Two of the biggest consumer packaged goods marketers urged agencies and marketers to deploy consumer-centric integrated marketing approaches, experiment with new media, and develop holistic
marketing platforms that will enable them to execute a single idea across all media. Tim Kopp, section manager, Beauty Care Division, Procter & Gamble, told Ad:Tech-Chicago attendees that it
doesn't take a big budget to test and experiment with emerging media including the Web, digital video recorders, and wireless. "You need to be constantly in touch with your consumer beyond the
occasional focus group ... You have to look for new ways to connect with consumers," Kopp said Tuesday during the Ad:Tech panel "Big Brands...Big Thinking."
Kopp offered examples of P&G's use of
online media in programs for Olay brand skincare products and the Pantene Sonic Comb. A recent online program for Olay had the goal of driving low-cost targeted trial and boosting loyalty. The
target was women 25 + who are Olay consumers. P&G used online advertising with a customer relationship management component and saw results 2-3 times higher than offline programs. Kopp said
two-thirds of the consumers opted in to the CRM element, an e-newsletter on Olay products and skincare tips.
For the Pantene Sonic Comb, a specialized, niche product designed to improve hair
health, Kopp said that 2.5 million consumers globally received online hair "consultations." The online program leveraged the existing Pantene brand platform, "6 Signs of healthy hair."
Mary Beth
Stone-West, senior vice president-general manager, Meals Division, Kraft Foods, offered examples of Kraft's use of integrated media. The world's second largest food and beverage company is known for
its innovative use of online media and communication. The company's Kraft.com, Candystand.com, and Postopia.com have become major online destinations for games, cooking and meal preparation tips,
and recipe search, ideas, and how-tos. Kraft.com receives 3.4 million visits and nearly 2 million unique users per month, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. "Kraft's new definition of integrated
marketing is a participatory consumer experience," Stone-West said.
Stone-West cited Kraft's "Easy Mac" multimedia campaign as an example of the company's ability to successfully leverage a key
consumer insight. The goal of the program was to drive trial of Kraft's "Easy Mac" Macaroni & Cheese product in households with teen boys. The product, which can be made in a microwave in 3.5
minutes, was developed with the idea that moms are looking for ways to connect with their teenage sons. The campaign, which ran on several websites and on TV, encouraged teens to create a video
recording of themselves while they waited for the Mac & Cheese to cook. The 3.5-minute wait was referred to as "me-time." The teen in the TV commercial Stone-West showed was clowning around while
waiting for his snack to cook. "The goal with Easy Mac was to build a connection with a target that's less passive [than a TV target]," she said, adding that the Internet's two-way communication is
unique and offers the opportunity to create a meaningful connection with target customers. The campaign kicked off in the second quarter and the results aren't in yet.
Stone-West's other example
of an insight-driven idea was sugar-free, zero- carb Jell-O. She said the campaign for the new product boosted sales 20 percent in the first five months of 2004. "We're now trying to take [the
idea] in-store." She also admitted that the low-carb craze caught Kraft off- guard. "We were forced to find other media to respond [to it]. Technology has helped us respond in a more expedient way,"
she added.
One use of new media and technology by Kraft is a service where consumers can register to receive a recipe or meal-planning suggestion on their Blackberry device prior to coming home
from work.
P&G's Kopp advised marketers and agencies to pre-test creative. For the examples Kopp described, P&G copy tested 5-7 types of creative. For the Olay campaign, unaided awareness nearly
doubled for an 11 percent lift. The online testing helped; Kopp said P&G saw a double-digit sales lift for the product.
Gaming, Kopp noted, is an area all marketers should look at, as Forrester
projects that 110 million + people in the U.S. and Europe will be engaging in online gaming in 2005. Kopp said more women than men are into online gaming, which offers an effective way to target
consumers. "You know where they play, what they play" and there's an opportunity to integrate brands into the gaming experience.
P&G teamed up with Electronic Arts to create a gaming tie-in for
Old Spice Red Zone deodorant. EA's NCAA 2004 football game employed a "Red Zone" theme and leveraged the tagline "When performance matters most." The tie-in, which included online and TV
advertising, had the "highest ROI of any marketing element in the past three years of Old Spice." Message association increased more than 200 percent, Kopp said, adding that holistic communication
across media was key to the success of the program.