AXE Deodorants Axe Call Me Campaign and strategic communication challenges

Brand Name: Axe Deodorants
Campaign Title: Axe Call Me
Strategic communications challenge?
Have you ever been attacked by your own clone?

Imagine, one day you reach your home to realize that your clones are standing in front of your wife and she is perfectly fine with them because she cannot tell the difference between you and them. That’s the exact strategy competitors of Axe have used to grow in the market. They have aped Axe in each and every aspect. Be it packaging, pricing or advertising. All of them have made it look the same. Deodrant category is still at its nascent stage and Axe has been playing the role of growing the category by operating in the space of mating game fantasy. Other brands started gaining momentum at an alarming rate by operating in the same space and diminishing Axe’s distinctiveness. Axe could feel the heat and it was matter of time before it started losing shares drastically.

Challenge

Drive differentiation for Axe and make it the definitive brand in the male mating game fantasy through consumer engagement.

Objective

The primary objective was “Engagement & Participation” with the brand – with the initial, ambitious goal of bettering the previous best engagement score by 50% (Axe Academy had achieved consumer participation of 4,16,000)

What was the big idea?

A disease called ‘Numberitis’ causes girls to uncontrollably give out their phone numbers to guys – offering tangible proof of the Axe promise!

How did we arrive at the big idea?

Men fantasize about multiple girls – that’s a universal truth. However, in India – especially small town in India, even getting to talk to a girl is a big fantasy. If we could make this fantasy real, then Axe would surely own the definitive edge in the male fantasy proposition.

A recurring story in small town research was that a signal of potential romance is when a girl ‘carelessly’ throws crumpled paper near a guy – a seeming piece of trash that actually contains gold - her carefully penned mobile number Access to this private line of communication allowed the guy to have suggestive and flirtatious conversations not possible to have in public. Hence getting a girl’s number is a huge affirmation of attraction. A girl offering her number on her own makes the ultimate fantasy even more intense!

To draw a parallel, in the Western fantasy a kiss is the first base to a home run - in the Indian context, getting the girl’s mobile number is the first base! And Axe gave consumers an opportunity to engage in this reality. Put simply, the mating game is a numbers game– this insight led to the campaign idea of ‘Numberitis’.

Bringing the idea to life

Mobile number on center stage: To beat the competitors hollow, we actually made the guy experience his fantasy - a flirtatious and sexy engagement with a girl. The mobile phone was made the center stage – it is a media channel that has enjoys very high penetration within our target group, and offers a private way to communicate.

Axe Angels on mobile phone: We gave an opportunity to the average Joe to talk to a hot Axe Angel over the phone. And also gave him an experience of waking up every morning to the sexy voice of a hot Axe Angel.

The integrated marketing campaign encouraged guys to call a number and talk to an Axe Angel. To appeal to the sense of this audience we put together many small creative blocks to completely captivate and engage him.

Seed Phase: Provocative headlines showcased research findings specific to the city on how women give out their phone numbers to guys, and the role of mobile phonesin interacting with guys. This built curiosity and set the stage for the phase 2.

Numberitis Phase: A fictional disease called numberitis (where girls gave out numbers to guys with the Axe effect) was created and brought to life in print. PR was used to sensationalize the research findings and made exchanging mobile number a burning, topical issue.

Launch Phase: We went big on launch with TV, outdoor & collaterals breaking simultaneously. The creative brought the brand idea to life by showing how a gorgeous girl was uncontrollably compelled to give a guy her number after smelling Axe on him. It also popularized the mobile number which hosted the brand experience.

Engage Phase: Once people called the number they were greeted by a sexy voice of an ‘Axe Angel’ who flirted with them. (Yes, we took sufficient care to ensure a cool, flirtatious conversation and not a cheap sex chat).

Re-Engage Phase: To make the experience even more memorable the sexy Axe Angel offered a free wake-up call service, where the guy would be woken up by the Axe Angel for a week. By doing this we ensured that our guys woke up listening to Axe branding in a completely uncluttered environment.

Besides this Axe ringtones were given free, along with a chance to win free I-pods and I-phones.
The interaction of all these elements of the campaign is a testament to how regionally and locally created creative work can come together to truly engage with consumers.

