Packaged water brand La Vie drew on its natural minerality to pitch itself in a new way to health-conscious young people in Vietnam.
Objective
In the realm of packaged water, a category with low consumer involvement and a prevailing perception of homogeneity, La Vie faced the challenge of establishing meaningful differentiation and ascending to the coveted position of the leading brand in both the overall packaged water market and in Ho Chi Minh City, the epicenter of Vietnamese competition.
Despite occupying the top-of-mind spot, La Vie has struggled with a lack of consumer awareness regarding its distinction as a natural mineral water compared to other purified water brands. Consequently, in this diverse and fiercely competitive landscape, La Vie remained the challenger, holding the second position.
La Vie's strategic objective was clear: to harness its unique selling point as a source of nature's positive power — thanks to its natural mineral water composition — and leverage it to attain market dominance and drive business growth that would outpace the overall category.
Context
Aiming to become the leading brand in the total packaged water market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, La Vie recognized the need for an exceptional media solution. To achieve its goal, La Vie sought an integrated media planning approach that would combine the expertise of both a media agency and a creative agency.
Target Audience
It was especially vital for La Vie to engage young consumers under the age of 35 with its message — and more specifically, those living in Ho Chi Minh City.
Creative and Media Strategy
To address the above objectives, La Vie's communication strategies needed to be revamped to engage with consumers through the benefits that aligned with their lifestyles.
La Vie had to establish a clear point of view on the regenerative power it offered. Health consciousness was on the rise, especially among educated urban consumers who were concerned about emerging diseases after the pandemic and sought ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle while managing their fast-paced and active routines.
Importantly, no beverage brand was addressing the topic of mental health when engaging with young consumers. Considering that young consumers spend a significant amount of time entertaining themselves on the internet and following Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to stay updated on news and trends, it was crucial to identify relevant topics and occasions to proactively enter their world.
A core insight into the target audience was that they believed there were multiple paths to success in life, and they had a strong desire to explore as much as possible to find what worked best for them. However, they often lacked the necessary positive energy, both physically and mentally, to fully seize the endless opportunities that came their way.
In Vietnam's southern region, the strong mineral taste of La Vie remained a significant barrier to consumption. Therefore, La Vie has embarked on a transformative journey with its new positioning — "Quiet Nature Regenerates Your Loud Life" — encouraging consumers to make drinking La Vie natural mineral water their regenerative break to refresh their positive energy so as to restore themselves and explore life to the fullest.
The successful consumer test of the Quiet Nature Regenerates Your Loud Life campaign led to a large-scale campaign in May of 2023, incorporating an integrated media strategy across TV and digital channels.
The campaign implemented six key actions throughout the consumer journey, creating a powerful impact:
To optimize cost efficiency and maximize awareness during the new concept launch, the campaign was strategically divided into three stages.
In the initial stage, La Vie utilized technologies such as the CPH Masthead, exclusive prime-time blocking, and targeted advertising across various platforms (YouTube, OTT, Facebook, Instagram, and local ad networks) besides TV advertising to establish brand awareness and prominence. This execution captured audience attention and generated widespread reach, driving the campaign's success.
In the second stage, innovative solutions like video reach campaigns on YouTube were employed. Facebook and OTT channels were also consistently leveraged to expand the campaign's reach. By tailoring personalized messages based on YouTube and Meta-fueled data, La Vie effectively appealed to five distinct audience segments. This approach enhanced the campaign's impact and engagement.
La Vie also partnered to introduce YouTube Music Night, the first-of-its-kind event in Vietnam. Additionally, the "No-Ads Roadblock" was launched, which allowed viewers to enjoy content without being interrupted by ads on YouTube channels, further delighting the audience.
Finally, the pinnacle of La Vie's campaign was the Regenerative Hub, one of the largest nature events in Ho Chi Minh City. It captivated audiences through five senses with a fusion of nature and 360-degree immersive technology, helping consumers to experience healing moments.
Through meticulous planning, strategic channel selection, personalized messaging, exclusive sponsorships, and AI-powered conversion optimization, La Vie successfully established brand awareness, engaged the target audience, and fostered brand affinity, driving the campaign's overall success.
As a result of the campaign, La Vie
