Snickers Bases Coupon Value on Social 'Hanger'

Mars Inc.'s Snickers brand this month launched a holiday marketing campaign that uses social media monitoring to determine the value of a coupon offer at 7-Eleven.  

Working under the candy brand's long-running "You're Not You When You're Hungry" umbrella campaign, the effort uses an algorithm to track social media posts in real time to determine the Internet's level of "hanger," or hunger-driven anger. The "Hungerithm" compares social chatter against a list of 3,000 commonly used words and phrases, including slang and sarcasm, according to a release announcing the campaign.

Rising levels of "hanger" boost the value of a coupon redeemable at 7-Eleven. Consumers visit a dedicated Hungerithm.com website to lock in a price and download the coupon. The campaign runs Nov. 16 to Dec. 22.

"Sometimes you say stuff online you don't mean in a moment of hunger," said Michael Italia, Snickers' senior brand manager. "We've all witnessed this type of behavior from friends and family in our newsfeeds. Now Snickers can help satisfy in real time." 

The "Hungerithm" campaign was developed by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and originally piloted in Australia to critical acclaim and business success, Mars said.