Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase

The Challenge
Watsons needed to court the Chinese market. The Chinese are prepared to spend generously on health; however, they are faithful to traditional Chinese medical halls like Eu Yan Sang. Watsons couldn’t allow a whole new generation to replicate this behaviour. People were aware of Watsons’ outer care and beauty offerings, but were not aware enough of its serious health-related products.

Insight, Strategy and the Idea
We realised that Watsons could present itself as the more likeable option by communicating a positive perspective on health. Discussions about health tend to be too gloomy. Watsons could instead focus on the joy of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We thus partnered Watsons with Zumba, a dance-based craze that lent its sense of fun to Watsons.

Media Execution
We organised an event in Penang that featured Zumba, health checks, and Watsons products. The most crucial step was to entice people to attend. Radio tie-in – Jack and Jeff, celebrity DJs from Chinese station MyFM, came on board. They were perfect because of their popularity and their enthusiasm for fitness. Video invitation – On MyFM airwaves, its FB page along with Jack, Jeff and Wastons FB pages, we publicised a video (that went viral) in which Jack and Jeff demonstrated custom-choreographed Watsons-Zumba moves. The video explained Zumba’s health benefits and invited viewers to attend. The accompanying song aired on MyFM was immediately identifiable with Watsons

Results and Effectiveness
7000 participants turned up. The Malaysia Book of Records credited it as the largest Zumba event ever in the country!

The buzz was such that even Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of Penang, made an appearance.

Chinese consumers became more likely to associate Watsons with health and health-based products.

The Chinese seemed ready to say “I do” to Watsons’ joyous approach to health.