Mackeson Case Study | Digital Marketing Agency Trinidad
Mackeson: Always Bold. Always Chocolate. Always the King.
Social Media Campaign Strategy & Brand Positioning
Case Study by Small Potato
Small Potato, a Digital Marketing Agency in Trinidad, partnered with Carib Brewery to evolve the identity of Mackeson Chocolate and extend its cultural relevance far beyond its usual seasonal run. What began as a statement of continued availability became a unified brand world for both variants—Chocolate and Original—anchored in presence, confidence, and assured identity.
This is how Mackeson’s boldness became memory.
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
- Client: Carib Brewery Limited
- Brand: Mackeson Chocolate + Mackeson Original
- Market: Trinidad & Tobago, Ages 21–45
- Platforms: Meta (Instagram + Facebook)
- Campaign Duration: More than four months
- Primary Objective: Reinforce Mackeson’s brand presence and support extended availability of Mackeson Chocolate
- Hero Metric: Engagement Rate
- Category Baseline: Caribbean Beverage Benchmark (1.6%–3.2%)
Campaign Phases
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Phase 1 — “Still Chocolate.” Reintroduce extended availability with a quiet, confident announcement.
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Phase 2 — “Always Bold. Always Chocolate.” Strengthen identity and expand message presence.
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Phase 3 — “Always Smooth. Always the King.” Reunify the portfolio by positioning Original as the anchor.
THE COMMERCIAL CHALLENGE
The goal was to restore momentum after the usual early-year drop. The campaign later delivered a 75% lift in Chocolate sales and a 33% lift for the total Mackeson brand.
For years, consumers treated Mackeson Chocolate as a seasonal product. Once Christmas ended, demand collapsed because most people assumed stock was gone. Availability continued into the new year, but awareness didn’t.
This created a clear challenge:
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Sustain interest outside the Christmas window
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Rebuild visibility without price promotions
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Reinforce the brand’s identity while educating consumers that Chocolate was still available
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Protect Original’s place in the portfolio while boosting the newer variant
The task was to shift Mackeson Chocolate from a seasonal treat to a year-round preference, then integrate both variants into a single brand world without diluting either one.
The campaign needed to solve a behaviour problem, not a product problem. Mackeson didn’t need reinvention. It needed presence, clarity, and confidence.
AGENCY ROLE
Small Potato led:
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Cultural positioning
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Messaging architecture
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Creative direction
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On-image copy strategy
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Campaign rollout sequencing
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Brand identity alignment across both variants
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Performance optimization based on live campaign signals
The goal was to sharpen identity—not rebuild it.
To hold Mackeson at the center of the stout conversation with quiet authority.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT
Caribbean consumers respond to confidence more than noise. Chocolate already had loyalty. The gap was awareness, not affinity.
Two insights shaped the work:
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Presence signals availability. A quiet, repeated message performs better than loud reinvention.
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Identity drives preference. If Chocolate felt like part of the consumer’s lifestyle rather than a seasonal treat, demand would extend naturally through the year.
The solution was a disciplined message system built around presence, boldness, and identity—mirrored across both variants.
MESSAGING STRATEGY & CULTURAL POSITIONING
Creative Tone
In Trinidad, boldness is not loud.
Boldness is presence.
It’s the confidence of showing up already sure of yourself.
This principle shaped the message system:
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Quiet, assured tone
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Clear declarative statements
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Repetition of high-memory phrases
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No overtalking
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No slogan stacking
The messaging sequence followed a disciplined arc:
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“Still Chocolate” signaled continued availability
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“Always Bold. Always Chocolate.” reinforced identity and confidence
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“Always Smooth. Always the King.” kept Original as the portfolio anchor
Caribbean audiences gravitate toward grounded, assured tones. The campaign tapped into this cultural truth to elevate the brand without theatrics.
Variant Roles & Core Messaging
Mackeson Dark Chocolate
Brand Role: Bold Expression
Mackeson Original
Brand Role: King standard
CAMPAIGN CREATIVE DIRECTION
The Bold Expression
Mackeson Chocolate doesn’t shout.
It arrives.
Boldness isn’t performance.
It’s presence.
This is the moment you show up,
already sure of yourself.
Still here.
Still bold.
Still Chocolate.
The King Standard
Mackeson Original was not replaced.
It remained the center.
Where Chocolate expresses boldness,
Original holds assurance.
The presence that does not need to speak.
The standard that does not move.
Always Smooth. Always the King.
No clutter.
No slogans layered over slogans.
Just presence, expressed visually and tonally.
This is message discipline — repeated with intent until it becomes brand identity.
Results (Hero Metric: Engagement Rate)
Engagement Rate Outperformed Category Standards
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Internal Caribbean Category Benchmark: 1.6% – 3.2%
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Campaign Engagement Rate: 7.34% → More than 2× stronger than the category norm
Additional Performance Outcomes
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Reach: 577,438
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Impressions: 1,759,162
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Total Engagements: 125,113
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Cost Per Engagement (CPE): $0.00079 USD
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Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM): $0.58 USD
Impact Signals
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Message recall strengthened. Audiences repeated campaign lines in comments, showing the language stuck.
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Identity alignment deepened. The tone matched how consumers see themselves, especially for Chocolate.
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Behavior shifted. Engagement patterns showed people treated Mackeson as part of their routine again, not a seasonal product.
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Demand sustained without hype. Interaction stayed stable across four months, signalling real interest rather than short-term novelty.
These signals confirmed that the campaign rebuilt presence, strengthened identity, and prepared the ground for the commercial lift that followed.
Performance Strengths
- Sustained reach across four months with no drop in audience attention.
- Exceptional efficiency, delivering engagement at $0.00079 per action.
- Low CPM at $0.58, allowing the campaign to scale reach under a lean spend.
- Engagement rate of 7.34 percent, outperforming internal Caribbean norms by more than two times.
- Organic comments frequently repeated core lines, showing strong message recall.
These patterns showed that the message held interest, built memory, and supported the renewed sales momentum across both variants.
Commercial Impact
Sales data supplied directly by Carib Brewery Limited.
Mackeson saw clear commercial lift during the campaign period.
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Chocolate variant sales increased 75% between March and August.
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Total Mackeson brand sales grew 33% over the same period.
Consumers began seeking the product outside the usual Christmas window once availability was clear. The campaign reversed the early-year decline and strengthened sales for both variants without discounts.
The work restored demand and created real momentum across the portfolio.
Boldness became identity, not flavor.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
Brand Identity Reinforcement & Market Response
The campaign reframed how consumers experienced the portfolio:
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Mackeson Chocolate shifted from a “seasonal treat” to a year-round preference.
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The brand became associated with confidence and identity, not fleeting novelty.
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Where competitors remained loud, Mackeson held steady.
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In a crowded stout category, Mackeson reclaimed its center — quietly, confidently.
That is power.
What This Means for Caribbean Brand Marketing
- Message consistency outperforms message volume.
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Cultural nuance is a strategic advantage in Caribbean markets.
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Quiet confidence resonates more than hype.
The work proved that cultural insight produces real commercial movement. Mackeson gained year-round relevance and measurable increases in both variant and total brand sales.
Credits
Agency: Small Potato Marketing Ltd. — Trinidad and Tobago
Creative Direction and Strategy : Brent Mollineau & Dale De Mille
Design and Final Asset Production: Dale De Mille
Photography: Russel Dos Santos
Client Partner: Joseph Nivet, Brand Manager, Stouts & Caribé, Carib Brewery Limited
Let’s Build Your Next Chapter
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