With consumers wanting (or saying they want) more fruits and vegetables in their diets, Del Monte Foods is launching a new advertising campaign emphasizing that their canned vegetables are just as nutritious (and easier) as fresh produce. “Del Monte as a brand has been around for 100 plus years,” Brian Ng, director of marketing/consumer products for Del Monte, tells Marketing Daily. “What’s interesting is we have a lot of strong attributes in our product lines that consumers seem to have forgotten over time.” Among those attributes: nearly 90% of the fruits and vegetables Del Monte uses are produced in the United States; that they’re canned on the same day as they’re picked, and that they hold the same nutritional value as fresh produce, Ng says. “The whole industry of canning started with grandmas canning [fruits and vegetables],” Ng says. “It’s a really simple process. You put them in a can with some water, and you heat them. The other thing we want to remind consumers is that at the end of the day, our products are as nutritious as fresh vegetables when you cook them.” The ads, which use the tagline “Bursting With Life,” emphasize the freshness of the ingredients with images of green beans dropping directly into a Del Monte can from the plant. A video ad asks the question, “What’s in a can of Del Monte green beans?” before showing the can being opened, poured into a pot and heated to a jaunty, folksy soundtrack. The campaign was created by Juniper Park in Toronto, a division of BBDO Canada. In addition to the print and television campaign, Del Monte is running a Facebook competition, “Add Some Garden,” which will ask consumers to share their tips about how they make meals more nutritious by adding Del Monte vegetables. Spending was not disclosed, although the company said the effort is its largest in the past decade. The effort is intended to reach consumers right around the “key consumption” time of Thanksgiving (thus the heavy focus on green beans), Ng says. “It’s the perfect time from a consumption perspective,” Ng says. “We think [consumers] are open to the communication and it would be helpful for them during this time of year.”
Cheerwine -- the bubbly, wild cherry-flavored soft drink that's an institution in the South -- calls itself a brand on the move, with a plan for 100% national distribution by its 100th anniversary in 2017. Based in Salisbury, N.C., Cheerwine parent Carolina Beverage Corp. is the oldest continuing soft-drink company still owned by the same family (the Ritchie family). The soda is sold in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and California. Outside of the Carolinas, it is distributed primarily by Pepsi, a partnership that is enabling its geographic expansion, reports Tom Barbitta, SVP marketing and sales for the brand. In addition, Cheerwine’s original formula (sweetened with cane sugar and sold in glass bottles) can be found in specialty stores in all 50 states, and both formulas are sold online. Since early 2011, Cheerwine has been running a multimillion-dollar campaign, from New York-based agency Woods Witt Dealy & Sons, touting the brand’s having been a soft-drink “Legend” since 1917. (Tagline: “Born in the South. Raised in a glass.”) In the Southeast, radio ads featuring true “tales” from Cheerwine fans -- for instance, a serviceman who carried a glass bottle of Cheerwine in his backpack throughout his tour in Afghanistan, drinking it only as he was boarding a plane for home -- are one key component. As part of a partnership with best-selling indie rocker group The Avett Brothers (North Carolina natives and big Cheerwine fans), Scott Avett has also voiced a series of radio spots. Other traditional media used by the brand include out-of-home and 15-second TV spots. Social media and word of mouth are particularly critical in driving awareness and trial for Cheerwine’s expansion, as well as relationship-building with existing fans, says Barbitta. Cheerwine’s “authenticity, passion and purpose,” in addition to its unique flavor, are its core differentiators from the giant soft drink companies with which it competes, so it’s all about “getting people to discover us,” he says. Staying “real” is the guiding principle behind all of the brand team’s engagements through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, according to Barbitta. “We don’t want to sound corporate, because we’re not corporate, in that we’re not driven by EPS and traditional Wall Street financial