Sumo Citrus: “A Healthy Obsession”
What does it mean to build a campaign in a conversational marketplace?
Two years ago when we began working with Sumo Citrus, the funky looking fruit from Japan with the Top Knot™, we saw instantly how much organic buzz the fruit had online and in the stores, and set out to build a campaign that matched and amplified this excitement. We would bump into friends here in New York City who would say “No way, you’re working with Sumo Citrus? I’m obsessed with those.” It is a rare occasion where a marketing program has to catch up with organic consumer excitement.
Our approach began with listening, curious, non-judgmental, and radically-empathic listening — a core practice of Superior Branding Company. Alongside consumer research and surveying, the exuberant anecdotes and conversations from Sumo Citrus super-fans became threads to follow, learn more about, and ultimately draw big creative ideas from. These conversations that were happening online became the key to understanding how much joy (and fanaticism) Sumo Citrus inspires, and from there we were able to develop an authentic and relatable campaign that was in dialogue with the community.
In a market where the line between organic media and paid advertising is converging, the voice of the “Healthy Obsession” campaign comes from the consumer. The campaign offers a window into the world of Sumo Citrus super-fans — highlighting their snacking habits as a way to communicate the unique attributes of the fruit (easy-to-peel, seedless, not messy). The spirit of the campaign is fan’s wild, wait-in-line-in-the-rain obsession with Sumo Citrus.
The success of the “Healthy Obsession” campaign reinforces how critical it is for brands to be active in conversation in a fast-moving market where new ideas, memes, and cultural moments emerge continuously. Brands have an opportunity to be dynamic and responsive in those conversations, as we would in real life.
The market itself has shifted from a broadcasting paradigm to a conversational one, where brands must engage with their audiences and the culture in real-time. Success in the conversational marketplace is not a given. We must work on our ability to relate to others. This starts with increasing our own self-awareness. We can then enter the market with confidence in who we are, and empathy for those who are different. Brands must establish, maintain, and learn from real relationships with their audiences, and this will be the foundation of their success going forward.
Some brands have been doing this well over the last few years: Glossier, Casper, Billie, and Outdoor Voices to name a few. These are all empathically-driven brands that develop marketing campaigns, product strategies and even their brand voice, with an audience-first approach. The conversational marketplace opens up a depth of consumer interest and advocacy for much-loved brands. The enthusiasts help to steward brands to be more relevant, more responsive to their needs, and ultimately more successful.
See below for our TV commercial that shows obsessive fans gushing over their favorite fruit, and view the full Healthy Obsession case study here.
-Alexander Deleuse, Partner at Superior Branding Company
