The Situation
TOPPS Sarap needed to stay relevant with Filipino families during the pandemic lockdown. The brand’s core audience, moms and kids, was stuck at home with limited activities and limited reasons to engage with a snack brand on social media. TOPPS Sarap‘s Facebook page needed to become a place worth visiting daily, not just a product promotion channel.
The deeper challenge was sustaining engagement over months of lockdown. A single campaign moment would spike and fade. TOPPS Sarap needed a content strategy that gave families reasons to come back repeatedly, participate actively, and share their experiences with other families in the community.
The Approach
Phase 1: Edu-tainment Content for Family Bonding
Built a content strategy that combined education and entertainment. Posts offered practical family bonding tips and relatable examples that households could try during lockdown. The content positioned TOPPS Sarap as the snack that brings families together, not just a product to consume between meals.
Phase 2: ToppsSquad Character Universe on Facebook
Introduced the ToppsSquad Characters on the Facebook page. Each character showcased a unique talent: art, athletics, academics, music, and culinary skills. Every character also represented a distinct TOPPS Sarap flavor. The characters gave kids a set of personalities to follow and moms a framework for encouraging their children’s own talents.
Phase 3: ToppStar Best Sa Bahay Contest With Melai Cantiveros
Launched the ToppStar Best Sa Bahay Contest, inviting children to showcase their talents in acting, singing, dancing, and other activities. Melai Cantiveros, a popular Filipino actress and mother, was brought in to drive participation. The contest averaged 92 entries per challenge and kept the community actively creating and sharing content throughout the lockdown period.
The Results
- 70,957,230 Total engagements on the TOPPS Sarap Facebook page
- 25,160,739 Users reached through social media posts
- 199,623 Facebook community members grown during the campaign
Campaign Highlights:
- Community grew from 197,000 to 199,623 while sustaining massive engagement volume
- 83,827 page visits recorded during the campaign period
- ToppStar Best Sa Bahay Contest averaged 92 entries per challenge
- Melai Cantiveros partnership drove participation from moms and kids across the country
- ToppsSquad Characters connected each TOPPS Sarap flavor to a child’s talent archetype
The Takeaway
A snack brand’s social media page works when it gives families a reason to show up that has nothing to do with the snack. TOPPS Sarap earned 70.9 million engagements because the page was where kids performed, moms cheered, and families bonded. The product was in every post. It was never the point of any of them.
- Industry: F&B, FMCG
- Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
- Solution: For Enterprise
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a snack brand sustain engagement during a months-long lockdown?
By giving families something to do, not just something to eat. TOPPS Sarap‘s ToppStar contest invited kids to showcase their talents, which gave the page a steady stream of user-generated content and kept families coming back to participate and watch other entries. The snack was the context. The activity was the draw.
Why create fictional characters for a snack brand’s Facebook page?
Because characters give kids something to identify with. Each ToppsSquad member represented a talent and a flavor, which turned product selection into a personality choice. Kids who see themselves as the artistic character reach for that flavor. The character universe makes the brand relationship personal rather than transactional.
What makes a talent contest effective for a children’s snack brand?
It turns consumption into participation. A contest that invites kids to sing, dance, or act gives families a shared activity during lockdown. The 92 entries per challenge shows sustained participation, not just initial curiosity. When the contest feels like fun rather than promotion, engagement compounds.
How do you reach 25 million users for an FMCG snack brand on Facebook?
Through content that parents want to share with other parents. Family bonding tips, kid talent showcases, and relatable lockdown content travel organically because moms tag other moms. The reach grew because the content was about their experience, not the brand’s product.
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