measures,” he says. “At the same time, there’s no reason that a brand like ours can’t play on a larger, national stage.” “Legendary Giveback” Concert Giving back to the community has always been central to the brand’s values, and this year, those efforts have focused on a new initiative called the “Legendary Giveback.” The centerpiece of the initiative was an Oct. 19 charity concert by The Avett Brothers, held in Charlottesville, Va. All proceeds from the event went to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Operation Homefront and the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital. Fans who couldn’t attend the event were encouraged, through the brand’s site, Facebook page and other social channels, to pledge some hours of volunteer time to one of those charities (or a charity of their choice) – with pledges rewarded with exclusive Livestream access to the live concert. As an added incentive, Cheerwine promised to reward the U.S. town that pledged the most hours by hosting concert viewing parties in that town. It also threw viewing parties at college campuses around the South, organized by its standing army of college-student brand ambassadors (called “Cheerwine Czars”). Livestream access to the concert was also made available (no volunteer pledges necessary) to U.S. military bases around the world, and the UVA Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Cheerwine has been using social/online to promote sales of “Legendary Giveback” T-shirts, and a Deering Banjo signed by The Avett Brothers was put up for bid, with proceeds from the sales/auction also going to the charities. Post-concert, the buzz has continued through a montage video documenting the event, including backstage footage of the band, as well as thank-you’s/shout-outs about the event from The Avett Brothers to their fans on their official site and Cheerwine’s Facebook page. Among the event’s results: 4,700 people attended the sold-out concert; more than 12,000 in 17 countries Livestreamed it; and more than 2,000 pledged over 30,000 volunteer hours to charities. Plus, nearly 28,000 entered a sweepstakes tied into the event, which offered a grand prize of a VIP trip to the concert and a meet-and-greet with the Avett Brothers, as well as other prizes including pairs of tickets, Giveback T-shirts, posters and Cheerwine coupons. In addition, Cheerwine attracted more than 18,000 new Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers. (It currently has nearly 103,000 “likes” -- versus about 67,000 as of the start of its Legend campaign in April 2011 – as well as some 2,400 Twitter followers.) Also speaking to the initiative’s success in generating national (and global) exposure: Residents of Portland, Ore. – not currently one of Cheerwine’s mainstream distribution markets – pledged the second-largest number of volunteer hours. (Bristol, Tenn., came in first.) Not surprisingly, Barbitta says that Cheerwine’s hope and “vision” is to continue the “Legendary Giveback” concept next year and beyond (specifics are still being worked out). Meanwhile, the campaign and Cheerwine’s social and live outreach efforts will keep rolling. Barbitta says he spends a lot of time at colleges, both because he’s asked to speak on marketing and because the interaction opportunities help keep the brand’s social media and other initiatives fresh. Cheerwine sponsors events like an annual “Miss Cheerwine” contest (the winner travels around the Southeast as a brand and media-relations ambassador). Barbitta notes that makers of several movies and TV shows have recently opted to include the soft drink to heighten the authentic ambiance of the productions’ Southern settings. One example: ABC’s hit show “Nashville” will feature the soda in select episodes, simply in exchange for Cheerwine’s donating product. With the holidays coming up, Cheerwine’s latest moves include establishing a Cheerwine Club that lets fans gift friends and family with home deliveries of the soft drink over three months; and a Cheerwine Christmas card designed by a third grader at a local North Carolina school. Proceeds from sales of the cards will go to the school and other charities. Cheerwine also sends out uncounted numbers of gratis bottles of the soda, branded T-shirts and other items on an ongoing basis, especially in response to “constant” requests from military men and women, says Barbitta. “Cheerwine is a small piece of home for them, and we’re honored to be able to provide that,” he says.
