Anyone expecting a little one and looking for a safe car seat is searching for a 'Maxi-Cosi'. We call that brand dilution in the marketing world. The phenomenon where a brand name becomes a product name, making a portable car seat colloquially known as a 'Maxi-Cosi' for decades.
With recognition among 9 out of 10 parents, it can rightly be said that the brand has grown into the most well-known car seat brand in the Netherlands. But there's more to it. Besides strollers, Maxi-Cosi expanded its portfolio two years ago with a home category. The key brand values? Caring, Close, Genuine, and Innovation. Ensuring your child sits safely. But also comfort for both child and parent, making life just a bit easier. “We want to play a big role in every valuable moment for parents.”
New Market, New Challenges
Those valuable moments are not just on the go, but – indeed – also at home. With the introduction of the sustainable Nesta high chair, Maxi-Cosi's European digital marketing team faced a new challenge: introducing a new, broader market to a home product that lasts a lifetime. Just like in previous campaigns, the trusted partner for new parents wasn't alone. Maxi-Cosi brought together two key parties early in the process: their creative agency and digital marketing agency Follo. “Follo has been involved in our hero campaigns, the peak moments, for years, but also supports always-on campaigns,” says Esmée Jongen, Digital Activation Manager for Maxi-Cosi.
The challenge lay in a changing market, but also in a product that is much broader than previous, more age-specific products. “A larger target audience also means a larger market, so which channels do you choose?” Tim Walstock, consultant at Follo, points out as a challenge. From that starting point, they looked together at what needs to change to keep up with trends and developments and truly reach the consumer. The result? The most successful campaign of 2022.
Social Touch: Tailoring Content to the Parent
With a target audience active on social media, the content around the Nesta high chair had to be 'thumb-stopping'. There was a clear focus on both reach and quality: the message had to stand out in the sea of online content and also truly stick. Branding and performance. To achieve that goal, the content was tailored not only to the market and specific channels but also to an important shift in society. Amber van Winssen, Digital Campaign Manager: “We saw a trend emerging that society is becoming a bit 'perfection tired' regarding social media use.” There is more demand for content that consumers can truly relate to.
By using so-called content creators, a translation was made from only 'branded' content to more unfiltered content. No models or actors, but real families using the Nesta high chair in real life. “We still mix this with branded content because as Maxi-Cosi, we want to project a consistent brand.” Also because the connection with retail partners remains very important. “A visit to the physical store remains very important in the orientation phase. With our campaigns, we plant a seed in the consumer's mind: Maxi-Cosi is there and has innovative, safe quality products with a cool design. If they enter the store with that thought, our circle is complete.”
Testing and Daring to Adapt
In the past year, a lot of testing was done with different types of content, including that of the content creators. That choice was a new approach at the time, but a well-considered one. Yet the success of this campaign lies in continuously testing and daring to change. Adapting to trends and developments from the brand health study. “Content is super important. It's the first thing the consumer sees, but there's so much more behind it,” says Esmée. “The piece of content is precisely the icing on the cake for us,” adds Tim from Follo. “The challenge is which content you show on which channel and in which phase of the customer journey, so it seamlessly connects with the consumer. If you don't do that, you have the opposite effect.”
No Traditional Client-Agency Relationship
Besides a strong brand as a foundation, truly knowing the consumer, and the courage to adapt, the collaboration between Maxi-Cosi and Follo has been an important foundation for success. “For the Nesta campaign, we came together at an early stage. How can we best approach this as a team?”
As a result, this campaign can be called the most successful campaign of 2022. This is reflected in the increased brand awareness of Maxi-Cosi, appropriate reach of the target audience, obtained engagement, and an even closer collaboration that deviates from traditional client-agency relationships. “We really see Follo as colleagues, as an extension of our team. In that, we dare to challenge each other to achieve the best result.” And it worked.
