Callaway Golf is launching a social campaign via Austin, Texas, digital firm Mass Relevance that precedes the January launch of a high-tech driver. The effort, "Tweet to Unleash," targets year-round golfers who are inclined to engage in social media. The campaign lets golfers Tweet with #LongestDriverInGolf to get a look at the club and be entered to win one of 10 drivers before they hit the shelves next year. It also lets users unlock various portals to content and shows multi-stream, real-time tweets from participating golfers and a counter with the number of drivers still available to participants. The creative around the Twitter ticker has beauty shots of different parts of the driver, with a “tweet to unleash” message for each photo. When you tweet, you can then get an in-depth rundown of whatever element of the club is hinted at by a given photo. "What sets up well is the execution element of our strategy; it allows us to have more of a conversation with fans and followers and let them feel more part of what we do versus a one-way message," says Harry Arnett, SVP of marketing at Callaway. He tells Marketing Daily that the campaign bucks the status quo. "This is a secretive, controlled, and highly 'marketed' sport when it comes to product launches; it's where consumer electronics was eight years ago. We wanted to do the exact opposite of that and let consumers feel like part of it, let them comment on it -- good, bad and ugly.'' Says Mass Relevance CMO Matt Corey: "Callaway is going to be one of the first that jumps out to say we are going to tie paid media, digital efforts, and other marketing to drive to an owned media experience. The effort follows a similar one-week project last summer via Mass Relevance that drove more people to follow them on Twitter than the top three competitors combined, per Corey. "At the end of the day, marketers are looking for ways to amplify the brand.” Arnett says the approach also aligns with Callaway's brand DNA around being approachable, friendly and fun. "So we wanted to do that in a modern and contemporary way. It's sort of the tip of our spear; this the first breaking of the ice. This is also a test to see how this might work going forward." The KPI's are oriented toward awareness, click throughs and conversation, he says. "[Twitter] has become an integral part of conversation in the culture at large. We want to build out this network -- a Callaway environment -- from internal to sales reps and customers." He adds that PGA tour players will also participate.
As Thanksgiving weekend approaches, a new study says stores can expect consumers to be working their mobile and social mojo much harder than last year. Deloitte, which surveyed just under 5,100 adults, says 68% of all smartphone owners expect to use them to shop this holiday. And 48% say social media will figure into their shopping plans, at least at some level. Retailers, who have long known that smartphone shoppers are both among the wiliest and most affluent, may be surprised at just how much: Deloitte, which found that 50% of respondents own a smartphone, reports that crowd plans to spend 72% more on the holidays than those without. So far, people’s plans for those phones are fairly conventional, with 62% intending to use them to get store locations, 58% to comparison shop and 50% to get product information. But retailers who offer these shoppers more than the bare bones of mobile commerce stand to gain: The study finds that the conversion rate for shoppers using a retailer’s dedicated mobile app is 21% higher than those who don’t, for example. As a result, Deloitte expects to see retailers working hard to woo these shoppers with apps, Wi-Fi access, and personalized location promotions. (Kohl’s, Macy’s and Target are among the stores already doing so.) Overall, Deloitte expects in-store sales that have been influenced in some way by smartphone to reach $36 billion, roughly 5% of total holiday store sales. Forty-five percent say they plan to do some shopping online. But an even bigger percentage -- 48% -- say they intend to use social networks to shop, either by looking for discounts (54%), scouting for gift ideas (53%) or reading reviews via social networks (47%.) “The store continues to be central to holiday shopping, but its role and that of the store associate is evolving as the physical and virtual shopping experiences merge,” the consulting company says in its release of the results. “Associates should be more informed and empowered than in the past; they should have the ability to make price-matching decisions on the spot, and be well-versed on promotions and products that customers are viewing via the retailer’s mobile and online channels.”
Country singer and “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery is featured in the latest ads for Bojangles Restaurants. In the first of two new 30-second TV spots from Charlotte, N.C.-based agency BooneOakley, McCreery performs a new theme song for the chicken-and-biscuits chain, “Bojangles’ Town.” His performance is intercut with handheld video footage of down-home scenes like high school football, tailgating, a Little League outfield and a fire truck on parade. The second spot is more in line with typical efforts in the chain’s “It’s Bo Time” campaign, which show scenarios in which fans get so distracted by their Bojangles meals that they’re oblivious to even the most outlandish events going on around them. McCreery and his band are shown hanging out backstage before a concert, enjoying the chicken, biscuits and tea from a “Big Bo Box.” As waiting fans chant loudly in the background, McCreery’s manager begs him to start the show, reminding him: “This stadium holds 20,000.” McCreery, unmoved, points to the box and replies: “This holds tea.” The TV advertising is being supported by four radio spots, P-O-P signage, table-tops, and a McCreery music download offer. All of the efforts target a young primary audience, 18-34, skewing female and a broader, 18-54 secondary audience. Media is handled directly by franchisees in all of the chain’s East Coast states (from Maryland to Florida, plus Tennessee, Alabama and D.C.). Bojangles has more than 500 locations in 10 states, primarily in the Southeast.
