Going PRO: OptionOne tops U.S. winners in ’98 World PRO Awards of Excellence.
CHICAGO – Minneapolis agency OptionOne snagged the award for Best Promotion in the USA for a retail program developed for Target Stores. The campaign led fourteen Regional Gold winners that beat out a field of 120 entries reviewed by 10 corporate and agency judges here in July. The 58 Gold winners worldwide will next vie for World PRO Award – and the coveted Best Promotion in the World award – at the judging on Oct. 2. Winners will be announced by PROMO and APMA Worldwide Oct. 6 at the World PRO Awards reception that kicks off PROMO Expo ’98.
The competition drew more than 375 entries from around the world this year. Regional judgings sponsored by NCH NuWorld Marketing have been held in Santiago, London, Sydney, and Toronto as well as Chicago. Here are the 14 U.S. gold winners:
Target Stores and OptionOne won Best in the U.S. for getting moms ages 25 to 54 to increase their Target credit card usage and encouraging them to make the card their preferred form of payment.
Target marshaled its community gift dollars under the umbrella of Take Charge of Education, a multifaceted program that offers scholarships, grants, and services to students and teachers. Every time a customer uses her Target Guest Card charge card, Target pays the equivalent of 1 percent of the purchase to the cardholder’s school of choice. Schools participate by signing on as a Take Charge of Education School.
School personnel receive training materials that teach them to talk up the program with parents and grandparents, and direct mail, telemarketing, and grassroots efforts get the message out. Some 78,000 stores – 68 percent of the 115,00 schools in Target’s marketing areas – signed up. Target credit card use increased 20 percent, and the spend rate on the new cards was four times more than average.
Target and Option- One also won a Gold Award for Target School Connection, linking parents and teachers.
Target set up voice mailbox systems for teachers and parents, and schools that opt to participate have access to the 24-hour service. Each teacher has his own voice mailbox that parents access for homework assignments, specific areas the kids need to focus on, upcoming field trips, and the like. A general school mailbox for lunch menus, athletic calendars, and special events is also supplied. The system uses basic touch-tone phone technology, and parents who call are greeted with a “Welcome to the Target School Connection” message, along with the child’s school and teacher’s name.
Parents receive letters introducing the program and fridge magnets with the school’s voice mailbox phone number. More than 1,800 schools serving a million families signed up in five test markets the first year.
Ralston Foods proved that eating breakfast could be more than fun and games with a program that improved the image of its Chex brand with kids by taking advantage of the computers in their homes. WatersMolitor, Minneapolis, developed the program.
When many cereal manufacturers were focusing on price cuts, Chex created a value-added program to build equity and give consumers a reason to purchase Chex. The answer: CD-ROM games were packed in 5.7 million boxes of Chex cereals. Production costs were defrayed by signing up America Online as a partner. The game, dubbed ChexQuest, was on par with many CD-ROM games that sell for $30. In/on-pack ads, FSIs, Web site information, TV spots, in-store materials, and public relations supported the program.
Chex secured a 295 percent increase in incremental volume over base, increased sales by 48 percent over the same period the previous year, and generated 42 million public relations impressions.
Burger King made Friday an even more anticipated day of the week with Free Fryday, giving away french fry samples and tapping the nostalgia of Mr. Potato Head to increase sales and restaurant traffic. Irvine, CA-based Alcone Marketing Group developed the program.
The restaurant chain deemed Jan. 2 ’98 “Free Fryday” and invited consumers to sample a free small order of its new crispier french fries. No purchase was required. Mr. Potato Head was spokespud in printed materials, FSIs, TV and radio spots, P-O-P merchandising, and public relations efforts.
More than 18 million consumers asked for free fries, and every franchisee participated. Sales for the month increased by 5.6 percent, and 83 percent of free fries recipients bought other items during their visits.
Brown & Williamson smoked the competition by securing total distribution of its Lucky Strike brand in targeted bars and clubs and inducing trial with a hip, young “bohemian” audience. Chicago-based Flair Communications Agency developed the program.
B&W directed the program to 21- to 29-year-old men and used the brand’s retro packaging to create excitement for its Lucky Strike Filters and Lights brand. In-bar materials included logoed premiums that bar-goers got when they supplied their names, addresses, and brand preferences. An in-bar sweepstakes for a customized Lucky Strike Filter Gibson Guitar and music-related events and street fairs rounded out the program. Alternative newspapers included information on upcoming Lucky Strike events in participating markets.
