The Situation
Woolworths, the established Australian retail brand, had expanded into the Philippine market through grocery products available at Shopwise, The Marketplace, and Robinson’s Supermarket. The products were on shelves, but Filipino shoppers had no reason to pick them up. Woolworths had zero brand recognition in a market where grocery loyalty runs deep and imported brands compete against decades of local familiarity.
Christmas was the opportunity. Filipino families spend more on food during the holiday season than any other time of year, and Noche Buena (Christmas Eve dinner) is the biggest meal on the calendar. If Woolworths could enter the Noche Buena conversation through trusted voices, the brand could earn trial during the one window when Filipino shoppers are most open to trying something new.
The Approach
Phase 1: Influencer Selection by Retail Channel & Demographic
Selected 11 influencers matched to Woolworths’ retail channel strategy: mass-market creators aligned with Shopwise for broader reach, and premium lifestyle creators aligned with The Marketplace for upper-income audiences. Each influencer was chosen for their credibility with the specific shopper demographic that visited their assigned supermarket chain.
Phase 2: Product Seeding & Recipe Content Creation
Sent Woolworths product kits to all 11 influencers for hands-on trial. Creators produced recipe content, “What I Eat in a Day” vlogs, and Noche Buena meal plans under PHP 1,000. Chef Tatung, Erwan Heussaff’s FEATR, and Haidee Quing headlined the campaign with content that showcased Woolworths ingredients in Filipino Christmas cooking contexts.
Phase 3: Christmas Season Content Distribution
Timed the influencer content rollout to the Philippine Christmas season under the “Aus-some Christmas with Woolworths!” campaign. The content hit feeds when Filipino families were actively planning their holiday meals and shopping for ingredients, maximizing the chance that Woolworths products would enter the consideration set during actual grocery runs.
The Results
- 843,137 Total impressions from the influencer campaign
- 272,856 Interactions across all influencer content
- 615,910 Total reach from the 11-influencer campaign
Campaign Highlights:
- Chef Tatung, FEATR (Erwan Heussaff), and Haidee Quing headlined the 11-influencer roster
- Content formats included recipes, meal plan vlogs, and Noche Buena menus under PHP 1,000
- Influencer selection matched to specific retail channels: Shopwise, The Marketplace, Robinson’s
- Product seeding gave every influencer hands-on experience with Woolworths ingredients before posting
- Campaign timed to the Philippine Christmas season when grocery spending peaks
The Takeaway
An unknown grocery brand enters a Filipino kitchen through a recipe, not a product listing. Woolworths earned 843,000 impressions because 11 creators showed their audience what to cook with the product, not just what the product is. The recipe is the trial. The shelf is just where they find it after.
- Industry: FMCG, F&B
- Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
- Solution: For International Brands Entering PH
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an unknown grocery brand break into the Philippine market during Christmas?
Through influencers who already cook for the same audience. Filipino Christmas meal planning starts on social media, where families look for recipe inspiration and budget-friendly menus. When Chef Tatung uses Woolworths ingredients in a Noche Buena recipe, the product enters the shopping list through a voice the audience already trusts.
Why match influencers to specific supermarket chains?
Because each chain serves a different shopper demographic. Shopwise reaches mass-market families. The Marketplace serves upper-income households. An influencer matched to Shopwise speaks to the budget-conscious shopper who needs a PHP 1,000 Noche Buena plan. An influencer matched to The Marketplace speaks to the quality-focused buyer. The same product needs different voices for different channels.
Why use product seeding instead of scripted endorsements for a food brand?
Because food content only works when the creator actually cooks with the product. Sending Woolworths ingredients to influencers and letting them create their own recipes produces content that feels authentic. A scripted endorsement of a grocery product gets scrolled past. A real recipe gets saved and shared.
What makes the Philippine Christmas season uniquely valuable for a grocery market entry?
Filipinos celebrate the world’s longest Christmas season, and Noche Buena is the single biggest meal of the year. Families buy ingredients they wouldn’t normally try because the occasion justifies the experiment. An imported brand that enters the conversation during this window earns trial that the rest of the year rarely offers.
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