Attempting to get a foothold in a smartphone market dominated by Apple and Samsung, LG is showing consumers they have another outside-the-box choice via a new advertising campaign for the Optimus G. A new national advertising campaign, which broke on Monday from Strawberryfrog in New York, depicts a man in a drab, gray room. As he begins to break down the walls of the room to emerge into a sun-strewn meadow, a voiceover touts the unique features of the phone, which include the ability to zoom while shooting a video and using two apps simultaneously. The end of the spot reveals that the man in the room is, in fact, an actor shooting a commercial. “This [campaign] is taking LG to the next level, with a reinvigorated point of view, and that’s what breaking through the walls is all about,” Scott Goodson, chairman of Strawberryfrog, tells Marketing Daily. “The key is the huge technological game-changer that this phone represents [away] from the pack of Apple and Samsung.” The phone features touted in the ad, which will run in 60-, 30- and 15-second versions, are truly unique to the smartphone world, says April Won, account director at Strawberryfrog. “There are things about this phone that you can’t get from other phones,” she tells Marketing Daily. “Whereas others are saying you can do something similar, the idea of having two applications overlaid [on top of each other] is unique to the LG phone.” With some differentiating features in a hot category during the holiday season, LG is also hoping the device (and its campaign) will connect with a youthful audience to give it some more hip cachet. “We wanted an emotive campaign that blew the dust out and blew the walls out and put LG on a platform especially for the younger consumers,” he says. “You have to start with a product with something different to offer. It’s also all about attitude: Attitude, vitality, energy and the feeling this brand is alive, progressive and dynamic.”
Home carbonated beverage maker SodaStream has been around since the 1980s. Surprised, right? Unless you grew up in Europe (in the '80s SodaStream had 40% market penetration in the UK), you probably thought the company started around the time Mark Zuckerberg left college, if that. And there's a good chance that if you know about the brand it's because the Airport City, Israel-based company has been promoting its devices at the grassroots level as a solution to the global PET problem -- the Earth-choking proliferation of plastic soda bottles. The company is now using a bullhorn to build awareness. A global $18 million campaign -- its first -- touts the brand as a maker of carbon-footprint and family soda-budget shrinkers, not to mention of cool lifestyle devices. That's a big change from the more traditional fun and/or ersatz home-appliance approach -- typical for the sector -- that it has used in the past. With the new TV, print, OOH, radio and Web campaign, the company is also taking a moral stand against the big dogs in beverages as spewers of plastic bottles. The TV spot, "The SodaStream Effect," makes the point that home carbonation essentially removes plastic soda bottles from the environment. It breaks on national and cable on Nov. 12 in the U.S. It will also air in many of the company's 45 global markets including Australia, Czech Republic and several Nordic countries. Next year, the effort expands throughout Europe. The ad shows different scenes of soda bottles disappearing instantaneously as people use the SodaStream soda maker. It closes with the commentary, "With SodaStream, you can save 2,000 bottles per year." There's also a new tag: "If you love the bubbles, set them free." The rebranding campaign, via The Common Agency, whose creative chief is Alex Bogusky of CP+B fame, includes a logo redesign and a new, sleeker look for its carbonator, via designer Yves Béhar. In the U.S., the campaign also addresses the national obesity epidemic and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign against oversized sodas. The idea is to get consumers to cut back on the sugar and try home-based carbonation. "I think we are at the stage of moving from a product focus to brand building, to compete with store-bought soda," says Ilan Nacasch, CMO of SodaStream International, adding that in addition to confronting Big Soda, the campaign establishes SodaStream as an aspirational lifestyle brand. "And that's why we have changed the logo, the visual identity, and the design of the product, combining beauty and functionality." He tells Marketing Daily that the company is also touting SodaStream homemade fizz as containing one-third the calories of store-bought sodas (although one can use the device to carbonate anything, presumably) and that the brand is a leader in introducing stevia as a natural sweetener. "There are many benefits, but we chose one [for the global campaign] that really makes us stand out," he says of the green focus. Buyers around the world, he adds, have been early adopters, and health-conscious consumers. Another cohort, he says, are big families who are heavy users of sodas and looking for a money-saving alternative. "For them, soda is a big part of their budget."
