Empower: Maxwell House brews some good

When Kraft Canada put out a national call to nominate community do-gooders as part of its ‘Brew Some Good’ campaign for Maxwell House, it sparked a veritable two-way conversation with consumers, allowing them to interact with the brand from a deeper place.

Maxwell House launched a barebones commercial this spring, saying it was putting the majority of its marketing budget towards charity rather than producing expensive ads. Two more low-budget spots have since rolled out, featuring the first recipients, selected internally, to serve as examples: the Mira Foundation, which provides guide dogs to impaired individuals; and the Regent Park School of Music in Toronto’s inner city.

The spot drove users to ,where they were invited to submit online video nominations of charities in their communities. Consumers have responded with 1,500 nominations thus far. Over the next year, six winners will receive $10,000 in charitable donations to support their causes. Their stories will also appear on the microsite.

‘Any time you can engage [consumers] in dialogue, as opposed to telling them a passive message, you get them more engaged in the brand and living that lifestyle,’ says Erik Yeung, senior product manager at Toronto-based Kraft Canada.

The first judging period closed at the end of May and, at press time, Maxwell House was still tallying nominations for the first winner, which will be announced this month.
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