When Woolworths ended their Ooshies campaign many shoppers were upset and angry. This campaign was marketing gold for Woolworths, with many shoppers switching their shopping exclusively to their chain of stores because of this one singular campaign. When it ended there was a backlash, which just goes to show how successful the campaign was.
To understand the success behind their campaign one must consider the power of branded merchandise. The Disney brand is widely loved and a household name, so by aligning their stores with an exclusive Disney merchandise, they were able to tap into the hugely valuable market of Disney fanatics. Their numbers showed over a 12 percent growth in profits compared to the previous year, even in a time when many retail outlets are struggling.
Tapping Into An Existing Market By Using Branded Merchandise
One of the main reasons why the campaign was so successful for Woolworths is because they tapped into the fan base with one of the strongest followings in the world. Disney is hugely popular and with the release of the Disney Plus streaming platform the brand’s fanbase and reach has grown even stronger over the last year.
The Power of Exclusivity and the Disney Logo
Because the Ooshies Disney toys were only available at Woolworths, the exclusivity of the product is what made the campaign so powerful and why so many people were upset when it ended. Many customers switched from other retail outlets to Woolworths because of the draw of the Disney brand Ooshies toys that were exclusively available there.
Those who are passionate about collecting Disney toys and memorabilia flocked to Woolworths, but perhaps the demographic that most influenced the success of the campaign were the children who begged their parents to take them to Woolworths to get this exclusive toy. Children and youth are a powerful demographic for driving in sales.
How the Pandemic Affected the Campaign
While many people all over the world tightened their purse strings due to the mass shutdowns and loss of jobs, many families transitioned from eating out to exclusively eating at home. For this reason grocery stores have seen a great increase in traffic. By offering an exclusive product that both children and adult Disney enthusiasts alike would love, Woolworths was able to hone in on the new market of grocery shoppers who usually eat out all the time.
Supply and Demand
The demand for the Ooshies x Disney collaboration was so great that they ran out of supplies. When they sold out of the Disney brand toys Woolworths received a dip in customer satisfaction and a vocal backlash from those who were frustrated that they were not able to purchase the exclusive Disney merchandise that they came there for.
Because some people switched to Woolworths over other grocery and retail outlets exclusively for the Ooshies toys, they became frustrated when they arrived at the store and were not able to receive the product that they came for.
Summary of Woolworths Marketing Success Using Ooshies Campaign
The Woolworths Ooshies collaboration is a great lesson for marketers to observe the power of branded merchandise and how to use logos and branding to tap into existing markets to drive up the sales of their products. Because people flocked to Woolworths for the toys, they also picked up their groceries and other items at the same time, giving Woolworths a big boost in profits just in time for the holiday shopping season to begin.