Retail sales in every city surpassed projections by 23 percent and all participating bars requested Lucky Strike Guitar displays.
Unilever generated trial of its Dove brand and got loyal customers to act as brand advocates to new users. Einson Freeman, Paramus, NJ, developed the promotion.
Dove drove incremental purchases by loyal users and activated trial and conversion from non-users by distributing a national FSI with a coupon for a gift certificate for two free bars of Dove, or $2.29 off a purchase of Dove Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash. The coupons featured space for consumers’ names and addresses, as did all in-store promotion materials. Upon filling out the forms, consumers received customized gift certificates in the mail featuring retailers’ logos to drive traffic back to the store. The company asked recipients to supply a friend’s name and address, and then sent the friend a stylish soap gift package featuring a personalized note from the sender. Radio spots, direct TV spots, and the Internet supported the program.
Dove’s share increased by 10.2 percent over ’97’s monthly averages, and 90 percent of participating consumers supplied a friend’s name.
Suntory Water Group tapped into a refreshing idea that encouraged home and office delivery customers to think of bottled water as a health necessity, not a luxury item. The goal was to retain existing customers and increase their bottled water consumption. Chicago-based Castro McMahon developed the program.
The Fountain of Youth game educated customers about the hydration benefits of pure bottled water, while touting the brand’s positioning as an expert in the water field. Customers who read three chapters relating to health, medical, and technical subjects over a period of three water deliveries completed game puzzles to test their knowledge and make them eligible for one of eight trips to Grand Cayman Island. Participating customers received TranSport packs of 12 1/2-liter bottles. Promotion materials were hand-delivered to customers by route salespeople, and delivery trucks carried transit posters linked to the game theme.
Schieffelin & Somerset leveraged popular Scottish images of Robert Burns, tartan plaid, kilts, bagpipes – and of course Scotch whisky – to create excitement for its Johnnie Walker Black Label and Blue Label, Classic Malts, and Loch Dhu brands by celebrating their Scottish heritage. Newday Communications, Norwalk, CT, developed the program.
The company developed Scotsfest, now an annual, month-long celebration, to create awareness for Scotch Whisky via Scottish-themed parties in New York and San Francisco. The events feature bagpipe marches, Robert Burns suppers, and Scottish musicians. The January-February ’98 events drew more than 1,000 people each, and national retail displays were created to highlight Scotland’s most famous contributions. Materials included the Scottish tartan plaid pattern and vacuum-molded “whisky still” displays. The brand created a trial program in nine major U.S. markets using bar events where consumers could sample the products.
Each of the four Schieffelin & Somerset scotch brands showed an increase in sales of between 18 and 791 percent.
Oldsmobile put its new Intrigue cars in the fast lane using guerrilla marketing techniques to get consumers to test drive them. The strategy worked: Intrigue’s sales increased 621 percent during the promotion period. Chicago-based Frankel & Co. developed the program.
The brand held events in 10 key markets and brought in a fleet of Intrigues whose drivers “paid compliments” to event attendees via random acts of kindness. Trained personnel divvied out the compliments – including free parking at popular local venues, free meals and beverages at restaurants, free car washes, free fill-ups at gas stations, and free admission to local events and attractions – and doubled as spokespeople for the cars. Attendees received invitations to visit their local retailers and were invited to call an 800 number for additional information.
Oldsmobile got people talking about the brand via mysterious Intrigue symbols projected on buildings in 16 U.S. markets and 3-D billboards featuring the same symbols. Radio station barters – with free cars, live in-studio interviews, live and pre-recorded radio spots, and public events that culminated with car giveaways – rounded out the program.
More than 30,000 prospective buyers attended car events, and the image projections generated 10,000 consumer requests for product information. Radio barters yielded more than nine million impressions.
The CIT Group got to work with a two-tiered direct marketing campaign that differentiated the company from the competition by offering prospective borrowers the tools needed to get the job done. The program generated a response rate of 93.8 percent and more than $140 million worth of new business.
CIT Group competes with other finance/leasing companies and local and national banking institutions to offer asset-based equipment financing to U.S. manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and service companies.
To get salespeople in the door to meet with prime prospects, CIT wrapped the program around a “tool” theme and mailed brochures, reply cards, and Stanley Tape Measures to 175 prospects as a reminder that CIT helps companies measure their success and increase their potential for growth. The second mailing included brochures, reply cards, and leather tool pouches. Recipients who met with a salesperson received Black & Decker Versa Pak Cordless Tool Kits.
