CASE STUDY: Yili China boosts sales with redesigned yogurt packaging during Expo

Background

Inner Mongolia Yili Group is a dairy product producer in China. According to Bloomberg, the company recorded a net profit of US$50.7 million in the first half of 2010.

The fruit yogurt market in China is currently saturated with many similar products. Research has shown that the primary consumers of Yili’s fruit yogurt line are young college girls and white collar women between the ages of 18 to 25 who prefer cute designs.

As the sole dairy products sponsor of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Yili’s yogurt business unit partnered with Ogilvy & Mather Beijing to create an Expo related campaign.

Aim

Ogilvy is charged to revitalise sales of Yili’s Large Fruit Granules (390g) yogurt line and create a stronger emotional connection with consumers.

Execution

In response, Ogilvy created a special edition packaging featuring six cartoon girls representing six different regions around the world, including Africa, China, Europe, Hawaii, India and North America, to echo the multi-cultural audience at the Expo. The project is promoted through point-of-sale visuals.

Results

The new packaging went on sale at the end of 2010 and sales were up by 33.3 per cent within one month after the launch.

The campaign also succeeded in promoting the corn flavoured yogurt for which sales went up by 33 per cent in the first month. The fig and raisin flavour jumped by 43 per cent.

The success of the packaging campaign for the 390g product has prompted Yili to plan on launching a second phase of special edition packaging for the 260g line of the Large Fruit Granules yogurt.

Credits:
Project Yili Large Fruit Granules yogurt Expo Limited Edition Packaging
Client Inner Mongolia Yili Group
Creative agency Ogilvy & Mather Beijing
Executive creative director Bill Chan
Creative director CQ Chen
Art directors Peisong Pan, Xiaodong Xiao
Copywriter Chen Yu
Account servicing Jacky Ding, Rich Diao, Mandy Zhai
Exposure Packaging