South Africa may have one of the lowest maths literacy rates in the world, but it’s up there when it comes to tech literacy – the market boasts 86% mobile penetration. Using the latter to boost the former seemed a good opportunity – and laundry brand OMO, with a stated purpose of unlocking human potential – was in a good place to make it happen.
Case study summary
• FMCG brand creates maths app as part of corporate social responsibility drive in South Africa
• App integrates Unilever mascots and rewards use with brand prizes and leaderboard
• 10,000 users sign up for Unilever deals as a direct result of the app
The challenge
OMO wanted a campaign that could produce genuine social good. The Unilever laundry brand worked with agency Liquorice to use technology to increase maths literacy in South Africa.
The solution
Omo Fast Kids Maths is an interactive online learning platform suitable for mobile phones, tablet devices and desktop browsers.
It caters for kids aged 7 to 18, engaging our young users by offering real world rewards like Paddle Pop Ice Creams and Hungry Lion vouchers for completed tasks.
Once certain milestones are achieved, further discounts on Unilever products are unlocked, ensuring parents encourage their little ones to keep learning.
A leader board gives the kids a sense of their ranking within the wider Fast Kids community – encouraging continued competitive engagement.
The initiative forms part of Unilever’s drive to promote child development through their Omo brand and in so doing, expose South Africa’s youth to the foundation of mathematics including number bonds, time tables and general arithmetic.
The results
To date, over 17,500 kids have enhanced their maths skills and the OMO Fast Kids Maths community continues to grow, with an average of over 150 new sign-ups every day.
The app has also driven sales to the wider Unilever product range, with just under 10,000 users signing up for Unilever deals as a direct result of the app.
Andrew Mysell, Omo Marketing Manager said, “In my interaction with the children, the enthusiasm to learn was apparent. Pupils were not only receptive towards Fast Kids Maths – they grew more confident of their abilities as they progressed through the various exercises and levels of arithmetic. The tendency to shy away from maths needs to be won over by presenting lessons in a manner that is interactive, fun and effective for the pupil.”
Mrs Ntombeziningi Hlongwane, a maths teacher at Sifunimfundo Primary School, said: “I typically teach classes of 46 students at a time, making it very difficult for me to provide individual attention to any one child. This results in some children lagging behind others in the teaching process. This is where parents need to become more involved after hours to help improve their children’s competency levels.”
