316% increase in brand reach

New Kenji sells sushi rice. Its own website says the microwavable rice cooks in 60 seconds, has no artificial colours or preservatives, and that a 250g pouch makes approximately 12 pieces of sushi. It is aimed at people who love sushi but think making it at home is too difficult or time consuming.

That is a product built around a change of habit. Many people enjoy sushi in restaurants and takeaways, but few attempt it at home, so the first job of the marketing is to make the idea feel easy and appealing. Showing the rice being used, and showing the finished plate, does more than a description ever could, which is why social media, with its mix of images and video, is such a natural home for a brand like this.

Food and drink is a busy place to be noticed. Supermarket shelves, recipe accounts and food brands of every size compete for the same attention in the same feeds, and a new brand has to give people a reason to stop scrolling. A product that makes something feel achievable has a good story, but the story has to be seen by people who are likely to care.

The page's brief describes New Kenji as an ambitious brand with a limited presence online when it came to DPOM, and says people can buy the rice either directly or through a supermarket. The task was to get more people to try it at home.

Facebook and Instagram suited that task for a simple reason: they are where people who enjoy food already spend time looking at it, and their audiences can be shaped around interests such as Asian cuisine and home cooking. This case study is about social media: Facebook and Instagram posts, custom video and ads.