EBay Motors is reaching out to the enthusiast crowd with a new Web site devoted to aftermarket customizers and car lovers looking for muscle cars, classics, and automotive odds and ends. The online community and personalization platform is called eBay Garage. The idea is that auto enthusiasts can use the vertical to show off their wheels and get props from other enthusiasts. It is also meant to whet visitors' appetites for such vehicles, not to mention aftermarket parts and accessories. The eBay Garage platform uses the functionality of eBay's My Vehicles platform, which the company says has about two million vehicle profiles. Kind of like a Facebook for cars, the site lets visitors "like" a vehicle, follow a customizing project someone else is doing, follow conversations, etc. The company says people can tag vehicles to create groups. The site also has mobile functionality, per eBay. EBay is also pitching the new auto channel via a promotion with pro golfer Bubba Watson, wherein eBay Garage users will have a chance to win Bubba Watson’s Ford 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor. Users get one entry for every picture added to a public profile, every “favorite” garnered during the promotion period, or for converting a private profile that has pictures to a public profile. Danny Chang, head of marketing and site experience at eBay Motors, says the company is promoting awareness of eBay Garage through the eBay Motors site, where eBay Garage has its own home page driving visitors to engage with the experience. He tells Marketing Daily that the eBay Garage home page also hosts a video that describes the eBay Garage experience, adding that on people who either download the eBay Motors iPhone app for the first time or update their app to the latest version are prompted to create their first vehicle profile for their eBay Garage, and can use eBay Garage. "eBay channels like the eBay Ink blog, the eBay Motors Facebook page and the eBay Motors Twitter handle combined have more than 582,000 fans; they have also been used to promote eBay Garage," he says. Chang says the goal is to deepen engagement with eBay Motors community members "by providing a more personalized, social, visually enhanced experience. We’re helping connect car fans with others. And eBay Garage also helps us better tailor a customer’s shopping experience on eBay Motors. When we know what vehicle a person has saved in their profile, we can target their search results and only include parts that fit their specific vehicle," he says. Down the road the platform’s ability to target aftermarket can be applied to other aspects of a more tailored shopping experience, "such as special promotions on parts specific to the cars you own," he says. Over the past year, more than two million vehicle profiles -- both public and private -- have been created using My Vehicles, the previous iteration of eBay Garage, per Chang. "With the launch of eBay Garage and the more robust, personalized features, we expect to see this community continue to grow, and engagement to deepen, based on the more social, multifaceted experience that eBay Garage now offers to car buffs."
Walgreens is the latest national marketer to jump on the safe-chemicals bus, and says it is rolling out Ology, a line of personal and cleaning products formulated with gentler chemicals. Its announcement follows Johnson & Johnson’s news last summer that it would reformulate all its products to remove dangerous chemicals. Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Ill., says the launch of the affordable line of household liquid products -- exclusive to its stores -- is partially in response to the passage of the “Safe Chemicals Act” in the U.S. Senate, as well as increased consumer demand for such products. Andy Igrejas, national campaign director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, an advocacy group, says he is “delighted” to see Walgreens reference the Safe Chemicals Act, and says such companies as Staples and Walmart are also intensifying their safer-chemicals initiatives. “The legislation was the only major bill to pass the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this year,” he tells Marketing Daily, “and could be brought up to the full Senate at any time.” (The bill has 27 co-sponsors, and the support of most of the Democratic leadership, he says.) Health and environmental groups have long lobbied for stricter regulations, and if passed, it would mark the first overhaul of federal chemical law since 1976. The bill requires all marketers to prove the safety of any ingredient it uses before selling the product. “Consumers have been demanding personal care and cleaning products free of harmful chemicals,” a spokesperson for the Environmental Working Group, tells Marketing Daily in an email. “Johnson & Johnson took bold steps by putting their customers' health first, and we hope more companies will follow. Giving consumers what they clearly want is good for business and the public's health." Ology includes baby and personal care products, as well as household cleaners, light bulbs and paper products.
