiling Crab Meat and Corn Soup was introduced and sold during these live sessions along with other Masan products featuring many attractive vouchers.

While it's unclear how many sales Masan generated for the Omachi Self-Boiling Crab Meat and Corn Soup through this live session, booking a livestream on a large and reputable channel like Pew Pew Grocery surely helped the product reach even more people. The hot offers during the live session would also have boosted sales to encourage more people to experience the product.

Appearing on the TV show "2 Days 1 Night"

"2 Days 1 Night" is a reality TV show featuring a star-studded cast including Trường Giang, Kiều Minh Tuấn, Ngô Kiến Huy, HIEUTHUHAI, Lê Dương Bảo Lâm, and Cris Phan. The artists will embark on a 2-day-1-night trip, undertaking various challenges to experience the local culture and cuisine. The winning team will be treated to sumptuous meals and comfortable accommodations, while the losing team may sometimes have to stay outdoors.

Having gone through two seasons, "2 Days 1 Night" has traveled to numerous provinces spanning from the North to the South to promote tourism. Through various challenges, the unique characteristics and beauty of each region are conveyed in an extremely captivating and interesting way to the audience. Many young people have been inspired to travel together after watching the famous landscapes and attractions of Vietnam showcased in "2 Days 1 Night." The allure of the program is also evident in the fact that many locals gather to watch the artists take on challenges live. The director of the program has shared that tourism in the regions visited by "2 Days 1 Night" has experienced growth and development.

Recognizing the attractiveness and influence of the program in promoting tourism and encouraging young people to explore experiences, Omachi swiftly seized the opportunity to feature their product, Corn Beef and Crab Soup Hotpot, in an episode of the show by promptly "booking a ticket".

The images of the program's cast cooking Omachi's self-boiling hotpot and enjoying it during their outdoor trip have helped the brand effectively communicate to the audience the utility and usage of the product, as well as its value for travel exploration experiences.

Sustain seeding coverage

Since the product's launch, Omachi has consistently ensured there are new self-boiling hotpot reviews on the TikTok platform. This product has sparked diverse opinions regarding its value for money, hence the review videos always attract high levels of interaction and discussion.

In addition to negative comments and skepticism about the product's value for money, gradually more people have begun to understand the situations in which Omachi's self-boiling hotpot would be useful. Through the various stages of media communication, Omachi has somewhat influenced consumers' awareness and demand regarding purchasing the self-boiling hotpot for wilderness adventures, outdoor excursions, away from the convenience of urban services.

In conclusion

Changing consumer perceptions and behaviors, and getting them to embrace a new and unfamiliar product is a long and challenging journey for any brand. Omachi's upcoming self-boiling hotpot product will certainly have to overcome many difficulties and exert a lot of effort to prove its value to consumers.

While it remains unclear what additional marketing and communication strategies Masan Group and the Omachi brand will deploy to develop, promote, and drive sales for this product, through recent activities in the "Wherever You Go, It Boils" campaign, we have seen the efforts, successes, and certain resonance that the Omachi brand has built for the Corn Beef and Crab Soup self-boiling hotpot. Through this, we can also learn and glean insights into how a major brand conducts a product launch campaign ensuring both creativity and effective communication of the product's unique selling points and core essence.