Target Market and Lapsed Users: Yakult Philippines

Recently, we've been seeing Yakult's TV commercial (TVC) on local TV networks. This TVC revolves around the digital trend #ThrowBackThursday or #TBT--and we see fit women in their mid to late 20s reminiscing about their childhood days while enjoying Yakult.

There are a few things which I would like to point out in this post:

Yakult's material is clearly trying to reach out to its now adult target market--those that used to drink Yakult as a kid. In fact, it's trying to attract its lapsed users. Personally, I am a lapsed user of Yakult and although this commercial aired for some time, it did not generate that warranted interest for me to return to the brand. And that's where I think Yakult fell short for this campaign. Obviously, it was intended to be a tactical campaign to drive sales from lapsed users. However, its communication failed to give me that compelling reason to become a user once again. Let's dissect the elements in their material:

• Fitness
• Facebook
• Hashtag ("TBT", "ThrowBackThursday")

True enough, these elements are all relevant to the target market--but not enough to compel. They did communicate how Yakult is good for digestion, but it ends just there. This reason-to-believe would work for non Yakult users, but what about lapsed users? In targeting lapsed users, marketers should be able to address the main reasons why users switched.

In this case, is it simply just a matter of "I forgot how important Yakult is, therefore, I should drink Yakult once again" as what the campaign communicates?--I doubt it. Possibly, there are other factors that have not been considered. Say, the growing importance of wheat grass drinks, tea drinks, supplements, yogurts, and more. In the strictest sense, Yakult barely has direct competitors at present. I don't have the data to back it up, but my best guess is that Yakult has lost relevance to the market as people have forgotten the importance of good digestion which can be acquired from the Lactobacilli in Yakult. And if that's the case, one way of attacking this is by consumer education (tactical, but that would be a costly campaign). Another way would be by a thematic campaign--however, thematic campaigns should be one that connects the brand with a succinct theme. And so far, I think Yakult has to be clear on what it means to its target market.

Any other thoughts, anyone? :)

(Apologies for the late post. This was saved in my drafts for some time and I only managed to publish it right now.)