HOLIDAY STRATEGIES: Peppering the Holidays

It’s a busy time of year for the marketing elves at Dr Pepper/Seven-Up.

The Plano, TX-based beverage marketer started its Christmas shopping early this year, hanging a bevy of brand-specific campaigns on retail trees in the hopes of getting a big return for the holidays. “This is a huge time for all our brands,” says Carol Duncan, director-promotions.

At the centerpiece is the latest flight from what has been a three-year partnership with Nintendo of America, Redmond, WA. The alliance gets added oomph this year from Nintendo’s soon-to-launch GameCube console, which is (along with rival Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox) expected to be one of the most sought-after gifts of the 2001 season.

The flagship Dr Pepper brand last month launched an under-the-cap (and inside the 12-pack) instant-win game dangling GameCube consoles as top prize. The game is being supported by a multi-million dollar campaign that includes a 30-second TV spot, activity at drpepper.com, and a P-O-P “display spectacular” along with pole signs, shelf talkers, vendor decals, static clings, cold vault danglers, shelf intruders, header cards, and a bottle recliner rack. Westcott Promotion Group, Bellevue, WA, handles.

“This year is a little different for us because we’re focused on hardware rather than just games,” which were served up as prizes in past years, says Dr Pepper promotions manager Bev Sorenson.

It’s also a little different because it coincides with a $75 million marketing blitz Nintendo is running to stave off new competitor Microsoft. “Instead of just going up against [Sony PlayStation] this year, we’ll be squaring off against two strong competitors,” says senior vp-marketing and communications George Harrison. “We’re looking at not just the noise our partners can generate, but also the quality of the association.”

The folks in Plano consider the Nintendo campaign “indirect holiday marketing, since that’s the product every-one wants under their tree,” says Sorenson. When it comes to the direct stuff, “we never do anything like put Santa on the packaging. We look for a hot property that’s family-oriented rather than holiday-focused.”

Here’s a look at the rest of the schedule, most of which broke Oct. 15 and continues until Dec. 31:

• 7 UP teams with Keebler Foods, Elmhurst, IL, for a cross-promotional cause tie-in dubbed Eat, Drink and Be Merry that promises a donation to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Foundation for every redeemed coupon. In-store tearpads and a two-page FSI dropping Nov. 4 offer a free two-liter 7 UP with the purchase of two Keebler or Cheez-It products. In December, the tables are turned with coupons offering a free Keebler or Cheez-It product with the purchase of three two-liter 7 UPs. Point-of-purchase materials include pole signs and shelf talkers. Chicago’s 141 Communicator handles.

• Hawaiian Punch encourages consumers to Celebrate the Unique Taste of Red with 55-cent coupons on two-liter bottles (good for a 12-pack purchase as well) and tearpads carrying holiday recipes such as Huladay Punch and Raspberry Sherbet Punch. P-O-P includes pole signs and shelf talkers. Harwood Marketing, Dallas, handles.

• Canada Dry pitches Refreshment for Your Inner Circle, an on-pack coupon promo spritzed by a gift-with-purchase offer for four free trial issues of Time magazine and “buy two, get one free” neckhangers. Communicator handles.

• Similarly, Schweppes advises shoppers to Set Your Table with Schweppes through on-pack cou-pons, buy-two-get-one-free neckhangers, and an offer for a trial issue of Real Simple.