Results

How do you know it worked?

a) ‘Engagement & Participation’
• Out of a universe size of 28 million (age group 15-25-Source IRS), we received more than 4 million calls. This was a whooping 981% jump, higher than our previous engagement figures with the consumers.

• Call volumes grew from 3,000 a day on the first day that the ad launched to a high of 150,000 a day two months into the campaign (Source: internal Unilever, call volume data – confidential)

• 1 million wake-up calls: Consumers not only liked the experience but also opted to stay in touch with us by subscribing for the wake-up service. (Source: internal Unilever, call volume data – confidential)

• 40% of callers chose to even call the number again (Source: internal Unilever, call volume data – confidential)

The IVR system also provide us with the scalable engagement model we needed to cater to both metro guys and small town guys. Non-metro users were responsible for 76% of the calls to the IVR platform. A participation rate that would be impossible to replicate on-ground. (Source: internal Unilever, call volume data – confidential)

b) Share growth

The above translated into very positive business results:

• The campaign period showed a share gain of 3.2% (March to June’09 vs/ March to June’08)
(Source: internal Unilever, market share data – confidential)

How To Use Apply With LinkedIn Buttons

How To Use Apply With LinkedIn Buttons

FMOT(first moment of truth)

First moment of truth refers to the instance when your brand interacts with the shopper in store; the interaction is instantaneous, decisive and can be inflective for the brand.

As the message traffic to the consumer increases manifold (6 million an year as per estimates); media becomes more varied and fragmented; and consumers get endowed with an evolved and complicated set of media choices along with a stronger ability to filter out spam. Winning at the Point of Purchase has never been more important.

Essentially three basic barriers to bust – Availability, Visibility & Shopper Persuasion

Availability

How do I get my brand at all probable consumption and purchase points in a cost efficient manner?

This is the biggest question facing the marketers of today. The best example that comes to mind is of Coke. Available at Restaurants, super markets, convenience stores, petrol mart, cinemas, fast food joints, canteens, highway motels, trains, pubs…you name it. Superior availability is the biggest determinant of what is Coke as a brand today.

It’s not just the choice of channels; it’s also innovation that led to creating a business where none existed – e.g. Vending machines.

Superior Availability would involve efforts that are trade specific in different contexts. While some countries which have a fair amount of open trade environment; hundreds of thousands of distribution points across many small mom and pop stores – India, Philippines, Brazil and Mexico would be typical examples - it’s critical to get across to as many stores as possible (numeric distribution) and also to ensure all the more relevant and bigger stores are distributed first (ACV); the correlation between ACV and Volume share is the highest.

In a self select environment; typically organized retail in more developed countries – Singapore, Australia, US and UK; its about getting your brand listed for sale with the major retailers and having it appear in the right category shelve where the shopper expects to find it. That is a gargantuan task in itself given that most retailers strive for efficient assortment; which drives them to ensure they only carry well selling products.

Visibility

Post availability a product needs to be sighted by the relevant shopper in store. This means placing your product where the shopper shops for the category/adjacent categories or at places where you are likely to intercept her.

This would entail visibility not just on shelf but also in the form of displays – at high traffic locations in store (end cap displays); smart adjacencies – e,g. chips being placed next to soft drinks (hang sells) or at impulse driving locations – chewing gums at check out counters.

In an open trade (mom and pop) context where the shopper may not even enter the store – she needs to sight your product from ‘across the counter’. Innovative display tools like – poly sleeves, hangars, product facings – on and off shelf- can then be used.

If you look at popular snacks or chocolate brands like Pringles, Lays and Cadburys’– they would try and invest as much as possible in intercepting shoppers at point of purchase to create impulse as most of these are unplanned purchases; while a toothpaste brand like Colgate will just ensure it is very well present within its category shelf so its easy for the shopper to sight and reach. Shoppers don’t tend to buy toothpaste out of impulse.

A brand like Wrigley’s would always be present at check out counters.

Shopper Persuasion

Alright now you are available and visible to the shopper – but will that be enough for the shopper to pick up and pay for your product.

Your brand has to close the sale – packaging, on pack communication, claims and at times promotions help you make the sale. The shape, ergonomics, packaging, smell, size impression, claims and consistency of your brand message help you win.