Since the program’s inception, average orders have been $3.9 million (the promotion budget was $125,000).
The Cartoon Network maximized viewership for one of its primetime shows with a promotion that invited kids to identify with the protagonist’s quest for adventure for the chance to participate in a real-life mystery adventure of their own.
Kids were asked to tune in to new episodes of Jonny Quest from Feb. 10 to 14, and then write down the names of the five destinations featured during the week. Nineteen winners – and their families – then received packages containing items they would need for their mystery trip to Jamaica. Once there, the group was split into three teams who gathered clues to lead them to a buried treasure.
The Cartoon Network supported the program with on-air promos, print ads in kids magazines, radio and local cable spots, in-store P-O-P at WB Studio Stores, and on the QuestWorld Web site.
The program generated more than 50,000 entries, ratings for the age targeted increased 100 percent, Web site visits increased 300 percent, and more than $3.4 million in incremental cross-channel media support was generated through cable affiliate participation.
Parents lodged nothing but praise for a promotion that got kids excited about staying at Best Western Hotels during the peak spring and summer months. Atlanta-based Tausche Henderson Drake developed the program.
The hotel chain tapped into the timeless appeal of Warner Bros. DC Comics Super Heroes to add fun to kids’ vacation experiences, inviting them to enter to win the Summer Adventures Sweepstakes. Prizes included 2,000 VIP tickets to Six Flags Theme Parks, DC Collectible Comic books, and Warner home videos. The grand prize was a one-week trip for a family of four to Hollywood, complete with cash and prizes from Warner Bros. and affiliated attractions. Families received colorful DC Comics Super Hero-decorated cups containing disposable cameras, phonecards, scratch and win instant game pieces, guest comment cards, and coupon books at check-in.
The program helped the hotel secure the highest booking day in the hotel’s history (June 29), with 3,705 bookings representing an 85 percent increase over the highest single booking day in June ’97. Reservations for the same time last year were up 205 percent.
Phoneworks proved that a good product, a touch of ingenuity – and not necessarily a lot of money – is all it takes to make an impression and reel in business from your target audience.
The company set out to generate interest in its new SmartSpiffs interactive marketing system by cutting through the screening process to secure capability presentations to the country’s top 100 promotion agency CEOs. Each received FedEx packages containing a bulging leather wallet with a note attached saying: “I foundyour wallet! I’ll call tomorrow to make sure you got it. Kathy.”
The goal was to pique the CEO’s curiosity and get him to open the wallet, which contained a personalized ID card, a newspaper article about SmartSpiffs, some real cash, a fortune cookie message with the promise of a good news phone call, a matchbook cover with the toll-free SmartSpiffs number, award certificates from campaigns run by top marketers, a lottery ticket, and a “while you were out” message from Kathy saying she would call back later.
Seventy-seven of the 100 agency chiefs set up meetings with Phoneworks’ reps, and within just a few months, the company generated more than $4.2 million worth of business. The total promotion budget was less than $5,000.
Packard Bell got into the heads of 20-something computer sales reps by creating a relationship with them in their own homes. New York-based b. little & co. developed the program.
Packard Bell wrapped its Home Delivery program around a series of three CD-ROMs packaged in boxes resembling home-delivered, take-out food boxes (pizza, chicken, and Chinese food).
The boxes were mailed to salespeople’s homes, and each CD-ROM featured music videos, movie trailers for upcoming films, classic animation, and of course, key Packard Bell messages.
Some 64 percent of the respondents spent up to four sessions viewing the CD-ROMs; 36 percent spent seven sessions or more, and on average, each session lasted more than 20 minutes. Some 73 percent say they recommend Packard Bell more often based on what they learned.
A Home Run: Coldwell Banker, Ethan Allan stay partners after sweeps. Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. generated nearly 50,000 consumer leads through its Spring Into a Beautiful Home joint promotion with furniture retailer Ethan Allan last spring. The sweepstakes offered $54,000 worth of Ethan Allan furniture. Of the 160,000-plus entries, nearly 28 percent were interested in buying or selling a home.
An added benefit was cooperation between local Coldwell offices and Ethan Allen stores, which collaborated on offering home-decorating tips and gifts of furniture to home-buyers.