U.S. retail sales of natural pet products totaled $4.1 billion in 2012, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 17% over the 2008-2012 period, according to Packaged Facts. Despite the economic downturn, annual sales growth has consistently been in the double digits, according to “Natural, Organic, and Eco-Friendly Pet Products in the U.S.,” a just-released study from the market research firm. Big changes are underway in the market for pet goods, according to the researchers. Among recent developments, Hill’s is reformulating Science Diet as a natural product line, Nestlé Purina is coming on strong with Purina One Beyond, and Walmart has launched Pure Balance as its first natural store brand. “With pet specialty and mass-market brands increasingly looking alike, product differentiation is key,” says David Sprinkle, the Research Director for Packaged Facts, in a release. In the natural pet food aisles, the hottest product trends include grain-free and human grade meats, which takes premium natural pet food to new heights (and price points). On the pet care side, eco-friendly products abound, with various companies increasing their commitment to sustainable packaging and production processes. Helping to underpin this steady advance in sales is consumer demand for products perceived to be safer, a pet owner priority spurred by the spring 2007 pet food recalls, which continue to define the way marketers formulate and position pet products. As indicated by Packaged Facts’ August 2012 Pet Owner Survey, 38% of pet owners believe that natural/organic brand pet products are often better than standard national brand products, and 63% are very concerned about the safety of the pet products they buy. For more information on the study, go to MarketResearch.com or http://www.packagedfacts.com/Natural-Organic-Eco-6820295/
Print ads for the new Ford Fusion car show competitive cars becoming diaphanous when the Fusion is in the picture (thanks to on-vehicle paint schemes designed by artist Liu Bolin). Now the automaker has launched three TV spots supporting that idea -- the message being that the Fusion is cool enough to render everything else so irrelevant as to cease to exist. The effort, via Team Detroit, comprises a raft of ads that launched this week, and shows a lot of cars on highways, bridges, or wherever suddenly vanishing to be replaced by just one car -- the Fusion. One of the ads shows the Fusion driving off a cliff as a way to show that there’s one thing the Fusion can't do (fly). The theme of the campaign, which builds on the Ford's “Random Acts of Fusion” digital series starring Ryan Seacrest, is that it's a midsize sedan that people really notice. The ads tout the vehicle's design and consequent fuel economy shown to be a function of both looks and EcoBoost engineering. Ads also tout the Fusion line as ultimately comprising both a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid model. The company says the TV spots will air on prime-time networks around various broadcast sporting events. In addition to the ad that makes other vehicles vanish, and the off-the-cliff ad, there is a third that shows other cars moving backward while Fusion moves forward. Meanwhile, Ford says its “Random Acts of Fusion” campaign will be extended through the vehicle launch in digital and social channels. The automaker says one such video has Ford surprising a guy (not an actor) who is skeptical of the Ford's EcoBoost engine. Ford shows up at Michael’s door with a new Fusion and takes him out for a hot lap on a nearby racetrack. Hopefully for Ford, the new Fusion will grab the baton and regain ground lost by the late-model car, which was in need of a major makeover, and a bit winded on the final stretch: while year-to-date sales were about flat, October Fusion sales were off about 30%. Right on time for a change.
It’s all over except for the shouting, which, given the whole polarized tenor of the race so far, will no doubt be loud and nonstop. I pray that the outcome of this presidential election does not become a Gore-Bush redux, with fighting going on for months. With the mess of Sandy clean-up in the mix, there will no doubt be all sorts of issues about counting the emailed, faxed, scanned, and snail-mailed ballots of storm evacuees or people whose polling places were swept away. Do you remember that iconic photo of the official Floridian chad examiner viewing the marks on a paper ballot through a magnifying glass, with his blown-up eye looking like an enormous beetle? This year, the bug-eyed (and ear-and-brain-clogged) ones are swing state voters, but especially the citizens of Ohio, who have had to endure a crazy-making barrage of attack ads. If you figure out what the candidates actually spent per voter in Ohio, you probably could have hired two brawny aides to carry each Ohioan around all day in a sedan chair for three months. The volume was unprecedented, both in the billions spent on airtime, and in the fact that the TV spots were