Tim Hortons recently introduced its instant coffee line and aims to improve its popularity among Chinese and South Asian Canadians, who typically favor tea over coffee.
The goal was to encourage the sampling of the NEW Tim Hortons® Premium instant coffee among ethnic consumers in areas where this audience is particularly prevalent, such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Greater Vancouver Area (GVA), Calgary, and Edmonton.
To gain insight into the buying habits and preferences of Chinese and South Asian consumers, an online questionnaire was administered through an ethnic marketing panel. The results of the research revealed a significant consumption of instant coffee, along with strong consideration and intent to purchase.
Coffee is an enabler for great conversations. With this thought in mind, we thought of associating with the two major festivals celebrated by the target audience respectively – Mid-Autumn Festival for Chinese Canadians and Diwali for South Asian Canadians. These festivals are primarily occasions that bring friends and family together, creating an opportunity to sample Tim Hortons Premium Instant Coffee.
We wished festive greetings featuring Tim Hortons Premium Instant Coffee and running a special promotion on purchase of the instant coffee jar.
The campaign included a multi-channel approach that leveraged digital, social media, and in-store (POS) in identified high-density ethnic neighborhoods where Tim’s at Home instant coffee was available.