How can businesses learn from Kevin the Carrot?

Why do we all love Kevin the Carrot?

Kevin, his wife and baby Chantenays consistently rank among the highest-rated Christmas adverts of the year. The fun-filled adventures and heartwarming storytelling appeals to the masses, placing mouthwatering food at the centre of the table to remind viewers of Aldi’s finest produce. The adverts prove a favourite each year portraying a traditional family Christmas, aiming to appeal to Aldi’s primary target audience of families.

Kevin the Carrot provided a mammoth marketing opportunity for Aldi. Customers can now buy plush toys of Kevin and his entire family, as well as Kevin pyjamas, decorations, wrapping paper, mugs and a picture book. The food retailer has even had to put a two quantity limit on the range to ensure all customers have a fair chance of bagging a Kevin this Christmas.

What can your business learn from Kevin the Carrot?

As Kevin enters his fifth year of adventure, the question is: is the idea still effective or has it become stagnant? The research conducted by the creators of Kevin the Carrot shows that the idea is still proving popular with audiences. The plush characters and merchandise sold in Aldi supermarkets sell out incredibly quickly, showing that the stories are still loved by families.

Learn 1: Sometimes new isn’t always better

According to The Drum, the creators of Kevin the Carrot – creatives at McCann – admit they are never sure whether to bring Kevin back or not. There is pressure not knowing whether to end the series on a high or continue to top the effort made the year before. As the adverts continue to perform well year-on-year, the creators are reluctant to say goodbye to Kevin just yet and continue to create something just as great the following festive season.

Learn 2: Understand your audience through research

The key to remaining relevant to your audience and producing quality results is to do the research. Understanding audience behaviours and what they want to see from your brand will help you learn where you can provide value in the customer journey. Using customer feedback and data gathered from social media, social listening and salespeople will make you aware of the challenges your customers are facing and how you can support them effectively.

Learn 3: Solve your audience needs with relevant content

Understanding your customers will help you create campaigns that mean something to your audience; they have a purpose and solve a need. You may need to update your buyer personas to ensure you’re consistently appealing to the right audience. As your audience grows and their behaviours adapt, your marketing efforts should evolve in line with them. This will ensure your business delivers relevant content offers that are valued by those who need it the most, your audience.

The creators of Kevin the Carrot described having many Christmas campaign ideas ready to go in 2020, some involving Kevin and some not. When Covid-19 struck, the creators wanted to bring something familiar to their audience – a character they know is well-loved by many and will bring smiles to audiences’ faces in a time when it’s needed the most. It’s unknown whether Kevin the Carrot will continue into 2021 or if this year’s advert saw him happily return home for Christmas for the last time.