From FMCG giants to high-growth startups, Pakistani brands have shipped world-class marketing: emotional storytelling in Ramadan, cricket sponsorships, viral TikTok challenges, and data-driven mega sales. This deep dive curates the most successful marketing case studies in Pakistan, breaks down strategies and channels, and extracts actionable lessons for marketers, founders, and agencies.
Why Pakistan’s marketing landscape is unique
Pakistan is a young, mobile-first market where culture, community, and value intersect. Brands that win here blend local insight with modern channels.
- Mobile-first digital behavior: High smartphone usage drives discovery on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. WhatsApp fuels commerce and customer support.
- Trust and convenience: Cash on Delivery (COD), agent networks, and clear return policies reduce friction for first-time online shoppers.
- Culture moments: Ramadan, Eid, PSL (cricket), wedding season, and 14th August drive seasonal spikes in demand and engagement.
- Language and tone: Urdu, Roman Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, and Sindhi resonate. Humor, empathy, and family-centric messages perform well.
- Hybrid media: TV and OOH amplify reach; digital converts and sustains communities.
How we selected these case studies
We prioritized campaigns that demonstrate measurable impact, repeatable tactics, and cultural relevance:
- Clear objectives and brand problem-solution fit
- Distinctive creative or channel innovation
- Integrated media and smart measurement
- Evidence of growth in reach, engagement, or revenue
- Transferable lessons for other categories
Top successful marketing case studies in Pakistan
1) Coca‑Cola Pakistan — Coke Studio: Content marketing that became culture
Content Marketing
Brand Building
Brand affinity
Overview: Launched in Pakistan in 2008, Coke Studio fused folk and contemporary music in long-form audio-video content distributed across TV and digital. It evolved into a global content export with massive organic reach.
Objective: Deepen brand love and youth relevance without relying solely on price or promotions.
Strategy and channels:
- Ownable IP and series format to build anticipation every season
- YouTube premieres, TV syndication, and social teasers for full‑funnel reach
- Collabs with emerging and legendary artists for cross‑audience pull
- Consistent audio cues and visual identity as distinctive brand assets
Results (indicative): Massive YouTube viewership, high share of voice during season drops, and long-term uplift in brand love and cultural association.
What you can learn: Build a content property, not one‑off ads. Invest in repeatable IP, distribution, and sonic/visual assets for compounding returns.
2) HBL — Pakistan Super League title sponsorship: Owning the biggest stage
Sponsorship
Sports Marketing
Top-of-mind awareness
Overview: HBL’s title sponsorship of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cemented the bank’s association with national passion—cricket.
Objective: Increase brand salience, modernize perception, and drive product adoption through event-driven activations.
Strategy and channels:
- 360° activation: stadium branding, TV, social content, and co‑branded assets
- On‑ground experiences and meet‑and‑greets for earned social
- Product tie‑ins (debit cards, app features) during PSL windows
Results (indicative): High visibility during PSL seasons and stronger brand association with youth, excitement, and innovation.
Lesson: Sponsorship must be activated across touchpoints. Tie major cultural moments to product use cases to convert awareness into action.
3) Daraz — 11.11 Mega Sale: Live commerce and gamified performance marketing
E‑commerce
Performance
GMV uplift
Overview: Daraz brought Alibaba’s 11.11 model to Pakistan, turning Singles’ Day into the country’s largest online shopping festival.
Objective: Acquire users, drive app installs, and scale GMV via time‑bound promotions.
Strategy and channels:
- App‑first funnel: push notifications, in‑app vouchers, and wallet incentives
- Live streams (Daraz Live), influencer unboxings, and countdowns to build urgency
- Seller enablement: creative toolkits and sponsored slots to improve conversion
- Cross‑channel retargeting: Facebook, Google, and affiliates
Results (indicative): Record order volumes for the platform with strong repeat purchase behavior post‑event.
Lesson: Engineer a retail “moment” with scarcity and entertainment. Optimize for app stickiness, not only one‑day sales.
4) Shan Foods — Diaspora storytelling: Recipes that bridge cultures
FMCG
Storytelling
Global reach
Overview: Shan’s emotionally resonant ads around family, migration, and food made recipe mixes a symbol of home for Pakistanis worldwide.
Objective: Build preference in a competitive category by owning the emotional territory of togetherness.
Strategy and channels:
- Long‑form films distributed on YouTube and Facebook
- Localization for diaspora markets; subtitles for shareability
- Recipe content and influencer collaborations
Results (indicative): High organic shares, strong brand recall, and strengthened export market positioning.
Lesson: Food is culture. Emotional narratives plus utility (recipes) drive both brand love and category growth.
