You deserve a Haier 5!

The challenge

The company's challenge was to grow like-ability and trust in the Haier brand, to increase consumer preference and to increase Haier sales. 

What we did

Haier NZ saw its ongoing sponsorship of the Kiwi Kids TRYathlon as already helping to foster brand love connections. It’s a major community initiative that helps to demonstrate how Haier is 'supporting the growth of great Kiwi Kids and developing Haier Home Heroes'.

But, the Haier team asked themselves, how could they celebrate that concept even more effectively.

The answer, simple as such ideas often are in retrospect, lay in the word 'celebrate'.

From the world-weary heights of adulthood, we don't always appreciate just what an accomplishment it is for our youngsters to participate in a Kiwi Kids TRYathlon. Children as young as seven years old push themselves beyond their limits as they run 1.5 km, swim 50 metres and cycle 4 km in rapid succession. It can be a life-changing experience for those more accustomed to the exertions of Fortnite.

The achievements of our Kiwi TRYathletes demand to be celebrated - and how better than with the classic Kiwi high-five, or, restyled for the occasion, the 'Haier Five'?

The simple gesture of a Haier Five is inherently Kiwi. It acknowledges someone’s hard work and dedication and it reinforces the spirit of the TRY, whether the celebrated person crosses the finish line first, last or somewhere in between.

And the Haier Five isn't just about recognition of the Kiwi TRYathletes. It also enables Haier to recognise the normally-unsung efforts of the over 4000 volunteers who help Kiwi kids grow through the Weet-Bix Kids TRY series. These volunteers are collectively known as the Haier Helpers. They’re drawn from sporting and cultural groups who believe in the power of community and altruism.

During each event Haier Fives were also enthusiastically exchanged with the volunteers who help make the event run like clockwork and enthusiastically cheerlead the kids while they are on the course.

And we also dished out Haier Fives to those parents who help their kids as they train and get ready to take part. How could we fail to recognise parental heroes, acknowledging their efforts and their sacrifices?

So what did we do to bring the Haier Five to glorious life?

First, we created the classic outsized foam hands, emblazoned with the 'Haier Five' designation, and gave them out to volunteers so that they could properly greet TRYathletes as they completed each section of the course. We wanted to ensure that the volunteers could truly celebrate Kiwi kids, not with the expected "well done" but with a full-blown, boisterous "Haier Five" that would lodge in the memories of both kids and volunteers. 

Then we enlisted Kiwi sports heroes Sarah Hirini (NZ Women’s Rugby Sevens), Luuka Jones (Slalom Canoeist) and Katrina Rore (NZ International Netball Player and Vice Captain of the Silver Ferns) to give out their own Haier Fives throughout the TRY course.

And we took every available opportunity to give out Haier Fives to parents and volunteers in recognition of their own contributions to the success of each Kiwi Kids' TRYathlon.

But even then, we still weren't finished. In keeping with the theme, we also created a Haier Five prize package (drawn from Haier's most popular refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, washers and heat pumps) and gave one of those appliances away to a lucky parent or guardian of participating TRYathletes at prize-giving ceremonies.

And of course we promoted our Haier Five activities heavily through Breakfast TV, press releases, newspaper articles and social media posts throughout the Kiwi Kids TRYathlon season.

The result

Significant increases in Brand Consideration. 62% of supporters would consider purchasing a Haier Appliance (Survey Results Kiwi Kids TRYathlon), well ahead of company goals.