The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) November report shows evidence of increased sensitivity to pricing, which may put pressure on retailers to offer earlier and bigger discounts in order to boost sales this holiday season. In a challenged economy where real income growth remains sluggish, consumers are more sensitive to price than in a booming economy. As a result, falling prices tend to have a stronger positive impact on customer satisfaction, while rising prices have the opposite effect. The report includes the annual measure of the consumer non-durable industries: food manufacturing, apparel, athletic shoes and pet food. Each of these industries demonstrates customer satisfaction trends that show evidence of increased sensitivity to pricing. The November report also includes ACSI’s third-quarter National Index score, which is the macroeconomic indicator of consumer spending based on the aggregate of all measured industries. ACSI measures more than 230 companies across 47 industries, each annually. It remains unchanged at 75.9 for a third consecutive quarter. While satisfaction remains high, don't expect a boost in consumer demand, said Claes Fornell, ACSI founder and a University of Michigan business administration professor. “The numbers for economic growth continue to fall short of what is needed for a healthy recovery,” Fornell said in a release.“In an economy that depends heavily on consumer demand, it is hard to envision rapid growth given a flat trend in customer satisfaction that is coupled with only tentative improvement in wages and employment.” Each measured industry this month illustrates increased price sensitivity from the consumer, and this may portend things to come during the holiday shopping season. Price stability helps food manufacturers improve customer satisfaction, while apparel drops to an eight-year low amid rising costs for raw materials. Heinz maintains the category lead at a high level of 89. Among all companies in the 47 industries covered by the ACSI, Heinz ranks second from the top. Following Heinz, four companies earn satisfaction scores of 85 to 86, including three candymakers. Mars slips 1% to 86, while Hershey and Nestlé both gain 1% to 85. PepsiCo’s Quaker brand improves 2% to tie Mars for second place. Aside from Mars, Kraft is the only other company to buck the industry’s positive trend. It slides 2% to match its previous low of 81. Apparel brands studied are Hanesbrands Inc., Jones Apparel Group, Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Liz Claiborne, Inc. and VF Corporation. Athletic shoes brands in the report are Adidas AG and NIKE, Inc., while food manufacturers examined are: Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills, Hershey Foods Corporation, H.J. Heinz Company, Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Incorporated, Nestle S.A., Inc., Quaker Foods, Sara Lee Corporation, and Tyson Foods, Inc. Pet food brands examined in the study are Del Monte Foods Company, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc, Mars Incorporated, Nestle Purina PetCare Company and The Iams Company. "Shocked Shopper photo from Shutterstock"
In the mid-90s, I recall reading an article that estimated Web-based advertising to be an inconsequential $50 million. Roughly 15 years later, however, online advertising is a business of over $70 billion. With tablet-based advertising, I believe we're starting to see a shift that will be just as dramatic, but its transition will happen at far faster speeds. Due to a categorical misunderstanding, however, few people in tech have grasped how significant this change will be. Let me explain. The hard numbers behind the rise of tablets By the end of this year over 74 million tablets will be in use in the U.S., and over 115 million next year, according to a report from OPA. By 2017, the total market may grow as large as 400 million worldwide, according to NPD. In late 2011, U.S. mobile ad revenues were $1.2 billion, and are projected to be $4.4 billion by 2015, according to eMarketer. With those numbers, even if tablet spending only represents 25% of mobile advertising in the U.S. alone, then we’re already looking at a sector of $1 billion+ a year. I believe the tablet space can and will become much larger than that. Far too often, tablets and smartphones are placed in the same category, and this is a fundamental error. Here’s why. Tablets offer an immersive, multi-engagement experience Our tracking data suggests that tablets are most often used at home for entertainment, which backs up recent research by both IAB and OPA suggesting that short-form entertainment and news video content are king among tablet users, with magazine readership much higher than that for smartphones. Tablets create a deep level of interaction with the consumer, where content is literally delivered to their fingertips. This makes the user interaction unique -- especially when we’re talking about a brand engagement experience. On a tablet app, an ad is not segregated to a separate ad box next to the piece of content you really want to see -- but instead, can be a rich media ad format that takes up the entire screen, creating an intimate experience between the brand and the end user. Even more noteworthy, while most ads on laptops are delivered during a time when meaningful consideration is not likely, ads on tablets can be experienced during periods of peak receptivity. Not surprisingly, a recent study suggests that tablet-based activities are more commerce-related. What’s more, since tablet ownership tracks to the more affluent and tech-savvy, we will be seeing disproportionately high rates of upscale shopping and travel conducted on tablets. Where tablet advertising needs to go from here Despite all this growth and potential, tablet-centric advertising is still in its infancy. As app developers continue the process of learning to work on the format, I recommend experimentation. However, I also want to emphasize how important it is to start doing this now; if you don't begin in the next 6 months, your firm stands a strong chance of falling behind its competitors. Few brands are thinking big about tablets, let alone mobile. Of the $70B spent on desktop advertising, only $1-2 billion is spent on mobile, and just a fraction on tablet-specific ad campaigns -- although the report from IAB this summer suggests that tablet consumers are twice as likely to interact with ads compared to mobile users. I suspect that major sponsors will soon be in a desperate scramble to catch up with smaller and more agile competitors on tablets. There are reasons why advertisers are slow to take advantage of this opportunity: While mobile advertising is directed at people willing to make in-app payments or download an app, the big brands aren’t looking for either of those things. Brands want to engage their audiences. They want to find the market that fits their product best. None of that data readily exists now, but it’s coming. Also, brands had to wait for iOS6 to have access to a clean (i.e., non-UDID) way to track attribution and therefore ROI of their in-app mobile campaigns. Indeed, the recent iOS 6 update comes with the IFA (Identifier For Advertising), which offers an opt-out framework for the user. In this way, Apple seems to finally be creating the right platform for advertisers who want to leverage mobile and tablets far more. For now, however, one thing is certain: Those who do not begin to innovate in this space next year will soon wonder why they lost touch with their customers.