CASE STUDY: Using social media to build StarHub's broadband

Background
Presenting StarHub’s broadband service as an exciting property in a competitive market presented a challenge. Using social media as the main platform seemed like a good place to start, but if it was going to work, it would have to be used in a genuinely interesting way - not simply as a gimmick.

Aim
The aim was straightforward: get people talking about StarHub Broadband and raise the brand’s profile as ‘the fastest broadband’ in Singapore. Working in partnership with DDB Singapore, StarHub set out to position the service as exciting, engaging and interactive for the city’s online mavens.

The idea was to track down and win over the key opinion leaders and online activists, a group that often proved elusive. But if approached correctly, they would be able to take StarHub Broadband to the masses. Buying them from a database was not feasible; this group required creative engagement.

Execution
Cue the launch of the ‘Great Singapore treasure hunt’ on Facebook – the target group’s preferred online playground. In theory, what took place online would spread offline. A new challenge, along with clues, appeared on Facebook every day. Participants were called upon to solve riddles online with the help of tools such as Google, Flickr, YouTube and Windows Live Messenger; having done that, they were ready to take to the streets and hunt for the ‘treasure’. The benefits of faster broadband soon became apparent to those taking part in the challenge, since the sooner they were able to complete the online tasks, the sooner they were likely to track down the prizes, which included a cheque for S$10,000, (US$7,100). However, while every part of the treasure hunt was executed in the name of speed, the identity of StarHub was withheld until the end of the initiative.

Results
The campaign resulted in Singapore’s largest Facebook fan group, amassing over 25,000 fans in a three-week period. The unbranded page generated 500,000 views, 340 consumer-generated films, and 1,000 comment postings within 15 minutes of each hunt; 800 people participated in the finale to win the grand prize.

Credits
Project: The Great Singapore Treasure Hunt
Client : StarHub Ltd
Product : StarHub MaxOnline/MaxMobile
Creative agency: DDB Group Singapore
People: Neil Johnson, Joji Jacob, Rowena Bhagchandhani, Valli L, Lester Lee, Vinod Savio, Bernard Lee, Gurmit Singh, Ivan Cheong, Alfred Lim, Tobing Lanata, Eugene Boey
Duration: 26 August - 26 September 2009
Exposure: Online and on-ground Activation