Case study: Make your own ramen with Wagamama

They say happiness goes through the stomach right? That’s why the Asian fusion cuisine of Wagamama is the perfect place for a perfect warm bowl of ramen. Wagamama aims for good conversation, mindful food, diversity, and inclusion. ‘It has to be fresh, kaizen at our heart, zig when others zag and we have each other’s backs’ are what Wagamama values most.

This fall, Wagamama launched the ‘Make your own Ramen’ campaign to promote their special ramen deal in all Amsterdam based restaurants. They collaborated with 18 content creators by inviting them to create their very own ramen! Not only did the campaign only deliver delicious-looking content, but the results themselves were also pretty impressive too! Curious? Grab yourself some green tea and continue reading.

Selection

The campaign received a lot of applications from enthusiastic content creators who couldn’t wait to make their own ramen and devour them afterward. However, only a select group of content creators was eventually chosen. Isabelle from Wagamama told us the most important factors she takes into account in the selection process are the engagement rate of the creator, the number of followers, where the followers are based, average likes, and if their content matches the style and vibe of Wagamama.

A diverse group of content creators ended up being the perfect fit for Wagamama. In return, the content creators were given a €300 financial reward and of course invited to the ramen tasting where they had the chance to make their own under the watchful eye of executive chef Sako!‍

The Campaign‍

Instagram had to be the chosen platform for the campaign. The reason for this is because of the target audience. The platform is highly popular among millennials and gen Z. Besides, Wagamama is very active on the platform as well. Setting up influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram gives them the opportunity to grow and create awareness at the same time.

The thing that made this campaign so unique and special in comparison to previous ones is the fact that the whole event was specially set up for the participating content creators. 2020 has been quite rough, so by collaborating with content creators through the Influentials they aimed to give the special promotion an extra boost. Organising The Ramen Workshop and allowing content creators to cook their own meal in the actual kitchen was something they’ve never done before to inspire their target audience to pay a visit at their restaurants.

Expectations

Wagamama expected motivated content creators to collaborate with. Everyone was highly enthusiastic and put up a happy and motivated attitude as soon as they arrived. It was clear that they wanted to help the industry too during these struggling times. Besides motivated content creators, Wagamama intended to score a high reach and that the target audience would be influenced by the campaign to make use of the special promotion.

Learnings and results

In the end, the campaign resulted in an outstanding reach of 156k and an engagement rate of 4.9%. Content creators Bo and Jordi enjoyed their meals and looked back at a very eventful and special day. Just like for content creators, it was rather special to attend an event again after the first lockdowns.

Speaking of learnings, Wagamama noticed that using a scheme during the day helps giving structure to a busy day. Unlike previous events, this was something new they did this time, which helped manage the day. The financial reward also helped the influencers to stay committed to the collaboration. Everyone was there to make the most of it.