Niche Japanese snack food brand Pocky had an ambitious goal: increase sales and brand awareness in the U.S. without digital or traditional media buys. To do this, we recommended using brand ambassadors, street teams and free samples to take Pocky on a cross-country road trip to “Share Happiness.” The effort contributed to a sales increase of more than 20% for the chocolate-coated biscuit sticks.
In 1966, the chocolate-dipped snack was introduced in Japan and quickly became popular among adolescents and teens. It was brought to the U.S. in 2003 and primarily sold in Asian supermarkets and boutique stores. Today, it can be found in national grocery chains like Kroger, Wegmans and Walgreens.