almost universally lowdown and negative, meant to disparage a rival, rather than set any soaring agenda for candidates. Here’s what was different this year: I can’t think of a single ad that might have moved voter opinion in the presidential race as much as the first debate did. That was unexpected, and Obama’s uncharacteristic and rather shocking passivity reignited Romney’s campaign and gave him a temporary leg up in the polls. Obama came back to rock his essential Barackatude in the second and third debates, all of which attracted huge viewerships. That would suggest that people are searching for up-close, somewhat organic, long-form content on the issues, and not the ugly, by-the-numbers, extruded ad units that the red and blue parties and Super PACS paid to run, over and over. But back to the ads: they seemed set up to reinforce preexisting prejudices, to reignite the violently polarized partisan culture that rose up this political season, resulting in little tolerance for other views. A friend pointed out that she hasn’t seen one person wearing a campaign button this year, when four years ago we were awash in them. Perhaps the hyperpartisan climate this year had a chillingly pin-preventing effect; maybe people were afraid of the punch in the nose that would ensue. I’m an Obama voter, and there’s no way I can be completely objective, I know. But in the spirit of bipartisan election analysis, I thought I’d mention some of the spots that I found particularly egregious. Let’s get Mitt’s out of the way. Yes, there was a lot of blowback to the spot that claimed Obama allowed Chrysler to be sold to Italians who are exporting jobs to China. Whether it’s factually true or not, I haven’t heard the word “Italian” uttered in such a disparaging way in my lifetime. It seemed so retro -- with a visual of a Hitchcockian blonde (the opposite of a dark little woman with a moustache and underarm hair) driving a convertible -- that I actually found it funny. Way worse was the Romney campaign’s “evil Chinese” fear-mongering spot that indulged in Charlie Chan-era stereotypes. Set some time in the future, when the Asian ones have apparently become our evil overlords, it shows a Chinese professor lecturing his students about how stupid the U.S. was in letting its indebtedness to China grow so much. He says this with an evil laugh, and his students laugh, too, as if to suggest that heartless look-alike masses of Chinese are laughing at us losers. As for the Obama camp: Among the contenders was a real sleeper for me, considering that it was created by new “It’ girl Lena Dunham. (I loved her sensibility in her indie movie “Tiny Furniture,” and in her current, hugely honest and self-referential HBO hit series “Girls.) The whole middle of the over-two-minute video -- hectoring college-aged kids on how lame it is not to vote -- was fine. It was the beginning and the end, in which she talks about “her first time,” and that it should be “special” and that “you want to do it with a great guy” that was creepy and cringe-inducing. “Before I was a girl. Now I was a woman. I went to the polling station, behind the polling curtain, I voted for Barack Obama.” Yuck. The self-obsession is not cute in this context. Sexualizing the vote is plain dumb. I actually preferred the spot showing a woman in a pink felt vagina suit, talking about how Democrats treat her well. (The whole crazy talk of “legitimate rape” or rape as a “gift” on the right has brought out a certain fierce vaginal politics on the left. ) The absolute worst was Michael Moore’s spot for MoveOn.org. It opens on a shot of the “Rosebud Nursing Home.” Then it shows sweet little old people cursing like sailors! Hey, that’s a cliche we’ve seen a gazillion times -- why not include a rapping granny while you’re at it? It’s a shame really, because when the first elderly woman (an actress identified as age 97) introduces herself, she has a beautiful voice and says something interesting: “My first vote was in 1940 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and I have not missed an election since.” Given that vantage point, I was interested in hearing what her opinion of this year’s election was, in a sort of documentary, Rick Burns-ish way. Instead, she says: “I want the Republican party to know, if your voter suppression throughout this beautiful country enables Romney to oust Barack Obama, we will burn this motherfucker down.” Adds Dorothy, a woman of color identified as “age 75”: “If the Republicans steal this election, I’m going to track down Mitt Romney and give him the world’s biggest cock punch… right in the nut sack.” Gee, that’s helpful. That’ll teach him. The Greatest-Generation World War II vet who says he’s gonna watch us having sex after he dies if Romney steals the election just reaffirms that someone should have told Moore this is sophomoric bullshit, not good enough for MoveOn. But, finally, here’s the good news: We have about a year of campaign-ad free airwaves to look forward to now. Enjoy.