5) Surf Excel — Ramadan “goodness” platform: Purpose with consistency
Purpose Marketing
TV + Digital
Ad recall
Overview: Surf Excel’s annual Ramadan ads champion kindness and community, anchored in a consistent brand platform.
Objective: Drive salience in a cluttered FMCG space and align with Ramadan values.
Strategy and channels:
- Memorable kids‑led storytelling with a clear brand role
- TV for mass reach; digital for wider conversation and replays
- Retail tie‑ins and seasonal POS for conversion
Results (indicative): Strong ad memorability each Ramadan and sustained brand associations.
Lesson: Own a seasonal narrative and show up every year with fresh creative—consistency compounds.
6) Khaadi — Omnichannel fashion: Drops, design, and data
Fashion Retail
Omnichannel
Footfall + online sales
Overview: Khaadi turned design and store experience into content, pairing high‑impact visuals with e‑commerce and social selling.
Objective: Scale nationwide while maintaining a distinct design voice and premium perception.
Strategy and channels:
- Seasonal drops with lookbooks, UGC, and micro‑influencer styling
- Click‑and‑collect, store locators, and SMS/WhatsApp for updates
- Performance ads targeting lookalikes and cart recovery flows
Results (indicative): Strong launch peaks, store lines during key seasons, and rising online contribution.
Lesson: Use content and convenience to bridge offline desire with online conversion.
7) Zameen.com — Property portal: From search engine to ecosystem
Marketplace
Lead Gen
Qualified leads
Overview: Zameen expanded from listings to events, insights, and media to become top‑of‑mind for property seekers and developers.
Objective: Increase quality leads for developers and trust among buyers.
Strategy and channels:
- Large‑scale property expos in major cities for offline trust
- Market reports and content for thought leadership
- Performance marketing with lead scoring and CRM nurturing
Results (indicative): Greater lead volumes and stronger brand authority in real estate.
Lesson: Add value beyond listings—data and events differentiate marketplaces.
8) Easypaisa — Digital payments adoption: Behavior change at scale
Fintech
Growth Marketing
Active wallets
Overview: Easypaisa used education, incentives, and a nationwide agent network to move cash users into mobile wallets.
Objective: Drive wallet creation, P2P transfers, bill payments, and merchant acceptance.
Strategy and channels:
- Tutorial content and vernacular messaging for first‑time users
- Agent‑assisted onboarding and QR acceptance at SMEs
- Promo bundles with telcos and food delivery partners
Results (indicative): Broad awareness and growing everyday use cases.
Lesson: Fintech growth = solve real frictions, then reward the desired habit until it sticks.
9) Foodpanda — Category growth: Pink brand, home chefs, and city blitzes
On-Demand
Category Design
Orders per day
Overview: Foodpanda scaled food delivery by blending discounts with brand distinctiveness and supply expansion.
Objective: Increase order frequency while building supply depth across neighborhoods.
Strategy and channels:
- Hyperlocal influencer campaigns and city takeovers
- Panda Pro subscription and seasonal “Pink Friday” offers
- HomeChefs program to expand cuisine variety and empower micro‑entrepreneurs
Results (indicative): Widespread brand recognition and higher repeat usage in urban centers.
Lesson: In on‑demand categories, supply storytelling is as important as consumer promos.
10) Ufone — Humor as a challenger strategy
Telecom
Brand Assets
Ad recall
Overview: Ufone’s witty, character‑driven TVCs stood out in a price‑heavy telecom market.
Objective: Build distinctiveness and preference without outspending larger rivals.
Strategy and channels:
- Recurring cast and catchphrases as mnemonic devices
- Short, shareable edits for digital re‑use
- Offer‑led CTAs woven into entertaining scripts
Results (indicative): High ad recall and strong brand personality among youth segments.
Lesson: Distinctive brand assets reduce media waste. Humor travels across TV and social efficiently.
11) Sooper (EBM) — Guinness World Record PR stunt: “Sooper Hai Pakistan”
PR
Patriotic Marketing
Earned media
Overview: To mark Independence Day, Sooper created a record‑setting national flag mosaic using biscuits, earning global PR coverage.
Objective: Drive patriotic association, fame, and top‑of‑mind salience for a mass biscuit brand.
Strategy and channels:
- Photogenic stunt optimized for newsworthiness and social sharing
- Press outreach, behind‑the‑scenes content, and OOH amplification
- In‑store tie‑ins to convert awareness to sales
Results (indicative): Significant earned media and viral reach around 14th August.
Lesson: Smart stunts can buy fame cost‑effectively—if logistics and storytelling are tight.
12) Careem — Referral loops and localization: Growth built on trust
Growth
Referral Marketing
Rides + MAUs
Overview: Careem scaled in Pakistan through referrals, city‑specific product tiers (car, bike, rickshaw), and localized communication.
