1. The Starting Point

Berner wanted to strengthen consumers’ perception of Kikkoman soy sauce as a versatile seasoning suitable for almost any everyday dish. While Kikkoman soy sauce is widely recognized in the context of Asian cuisine, the goal was to show how it can also enhance a variety of everyday meals and even be used in baking, where it was relatively unknown as an ingredient.

Additionally, we wanted to highlight how soy sauce serves as an excellent salt alternative. We also aimed to raise awareness of Kikkoman’s other sauce offerings, as their recognition was limited.

Otavamedia’s Media Sales and Native Advertising teams worked with Berner to design a multichannel solution that could effectively achieve these objectives.

2. The Solution

The optimal channel solution was found in Kotiliesi.fi, where food inspiration and recipes were a perfect fit. We also chose to collaborate with relatable food influencers who inspire consumers to experiment with Kikkoman sauces in new and creative ways. The campaign, built around these influencers, reached a broad audience across multiple channels, leveraging web content, social media, and print. As a result, Kikkoman’s soy sauce, ponzu, and teriyaki sauces were introduced to consumers’ kitchens. This campaign lasted for one year, and the collaboration has continued for several years.

One of the key influencers was Vappu Pimiä, a beloved figure known for her natural approach to both everyday and celebratory cooking. Over the years, other notable influencers have been part of the collaboration, including Sami Kuronen, Jenni Häyrinen, Teemu Laurell, Saara Atula, Irina Lisinen (Kotiliesi.fi’s own blogger Suklaapossu), and many others.

The campaign included the following components:

• Native articles on Kotiliesi.fi, featuring enticing recipes (such as Vappu’s salmon dish, grilled meatballs, and salmon with Brussels sprouts for everyday meals)
• Influencer partnerships, with prominent figures like Finland’s top baking blog Suklaapossu, Vappu Pimiä, Jenni Häyrinen, Saara Atula, Sami Kuronen, and Teemu Laurell
• Strong visibility across influencers’ social media channels
• Featured placements in Kotiliesi’s newsletters and social media posts
• Advertorials in print in Kotiliesi and Anna magazines

See below for example images showcasing the campaign’s visibility. Click the image to view it larger.

3. The Results

The Kikkoman campaign was a great success. The content was diverse and encouraged readers to cook. The campaign’s reach numbers were exceptional, and the recipes continue to live on. This means we succeeded in finding the right mix of influencers who created inspiring recipes that truly resonated with the target audience.

Commercial Producer Satu Laksola from Otavamedia commented on the campaign: “The Kikkoman campaign has been a long-term collaboration that has successfully activated consumers to cook. The success of Kikkoman’s campaign was driven by the variety of food influencers and recipes. Influencers with different styles, as well as the popular recipes from Vappu’s kitchen, were featured. The approachable content and the audience’s engagement gave the campaign its final touch.”