KOKA debunks unhealthy perception of instant noodles with 'bougie' TikTok campaign

Instant noodle brand KOKA Noodles has unveiled a “#GetBougiewithKOKA” campaign on TikTok, which aims to change consumers' perceptions on instant noodles. Working with five creators on TikTok, KOKA showcases how its range of low-fat purple wheat noodles can be elevated into a well-prepared delectable meal without too much effort and expensive ingredients. Through the campaign, KOKA looks to build brand awareness and create top-of-mind recall for the brand when it comes to healthy instant noodles. The campaign is done in collaboration with social media agency KRDS. 

Muhd Hidayat, client services director at KRDS, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the agency suggested launching the campaign on TikTok as its users are mostly creators on their own and it is a fast-growing platform. KOKA wanted to inspire consumers to create their own version of KOKA noodles through short video content, and TikTok seemed to be the best platform for it. The campaign targeted younger Millennials and Gen Z in Singapore who are generally adventurous and creative and have "a penchant for beautiful things", according to Hidayat.

“People perceive instant noodles as unhealthy and boring, two challenges that we wanted to tackle. KOKA is already well-known for its range of healthier noodles. With this campaign, we see how the use of affordable ingredients and food styling can elevate a simple bowl of noodle into an appealing meal," he added. 

To promote the #GetBougiewithKOKA campaign, marketing efforts were further expanded on both Facebook and Instagram, as well as other digital channels. Hidayat added that impressions and reach as well as video views were the metrics used to determine success for the campaign. 

KOKA's use of TikTok comes at a time where the social media platform is gaining more traction in the advertising industry. In February 2021, fashion brand Pomelo tied up with TikTok to create a 13-piece collection. With the collection, Pomelo looked to raise its brand awareness to new audiences across the region by expanding its marketing visibility and exposure to TikTok’s platform. Pomelo and TikTok also aimed to empower young women to embrace their personal styles with positivity, by expressing themselves in a way that exudes creativity, confidence, and originality. 

Meanwhile, in November 2020, Jollibee launched an interactive storytelling experience that invited TikTok users to star in their own romantic comedy on the social media platform. Titled “#JolliEverAfter”, the campaign tapped into the TikTok challenges format to tell stories. There were nine sub-challenges, each representing a crucial moment in a romantic comedy story arc, which users could use their creativity to fill in the gaps in the story as protagonists in the stories. 

The upward trend of brands utilising TikTok as an advertising platform also sees more media offerings helping brands kickstart their TikTok journeys. Earlier this month, IPG's Mediabrands partnered with TikTok to curate a creator and content accelerator initiative "Creator Collective" for brands. The two companies aim to co-create a series of custom programmes for Mediabrands’ clients that seeks to help them build an authentic presence on TikTok by tapping into the platform's community of creators.

Separately last October, eCommerce platform Shopify also worked with TikTok to enable Shopify's merchants to expand their social commerce presence. With the TikTok channel for Shopify, merchants can leverage on TikTok’s global scale to reach new audiences. Shopify and TikTok will also collaborate to test new commerce features over the coming months that will further empower merchants to expand their paid and organic reach in video and on profiles, according to a press release.

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