Situation: Subway faces the challenge of engaging its core demographic of 16-34-year-olds in Sweden's competitive fast-food market dominated by digital channels. The main compeititors have much larger offline budget, so here Subway are not able to compete for SOV in the same way and instead need to find ways to reach the audiences and engage them in a smart way in order to reach the objectives. Following our insights, which will be explained further down in the case, shows that gaming is an innovative way to reach the target audience.

Brief: To penetrate the gaming segment and establish Subway as an integral part of the gaming community.

Objectives: Boost brand recognition, increase brand love by +20%, and raise brand awareness by +10% among Subway's core audience and a secondary goal of reaching 1 000 000 contacts.

Subway's creative idea revolves around the Suberior League campaign, which includes various activations such as e-sports tournaments, branded maps, influencers, competitions, live broadcasting and an offline event (the final). There is something for everyone and everyone can participate, no matter skill level, time spent or if they rather watch live broadcastings instead of as a player.

The creative insight of aligning with the gaming community directly influences the amplification of Subway's brand message by integrating Subway seamlessly into the gaming experience, enhancing it for players and making the gaming experience more fun for all participants, across all the different activations.

Audience Insights:

Acknowledging that 80% of Subway's primary demographic consists of gamers, with a high prevalence of ad-blockers and low ad attention, and a substantial part of the segment actively participating in gaming and/or live streams. Counter-Strike is one of the largest games for the Swedish gaming audience, hence why this was selected as the main game for the campaign. Subway's focus is on enriching the gaming experience rather than disrupting it to really reach and engage the audience.

Community Building and Management Approach:

Through strategic partnerships and multi-faceted activations like the Suberior League, Subway creates a sense of community among gamers, positioning itself as a brand that understands and caters to their interests with unique and immersive gaming experiences.

The production process aimed to seamlessly integrate Subway into the gaming community, with ambitions to establish Subway as a prominent brand in the gaming landscape. Challenges included navigating the preferences of an ad-blocker-savvy demographic and ensuring authenticity in brand interactions.

Despite these challenges, the ambition was to boost brand recognition and increase brand love among the core audience. Additionally, the campaign aimed to create a sense of community and positive interaction within the gaming world. Focus was to not only reward top level players but "everyone" that particpated in the different activations and formats. Through innovative activations and strategic execution, Subway sought to overcome these challenges and position itself within gaming marketing, setting new standards for brand engagement.

The Suberior League campaign delivered impactful results across various metrics. With a remarkable +35% increase in brand love and +13% rise in brand awareness among Subway's core gaming audience, the campaign surpassed its main objectives. Reaching over 3,800,000 contacts, it surpassed expectations of all primary and secondary goals. Players spent 600,600 minutes gaming with Subway, equivalent to over 1 year time spent, showcasing great results in player engagement.

The campaign achieved significant engagement and reach, both nationally and globally, through news sites, social media, and podcasts which amplified the campaign's reach and generated sparking conversations. This global perspective underscores the campaign's resonance beyond borders, signalling its potential to establish Subway as a leading brand in gaming communities worldwide.

Additionally, participants overwhelmingly rated the quality of experience positively, with only 2% expressing dissatisfaction, reinforcing Subway's seamless integration into gaming and solidifying its position as a preferred choice among gamers.