Nestle Maggi’s comeback campaign

2015 has been a nightmare for one of the India’s most popular brand of noodles from Nestle. The horror began when Maggi was banned and asked to withdraw all its variants following a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) order that accused the instant noodles of having lead and monosodium glutamate above permissible limits.

Although Nestle had moved the High Court saying that the MSG is from naturally occurring sources and that lead was well within the permissible limit, tons of noodle packets were recalled from all parts of the country. In the quarter ending June, Maggi reported its first quarterly loss in at least 17 years.After two months the ban was set aside by the court but it asked Maggi to undergo a retest at labs certified by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration. Maggi was given 6-weeks to prove it is safe for human consumption.

All throughout the ban when Maggi was striving hard to be back on shelves, the instant noodles brand never closed the doors of communication with its consumers.  Maggi has been systematically rolling out films in each phase of its ban status. The noodle brand was trying its best with a series of storytelling videos that were a tribute in emotional tones. It has also ensured to address varied consumer segments in its video series – young boys and girls living in hostels, bachelor pads to the Indian moms who’ve been making Maggi for their kids ever since it’s been there. Nestle India had rolled out a series of short films hashtagged #WeMissYouToo when it waited for the test results. Dedicated to all the fans who supported and stood by the brand, there was a Maggi fanboy/fangirl in each of the videos, who badly missed their favorite noodle. They are seen making a plea to Maggi, as if it were their long lost friend. A guy absolutely depressed with having to order from restaurants, ever since Maggi isn’t on shelves, a girl and her boyfriend have begun to have fights as to who will cook now, with  Maggi no more in the picture are some of them.

After its newly manufactured stocks were also cleared by NABL accredited laboratories, the brand launched a new video series featuring mothers. These mothers share about their journey with Brand Maggi over the years and how the instant noodles that was their rescue food once, also safe for their children, then became a cause for concern after the ban. The films end with the mothers talking about Maggi clearing the test, and proving their earlier conviction about Maggi was always right. One mother considers it as her victory and the other mother is happy that she has always been right.

Stories do have the power to move you but the world is also filled with fake stories. You never know which ones to be moved by and which ones to move away from. Maggi has tried its best to ‘be real’ though when the news about the MSG and lead created a scary buzz, the brand was only giving away standard responses to those who expressed their concern on social media.