[Case Study] Instagram Campaign User-participation initiative surpasses 10,000 posts, driving brand awareness and purchase activation with smart SNS operations

Date: December 26, 2023

Industry: Food and Beverage

Please refrain from directly contacting or soliciting the featured company or its representatives.

Toraku Co., Ltd.

Hello, this is the Orinas Customer Interview Team.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Tanaka from the Product Planning Department, Marketing Group at Toraku Co., Ltd. (honorifics omitted below).

Aiming to expand the reach of long-selling sweets from existing customers to new users, we supported Toraku’s Instagram campaigns and ambassador initiatives.

Interestingly, the trigger for implementing SNS marketing was Toraku’s participation in an Orinas webinar during the COVID-19 period. We have also included the case study we handled. Please take a look.

Official Website: Toraku Co., Ltd.

Official Online Store: Toraku, Rakuten Ichiba

Official Instagram: toraku_kobesweets

Table of Contents

• [With case study] A sense of urgency led to launching Instagram marketing and campaigns
• Sharp increase in user posts
• Instagram campaigns that mobilize fans and case examples
• Conclusion

[With case study] A Sense of Urgency Led to Launching Instagram Marketing and Campaigns

Orinas: Thank you for your time today. To begin, could you briefly introduce your business?

Tanaka: Our products include Kobe Pudding, a classic Kobe souvenir, as well as chilled desserts and items like Rakuraku Whip that let people easily enjoy making sweets at home. Guided by the principles of “more delicious,” “more fun,” and “more casual,” we develop a wide variety of sweets. Our corporate brand message, “A New Relationship with Sweets,” reflects our spirit of continually challenging the possibilities of sweets.

Orinas: When you get off the Shinkansen at Shin-Kobe Station, there is a large sign right on the platform, and in the souvenir area Kobe Pudding is promoted as the top seller.

Tanaka: That is right. The souvenir business is one of our major pillars. We also run businesses for household chilled desserts, whipped cream, gifts, and OEM offerings such as foodservice frozen whipped cream and chilled or shelf-stable puddings.

Orinas: Previously, Orinas supported a campaign centered on Rakuraku Whip. Which products or services would you most like to promote?

Tanaka: Kobe Pudding and Rakuraku Whip.

Orinas: We once shared Kobe Pudding with our team, and it was a big hit. Seeing everyone’s delight, we understood how it has been loved for so long.

Tanaka: Thank you.

Orinas: In your long history with sweets, what challenges had you been feeling around web marketing?

Tanaka: Even before talking about SNS-based marketing, the issue was how to get consumers to recognize our products. For products that already have a certain level of awareness, like Kobe Pudding and Rakuraku Whip, the challenge was how to encourage those who have purchased once to continue as repeat buyers and how to raise purchase rates.

Before we met Orinas two years ago, we had been doing some SNS marketing, but it would be hard to call it fully operational. We were not running ads or plans that properly reached our customer segments, so there was a sense of crisis that “at this rate we will drift away from customers.” Securing tools that could reach target customers at realistic costs became urgent.

Orinas: So the challenge of moving from awareness to repeat purchases led you to focus on SNS marketing. Within the company, did you already see potential in advertising and planning on SNS, especially Instagram?

Tanaka: Around two to three years ago, it was clear that SNS communication was rapidly expanding, and we expected other companies to enter SNS channels as well. That would intensify competition and accelerate information diffusion, so there was an internal consensus that we needed to respond quickly.

Up to 2022, there was also the cookie issue where web ads might not reach targets, so we felt we needed our own cost-effective communication channels. Although late to the game, we started trying to build our own account.

Orinas: What kind of PR were you doing before using SNS?

Tanaka: In stores, we set up POP displays and created materials for end-caps and special tables. Over time, it became difficult to handle the operational load. We also tried coupon promotions several times, recommending similar products based on customer attributes, and so on.

Once we realized that we needed consumers to input product information before they even visited the store, we shifted to SNS-based marketing.

Orinas: Since adopting SNS, do you feel the internal perception of its importance has grown?

Tanaka: Previously, some questioned the effectiveness, but internal attitudes have gradually changed. People now understand how consumers learn about products through media and then visit stores, and how important it is to spark conversation. Among mid-sized companies like ours, I believe we are relatively proactive about SNS.

Sharp Increase in User Posts

Instagram Campaigns that Mobilize Fans and Case Examples

Orinas: What led you to ask Orinas for campaign and ambassador support?

Tanaka: Around 2020, we received invitations to webinars on SNS marketing. Since we could not go out at the time, we wanted to leverage new information related to SNS, which was the trigger.

Among the many webinars we attended, Orinas stood out as a company that truly understood the practical side and proposed appropriate costs with strong cost performance. Many other companies suggested “account operation outsourcing,” but we wanted to focus our energy on specific events. Orinas could support the planning aspect and provide solid insights, so we decided to work with you.

Orinas: Thank you. Over the long term of running campaigns and ambassador programs, what actual effects and results did you see?

Tanaka: As a company, we wanted to quickly grow our own account as a free tool for corporate communication. Including the fan marketing aspect, we also wanted to utilize UGC.

With Orinas, we ran Instagram campaigns around seasonal events like Christmas. As a result, we achieved over 10,000 cumulative UGC posts.

Orinas: That is a wonderful outcome.

Tanaka: Campaigns that encourage customers to post about products are effectively “must-buy” promotions, so they stimulate purchasing. The posted images remain on Instagram, which in turn helps drive repeat purchases.

As a first attempt at fan marketing, we also launched an official ambassador program starting in April. For the initial recruitment, we did not use ads. We selected ten people from among our official account followers and existing fans to serve as ambassadors.

Back when a small in-house team handled posting, we struggled to come up with fresh ideas. Through the ambassador program, we were able to generate new arrangements and uses for Rakuraku Whip. The usage experience itself remained on Instagram as UGC, creating touchpoints to communicate the product’s appeal not only to existing fans but also to people who had never used Rakuraku Whip.

Orinas: We are honored to have helped broaden the fan base. Looking ahead, what do you expect from Orinas? Also, do you have any candid feedback based on the initiatives so far?

Tanaka: We are satisfied with the creative work. During the ambassador program as well, we felt you were thorough with DMs and other communications.

Orinas: Thank you for the kind words.

Tanaka: In terms of future expectations, seeing your work with other companies, simultaneous campaigns on X and Instagram seem interesting, so we would love proposals in that direction.

We also want to invest more in video-centric platforms like TikTok and YouTube. We hope to share information that our existing followers will actively use while also increasing new users, so please propose any good ideas you may have.

Orinas: We are receiving more consultations about video needs, and it is one of our strengths. We would be delighted to propose ideas. We look forward to working together for many years to come.

Conclusion

After the interview, we received a Kobe Pudding gift set. By running SNS campaigns, Toraku achieved both new customer acquisition and an increase in UGC such as user comments. We believe this was made possible by the company’s consistent customer-centric stance when planning campaigns. We will continue working hard to ensure Toraku remains a brand that customers love for many years.

Beyond SNS account operations, Orinas provides solutions tailored to each company’s challenges, including SNS advertising and influencer marketing.

If your company is facing challenges with SNS marketing, please feel free to contact us.

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