This campaign didn’t follow a traditional planning approach; we didn’t have the luxury of time or money. In fact, there was no client brief, just a unique and terrifying set of circumstances facing SPC. With cheap imports flooding the market this beloved brand was under threat. Thousands of jobs were at risk and even the Australian Prime Minister refused help. Among all the political debate, one woman stood out. Linda Drummond posted the #SPCSunday hashtag, encouraging friends to eat SPC in support.

We immediately recognized its potential to capture the nation’s imagination. We connected Linda with PR to grow #SPCSunday’s presence in the media, activated the hashtag with an emotive brand message and began orchestrating the conversation that led to a growth in sales, wide-spread conversation and media attention and most importantly the saving of SPC as a business.

Our social media response team spent 96 hours engaging passionate Australians, celebrities, prominent retailers and galvanising the nation with real-time interactions that touched a patriotic nerve. Sales boomed as families around the country embraced #SPCSunday, prompting a $22 million Government rescue package. Within a week an iconic brand was saved.

This is a demonstration of adaptive planning in action and the impact it had on Australians, the market, retailers, big business and Government. SPC Sunday leveraged a key insight about the people that matter to the SPC brand and a vital cultural tension that played a breakthrough role in saving SPC.