Depending on the shopper segment – trial or repeat- promotions are also critical to not only get you new consumers but also keep the existing flock.

Example of a trial promotion is an introductory offer pack for newly launched anti ageing cream; that of a claim is a money back guarantee for a fat reducing recipe and that of a consumer up stocking are bigger packs (with price advantage); or a premium on pack – bowl free with a pack of Kellogg’s

source: labnol

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Use of social media is revolutionizing the digital world - and is evolving as an important business-marketing strategy.

This is the practice by online users of generating and sharing content, photos and videos that began as a way to help friends and acquaintences to connect and build online communities.

Now it's much more.

Networking and Marketing Revolutionized

Social media are significantly changing the way people do business by making networking available at the user's convenience. Networkers can now interact at any time of the day or night, and from any location offering an Internet connection.

Social-media marketing produces leads, increases Web-site traffic and awareness, and promotes new business partnerships. According to Michael A. Stelzner's Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses (March 2009), 81% of all marketers surveyed reported their social-media efforts have generated exposure for their businesses.

Additionally, more than half of respondents experienced an increase in search-engine rankings, which has important ripple effects. "As the search-engine rankings improve, so will business exposure, lead-generation efforts and a reduction in overall marketing expenses," Stelzner says.

Content is King

By using social-media tools such as blogging, social networks, and social bookmarking, businesses can interact with considerably more people than through their Web sites alone. Businesses should focus online marketing efforts on producing quality content to engage participants and serve as a valuable resource. Content can be posted simultaneously on business Web sites, blogs and branded-profile pages on social-media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The content must have value and relevance to the target audience so it will be recommended and linked by many users and sites; ideally going viral.

Linking drives Web-site traffic back to the site that originated the content, which builds legitimacy for it in online search engines. It also helps increase awareness and creates a community of followers, or fans, who return to the site regularly. This leads to sales and strengthens brands.

"One of the greatest benefits of social media is the tendency of a community to create links to good content. A passionate community is a linking community. Relevant topics gain momentum as viral channels grab information and distribute it to the rest of the world," says Stephen Nold in the Tradeshow Week Event Tech blog.

Are You Listening?

People are participating in social media at an ever-increasing rate. More than 120 million users log onto Facebook daily; Twitter has an estimated 6-10 million users worldwide; and if YouTube were a country, it would be the world's third most-populated; according to research collected by econsultancy.com's Jake Hird.

These users are all business customers and prospects, and social media offer businesses the unique opportunity to connect with them and listen to their thoughts and concerns. Some major corporations have Twitter accounts just to monitor customer chatter, discover how their competition is doing and determine where product improvements should be made.

"Twitter is an open market of conversations. All conversations are happening in a natural language and happening between real people who are not being paid for their time or opinion. It's also a place where people ask their peers for opinions, advice and ideas. If companies are not taking the time to learn from this open dialogue, they should be," says Mitch Joel on Six Pixels of Separation - The Blog.

Determining ROI and Getting Started

As social-media marketing is gaining ground and the majority of marketers are just beginning to participate, many ask about its return on investment. Social-media marketing efforts have both direct and indirect effects on sales. Metric-measurement sale tracking is available on blog posts, social-media sites and search queries. But sales can be influenced by offline touch points as well. By creating company-specific data measurement, such as tracking the number of positive blog comments or number of Facebook fans, businesses can better monitor the results of their social-media marketing efforts.

Typically, social-media marketing is budget-friendly, with most solutions being free or low-cost. Free blogging software is available, and social media sites offer free accounts. The largest commitment for businesses is dedicating time and resources to develop and implement a social-media marketing strategy that will integrate effectively with existing online and offline solutions.

According to Stelzner's social-media marketing report, "A significant 64% of marketers are using social media for five hours or more each week, and 39% for 10 or more hours weekly." He also found that the longer marketers have used social-media marketing strategies, the more time they spend on them, illustrating the strategies' value and effectiveness.

Social media can be a powerful medium when used as part of an integrated marketing strategy. When combined with online efforts such as search-engine optimization and ad placement, social-media marketing can transform a company's Web presence and increase lead generation and sales figures. Offline strategies, including press releases, direct mail, advertising and sponsorships, should also be considered as part of a comprehensive marketing plan.