Objective: Build both sides of the marketplace: captains and customers.
Strategy and channels:
- Generous referral incentives and easy code sharing
- Localized humor, Urdu/Roman Urdu comms, and festival promos
- Partnerships with wallets, telcos, and food delivery for cross‑sell
Results (indicative): Fast adoption in major cities and strong category presence.
Lesson: Growth loops beat one‑off campaigns. Make sharing valuable and seamless.
Patterns behind winning campaigns in Pakistan
- Cultural fluency: Ramadan, cricket, weddings, and patriotism unlock attention—when handled authentically.
- Distinctive brand assets: Characters, jingles, colors (e.g., pink for Foodpanda) build memory shortcuts.
- Omnichannel orchestration: TV for reach; digital for depth; OOH for presence; retail for conversion.
- Creator economy: TikTok and YouTube creators power awareness and product demos at scale.
- Friction‑free UX: COD, WhatsApp, and quick customer support convert fence‑sitters.
- Moments and drops: Time‑boxed sales, limited editions, and live content drive urgency.
- Measurement maturity: Brands track blended ROAS, incrementality, and full‑funnel KPIs, not vanity metrics alone.
How to apply these lessons to your brand
Step‑by‑step playbook
- Clarify the commercial goal: penetration, frequency, basket size, or acquisition?
- Map your cultural calendar: Ramadan, Eid, PSL, back‑to‑school, and 14th August.
- Craft a locally resonant message: use Urdu/Roman Urdu and local idioms; reflect real family dynamics.
- Design your media mix:
- Awareness: TV, YouTube, OOH, TikTok TopView
- Consideration: Influencers, live streams, social proof
- Conversion: Performance ads, retargeting, SMS/WhatsApp
- Loyalty: CRM, subscriptions, in‑app challenges
- Build trust into the funnel: COD, easy returns, visible reviews, verified badges.
- Instrument everything: UTM discipline, server‑side tracking where possible, clean product feeds, conversion APIs.
- Iterate weekly: creative refreshes, bid/budget reallocation, landing page speed fixes.
KPIs to track in Pakistan
- Top‑funnel: reach, ad recall lift, branded search volume
- Mid‑funnel: video completion rate, engagement rate, add‑to‑cart, leads
- Bottom‑funnel: CAC, ROAS, conversion rate (with COD acceptance), repeat purchase
- Experience: NPS/CSAT, delivery times, return rates, WhatsApp response time
Channel‑specific tips
- TikTok: Vertical, hook in first 2 seconds, native sounds, creator collabs, localized humor.
- YouTube: Mix of 6‑second bumpers, 15‑second skippables, and longer stories; leverage music and masala.
- Facebook/Instagram: Catalog ads, Advantage+ shopping campaigns, reels with Urdu captions and emojis.
- Search: Bid on Urdu transliterations; structure campaigns for festival spikes.
- WhatsApp: Quick replies, catalogs, automated order updates; human handoff for complex issues.
- TV + OOH: Use for credibility in trust‑sensitive categories (finance, healthcare, education).
FAQs about marketing in Pakistan
Which industries see the most marketing ROI in Pakistan?
FMCG, fashion retail, telecom, fintech, real estate, and on‑demand services typically scale fastest due to broad demand and frequent purchase cycles.
Is TV still necessary or is digital enough?
For mass brands, TV plus OOH drive credibility and reach; digital closes the loop. Startups can go digital‑first but should add offline as they scale.
Do influencers work for performance, not just awareness?
Yes—especially micro‑creators with niche trust. Use trackable links, promo codes, and creator whitelisting to push lower‑funnel outcomes.
What should my first‑time e‑commerce stack include?
Fast mobile site/app, COD, easy returns, live chat/WhatsApp, lightweight checkout, and clear delivery ETAs. Add cart recovery and SMS reminders.
How do I avoid backlash around cultural topics?
Co‑create with local creatives, test scripts with diverse focus groups, and align charity/CSR claims with real actions. Be respectful and specific.
Conclusion: The formula behind successful marketing case studies in Pakistan
Pakistan’s most successful campaigns pair cultural insight with modern distribution. Whether it’s Coke Studio’s content IP, HBL’s PSL ownership, or Daraz’s live commerce, the pattern is clear: create moments people anticipate, reduce friction at purchase, and measure what truly moves the business.
If you’re planning your next campaign, start with a human truth, pick channels your audience actually uses, and build distinctive assets you can reuse for years. That’s how brands move from ads to impact—and from campaigns to case studies.
Need a tailored marketing plan for Pakistan? Define your goal, audience, and budget, and draft a one‑page brief. Use the playbook above to select channels, creatives, and KPIs. Then iterate, weekly.