“Buying a house is a satisfying and emotional process, and as a sales associate, anything that I can do to help create a home for my clients is a satisfying and value-added benefit,” says Ginger Pensa of Coldwell Banker.
M. Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen chairman and ceo, says: “As a total home furnishings resource, we could see a great benefits of an alliance with professional realtors who are working with home buyers and sellers every day.”
Is That a Pigskin Wallet?: Visa courts rabid NFL fans with sweeps, tours, and TV. Visa USA expands its four-year-old NFL sponsorship with an estimated $50 million in fall promos and sponsorship of Fox Network’s “Visa Half-time Report” during game broadcasts. Campaigns target avid fans, who watch an average of three NFL games per week and buy 68 percent of the $3 billion worth of NFL merchandise sold every year.
A sweepstakes running Sept. 1 through Jan. 1 will award trips for two to eight regular-season 1999-2000 games and Super Bowl XXXIV. Shoppers are entered in the sweeps each time they use their Visa cards. Radio station and member bank tie-ins and in-store P-O-P support.
A separate promo, Kickoff 98, will give away NFL premiums to shoppers who use their Visa cards to buy NFL merchandise in Simon DeBartolo Group’s 131 malls, including Mall of America, Minneapolis.
“Our relationship with Visa and the NFL is a perfect alliance for Simon,” says Karen D. Corsaro, president of Simon Brand Ventures, the marketing arm of Simon DeBartolo. whose malls serve 100 million shoppers nationwide. NFL’s touring event, the NFL Experience, will bring celebs, games, and local contests to malls this fall.
Visa also is developing a national contest to acknowledge the most loyal fans of each team. The “Visa Half- time Report” deal with Fox includes 150 commercial units, including two 30-second spots during the Super Bowl. Visa also is working with other NFL sponsors to develop NFL cross-themed promotions that deliver value-added benefits to Visa cardholders.
One-Stop Shopping: Su permarket mergers may pressure packaged goods. Packaged goods marketers will have new challenges with supermarket promotions following the two mega-mergers of Albertson’s and American Stores, and Kroger and Safeway.
Albertson’s, Boise ID, becomes the biggest supermarket company in the country with its $8.3 billion-in-stock purchase of American Stores, Salt Lake City, whose chains include Jewel Food Stores, Lucky Stores, Acme Markets, and Osco Drug. The Wall Street Journal reports that the combined companies will have sales of about $36 billion from 2,470 stores in 37 states, primarily in the Midwest, California and Texas.
The Kroger/Safeway merger creates a nationwide network with little overlap between Kroger territory in the the East and Safeway’s stronghold in the West. Fewer, bigger supermarket players can better compete with national mass merchandisers Wal-Mart Stores, whose Supercenters and Sam’s Clubs have bit hard into grocers’ packaged goods sales. Wal-Mart acknowledged earlier this summer that it is testing a smaller supermarket format in Arkansas in its bid to become the country’s largest food retailer.
It’s unclear yet whether Albertson’s will dismantle the centralization that American Stores has been struggling to complete at its Salt Lake City headquarters. Albertson’s own procurement and marketing systems are decentralized. Albertson’s every-day-low-pricing strategy doesn’t allow for much promotion, while American Stores has embraced in-store promos like frequent-shopper cards and buy-one-get-one deals. It remains to be seen how the two will be integrated.
Either way, the consolidation of power doesn’t bode well for manufacturers. “This is astrong swing of the pendulum toward retailers,” said Ken Harris, a consultant with Cannondale Associates, Evanston, IL. Executing promos that are sold in at headquarters could become harder than ever. “The question is,” says Harris, “How will retailers balance centralization with a local touch? Who runs the show? If there’s a national strategy for all stores, dictated by headquarters, how will that be executed locally? Everyone’s banking on real-time communications to make execution work.”
Joint Promo Pushes Superstar Jeff Gordon: NASCAR offers sweeps and new game. ASC Games and Electronic Gaming Monthly have teamed up for a sweepstakes promo whose winner gets to meet NASCAR two-time Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon.
Entry forms for the Meet Jeff Gordon Sweepstakes ran in the August issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly; grand prize is a trip for two to meet Gordon while he films in-game video footage for ASC Games’ “Jeff Gordon Racing” game, hitting shelves in February. Winners also get to test drive the game that features Gordon as the player’s personal mentor, teammate, and then competitor.
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