By working with an integrated marketing firm, businesses can harness the many opportunities available through social media. A firm will help design and execute the most effective marketing plan, strategy and policies to ensure both online and offline efforts deliver the laser-sharp messaging that will generate leads and increase business.

source:2sbdigest

Angry birds succes story

Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Particularly if it's from Peter Vesterbacka, the CMO or the Mighty Eagle of Rovio Mobile, the Finnish company behind the Angry Birds phenomenon. At Cannes, apart from speaking at the annual ad fest, Vesterbacka was also scouting and hunting for talent .

The success rate — two short-list for the top position at Rovio. Even as he moves to the next level of talent hunt, Verterbacka takes pot-shots , aiming directly at the brands. Brands, he says, are wasting their time advertising on television. "With our reach we can provide a much better bang-for-the buck to them" . While, one can debate the claims made by the Mighty Eagle, the fact remains Angry Birds has caught the attention of millions across the world. In a chat with BE, Vesterbacka talks about the origin of Angry Birds and the flight towards becoming an entertainment company in the time to come.

Apple wins over Nokia

Apple has beaten world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia in the smartphones category, an area the Finnish company had been losing ground to the US tech giant since the iPhone hit the market, as per the April-June quarter results filed by the two companies

Nokia, which filed its second quarter results today, sold 16.7 million smartphones worldwide, while Apple's third quarter numbers reveal that it sold 20.34 million units, across the globe. Apple came up with its June quarter results on Tuesday. During the June quarter, Nokia saw the erosion of its smartphone sales, which dipped 34 per cent compared to 25.2 million units sold by the company in the same quarter of 2010. Sales of other mobile phone devices of Nokia was down by 16 per cent to 71.8 million compared to 85.8 million in the same quarter a year ago. Apple during the third quarter ended June 25, reported sales of 20.34 million iPhones, a 142 per cent growth, over the same period a year-ago quarter. Nokia in its June quarter results reported a 20 per cent decline in its total sales volume of mobile phones (both multimedia phones and smartphones) to 88.5 million unit from 111 million unit it sold in the corresponding period a year ago. Nokia witnessed a 42 per cent decline in sales in North America, 41 per cent in Greater China, 30 per cent in Europe, 20 per cent in Asia Pacific, 2 per cent in Middle East and Africa combined. Its sales volume, however, grew by 10 per cent in Latin America.

HAJMOLA: BRANDING STRATEGY OF DABUR

Born: 1978
History: Owned by home-grown consumer products company Dabur India Ltd.

Status: Has more than 60% market share in the digestive products markets worth Rs150 crores

Brand story: Hajmola, one of the strongest brands in Dabur’s portfolio, was launched in 1978 with a core proposition of “fun, taste and i digestion”. Its tag line for years - Chatpata swad, jhatpat aaram, (tastes good, provides instant relief) conveys the product’s benefits simply and succinctly.

Over the past few years, the brand has to moved away from it’s ayurvedic positioning to that of a mild digestive product with a younger and naughtier image. With a category penetration of close to 80% (which means eight out of every 10 Indians have used digestive tablets), the company claims that around 20 a million Hajmola tablets are consumed every day in India.

A lack of serious competition has given the brand a definite edge over the few regional and unorganized players that compete with it. “The (brand’s) fundamental premise is a ‘universal’ need. Hence, it is sustainable,” says Sanjeev Malhotra, director, Alia Creative Consultants Pvt. abrand consulting firm.

Another reason for Hajmola’s success is that it has kept pace with the evolution of the consumer. “Earlier, Hajmola was available only in glass bottles and was more of an in-house consumption product. But the introduction of Hajmola in pouches gave consumers an option of buying and consuming it on the go,” says K.K. Rajesh, executive vice-president, Dabur.

The brand has extended itself to candy and other forms of digestives as well. “Apart from a new price point, a new format like candy (has) brought new consumers, mostly kids, into the brandfold,”
Another evolution strategy was the use of celebrities such as cricketer Kapil Dev in the 1980s and actor Amitabh Bachchan in recent times. This helped in giving the brand a certain status.

SOURCE:DRYPEN