The Chocolates category in the Gulf is cluttered, with dozens of brands vying for snackers’ attention. In key gifting occasions, like Eid, competition becomes more cut-throat. The scene is dominated by Mars, which accounts for over 30% of the chocolates business in both Kuwait and the Emirates; Mars’ hero product ‘Galaxy Jewels’ is synonymous with the season. In both markets, the category was growing, driven by pralines (UAE 40%, KWT 20%) and countlines (UAE 29%, KWT 20%) – two areas where Mondelez has limited play. Kuwait witnessed trend towards premiumisation as segments with higher $/KG enjoyed accelerated growth.

Meanwhile, CDM had been focussing on functional benefits, with ads emphasising our signature ‘glass-and-a-half of milk’ and rich cocoa content. Our aim for 2023 was to bridge the emotional gap. We would do this through Cadbury Miniatures, a new, premium gifting pack filled with lots of little Minis, both praline and countline.

The best time to build on Cadbury’s emotional journey is Eid, where people of all walks of life send – and receive – a flurry of wishes. In-person, they celebrate with loved ones, bearing gifts and chocolates.

Cadbury’s target audience is young (15-39 y.o.). They spend most of their downtime scrolling through shortform content on TikTok and Instagram: the top three media for this demographic are online mobile (98%), online desktop/tablet (92%), and social media (91%). Our TA spends three hours a day on social media, and overindex on brand discovery through mobile ads (106%) and brands’ social media pages (101%). 65% want to learn new skill. 68% believe spending time with family is central to them.

With this in mind, we set out to pioneer an AI-led innovation to elevate CDM Miniatures as a gifting solution and enabler of social connection during Eid.

Right before Eid-Al-Fitr we launched a solution to send quick greetings through the power of AI.

A microsite was developed featuring Eid motifs and an interface specifically built for mobile. A zero-party data collection form enabled us to capture details we’d use for retargeting. Shortform ads on Meta and TikTok, supported with performance budget and targeted using data from the microsite pixel, invited them to try the AI.

The prompts given to ChatGPT through the API allowed users to customise the tone of the greeting and input anecdotes that allowed AI to pepper the message with personal touches.

A ‘Share’ button made sending the message hassle-free, linking to WhatsApp, Instagram and more, while a ‘Shop’ button encouraged sales for those who wanted to complement their note with a Cadbury Miniatures gift – directing them to a bespoke Amazon storefront displaying our products

While consumers were wishing each other a happy Eid, our wish came true: Cadbury AI Eid Greetings was a huge success.

An incredible 800 greetings were created between Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha!

The microsite achieved an incredible 381,000 landings over both Eids – and witnessed a 4,000% spike during Eid Al-Adha as compared to Eid Al-Fitr. Click-through-rate also jumped to 9%, more than twice the benchmark. In terms of cost-efficiency, our CPM was halved, dropping to an all-time low.

Sales doubled in value from Eid Al Fitr to Eid Al Adha period, making Cadbury Miniatures fly off the virtual shelves of our Amazon storefront to become the go-to gift for Eid festivities.

Cadbury AI Greetings was a perfect blend of tradition and tech, helping people across the Gulf find the right words to wish their loves ones a happy Eid in an inventive and personal way.