Knorr Soupy Noodles: Testing the fun quotient

With the on-ground activity, 'Khao Peeyo Khelo Championship', HUL plans to target children in classes 1 - 6, from SEC A and B.

Global FMCG major, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has tied up with Mumbai-based Krayons Events to conduct a school contact programme for its noodles brand, Knorr Soupy Noodles.

Part of Edumedia, which specialises in school contact programmes, Krayons Events has conceptualised the activity, 'Khao Peeyo Khelo Championship', to engage students in 1,700 schools, across 20 cities in India. The company plans to target children in classes 1 - 6, from SEC A and B.

Commenting on how the activity was conceptualised, Tanish Bhatia, manager, events, Edumedia says, "Our idea is to promote the product as a fun-filled, healthy snack." The whole idea developed from the fact that the lives of kids today revolve around junk food and video games.

To drive home the point of a healthy fun-filled snack, Krayons has devised various games, which will test the physical strength and intelligence of kids. The winners will be awarded gifts and educational scholarships.

Although kids are the primary audience, part of the activity also targets mothers. In a challenge called 'Complete the Story', mothers will have to complete a story, based on a given outline. The story with the most interesting ending will win prizes.

The activity will be conducted from February 01 to February 15. To successfully complete it before the exams, Krayons has deployed 40 teams of 20 people across various cities, which will work simultaneously.

The cities where the competition will be held are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Agra, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Cochin, Guwahati, Indore, Lucknow, Madurai, Pune, Siliguri and Vishakhapatnam.

HUL entered the noodles category about a year ago with its brand Knorr Soupy Noodles. The product was initially introduced in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and was later launched in other states in a phased manner.

The company also sells soup under the brand name Knorr Soup. A leader in the category, Knorr Soup enjoys a 70 per cent market share, followed by Maggi Healthy Soups. However, that is not the case in the noodles category. Here, HUL competes with the Nestlé's heritage brand, Maggi, which is the market leader.