We created MILO Champ Squad, as an innovative fitness eco-system for children.

The platform consists of a wearable activity band that tracks a child’s energy expenditure and through a corresponding app that also records energy intake through a built-in food journal. The platform not only tracks activity but keeps Mothers & Kids engaged through a personalized avatar, sports training tutorials and other augmented reality content accessed through visual search technology.

Ongoing engagement is encouraged through automated proactive reminders and gamification elements that kids identify with and respond to. The more active kids are, the more they are rewarded with points, badges and “level-ups”. Points can be redeemed to unlock new skills or digital apparel for the child’s online avatar or for real world merchandise by mums.

Every element of the platform’s development and execution has been informed by data or supported by rigorous data management and advanced predictive analytics. From predicting sales, identifying optimal recruitment channels through to predicting lapsed behaviour for retention.

Bringing together IoT-technology, augmented reality technology, visual search technology and marketing automation to encourage kids to become more active is a world first, in fact a world first for any brand anywhere.

We partnered with Cricket Australia, ensuring that our solution had the backing of the country’s leading sports body.

The Champ Squad platform launched in Australia with a new SKU starter pack containing a tin of MILO and the fitness tracker band, priced at AUD 39.99.

We leveraged the uniqueness of the idea and distributed the new SKU to over 100 influential parenting, sports and technology bloggers.

The innovation factor was also key in securing vital distribution partnerships. MILO partnered with Woolworths and secured an exclusive distribution deal for the first month, securing prime POS positioning, featured Woolworths TV and catalogue promotion and prime e-commerce positioning on Woolworths.com.

Brad Haddin, an Aussie Cricketing Legend, was the spokesperson for our platform. His endorsement scored coverage on prime breakfast TV and radio.

The innovative programme offer also allowed us to build a brand new distribution channel with Australia’s leading technology retailer, Harvey Norman.

Mums’ perception of MILO as an innovative brand rose from 42% to 50%. The percentage of kids who think MILO is cool rose from 62% to 70%, significantly above target. (Source: Millward Brown).

The new platform reversed a 5-year decline in market share. Since the April launch, we’ve seen an increase in sales that continued through to September, when MILO’s value share increased by 1.1 % (from 54.4% in 2015 to 55.5% September 2016) selling an additional 170.000 kilos of MILO.

Prior to the program we built a model that forecasted 51,340 Australian unit sales. We sold 58,748 units or 14.43% above target.

46% of MILO Champ Squad users remain active over the critical 90 day threshold, well above the industry leader (50% of Fitbit users only last 72 Days) On average, MILO App users are engaged for 6:58 minutes per session compared to their website (1:53 minutes), demonstrating deep engagement (3.7 times more).

Active users of the device have daily steps of 10,725 per day. This is 7.25% above WHO recommended activity, proving that MILO Champ Squad is great for the health of Australian kids, as well as the health of MILO’s brand.