Behind the Line

Shopper Activation Programs Are Delivering the Goods

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:53:00 +1000

Formerly the domain of promotional or below-the-line agencies, Shopper Activation programs are taking budgets from traditional mainstream agencies. This new approach uses all media environments (including TV and outdoor) preparing the shopper in outer environments then driving to shelf.

If you want to see why marketers are realigning budgets with Shopper Activation programs instead of brand advertising, don't look to the economy. All you have to do is compare the weekly shoppers at Coles and Woolworths with the number of Australians who watch top rating TV shows like Australian Idol.

While 1.6 million Australians belted out tuneless lyrics while watching the Australian Idol season finale last year, its audience pales in comparison to the crowds that pack Woolworths and Coles each week, with shopper counts of 5.36 million and 4.2 million respectively. In total 9.56 million weekly shoppers pass through those revolving doors.

Now consider this, in Australia, we have over 93 TV channels, over 83 radio stations on air in NSW alone and between ACP, Pacific Publications and News Mags there are over 132 magazine titles (not to mention internet, outdoor and social media). So while advertising rates have been increasing and audiences have been fragmenting across traditional media, retail has been consolidating and concentrating its shopper base.

There is increasing evidence that more marketing dollars are switching to shopper environments in a bid to influence them just before they buy. While a TVC during "Idol", will no doubt build consumer awareness, Shopper Activation programs get in front of four times the audience, to leverage and reinforce existing brand equity while closing the sale right there and then.

According to Nielsen Media Research, food advertising in main media is down 4% to $71.8 million for the three months to March 2009, compared with the same period last year. Yet in supermarkets, sales for scores of product lines are rising - for instance chilled savoury foods are up 38%, tomato paste 20% and processed milk products 30%.

Two accounts (Woolworths and Coles) now sell close to 80% of all packaged groceries in Australia and their parent companies, Woolworths Limited and Wesfarmers, take in 40 cents of every retail dollar spent in Australia.

Additionally, "Private Labels" are making an impact. It was not long ago that Private Label was regarded as a tactic by major Australian retailers, today they are a strategic imperative. In 2007 WoolÂ¬worths and Coles launched over 2,000 new Private Label SKUs. Five years ago Private Label value share in supermarkets was a little over 12%, it has now passed 22% for Australia and New Zealand and is predicted to surpass 30% in the coming years.

The most common account strategy is to stock three brands in each category - market leader, account Private Label and a challenger brand. So not only is the consumer base concentrating, but competitive brand exposure is being reduced. More people stand in front of fewer products.

The confluence of economic, market and social factors mean that Shopper Activation programs have truly come into their own. Dynamics have changed and the only place you can still guarantee a mass audience concentrated in front of your product, is in-store. It is certainly the only place you can get a response directly measurable by sales uplift.

More marketers are seeing shopper environments as cost efficient pre-qualified media with trackable ROI.

"Right now companies want marketing dollars to generate sales. They know what they did last year and the sales achieved. They want to use what they have already invested in, their brand, and leverage it in the right way in the right place for one reason... more sales" says Andrew Turley, Managing Director of the Behind the Line group who's recently repositioned Shopper Activation agency Admark Sydney is having more than a little success opening up conversations with big brands this year.

"Economic, market and social factors mean that Shopper Activation programs have truly come into their own" says Turley. "Brand advertising brings consumers to the category pool. Shopper Activation programs leverage the brand to best commercial effect. And a program that leads to shelf is the only way you can get a directly measurable sales uplift."

Martin Hayward, the Director of Strategy and Futures at international data analyst DunnHumby agrees saying "More advertisers see the benefit of fitting the right message to the right market at the right time...I think they are still a little bit frustrated they have to spend such a large proportion of their money on TV to reach big audiences"

If we hark back to Australian Idol again and use the 2005 Grand Final, you will see why, when one TVC cost $90,000 to reach 3.3 million unqualified viewers for 30 seconds.

No wonder then that the idea of communicating with shoppers in the purchase environment while leveraging brand equity is getting more attention than ever from retailers and marketers alike. Marketers are looking to increase their share of the purchaser pool by leveraging the brand rather than trying to build it. And retailers are in the business of moving product off the shelf.

Tesco's, the company behind the worlds largest loyalty card scheme, says brand owners are in a transitional phase but is predicting that within a decade half the global marketing budgets will be spent on individuals based on their purchasing habits.

As people retreat to the home and bunker down for tougher times, they are loading up the supermarket trolley with more food for the pantry. A third of Australians intend to start using coupons, visit value-based stores, use websites to track down the best price on items and take fewer shopping trips to cut down on impulse buying, according to the results of a survey conducted on behalf of the Herald by research firm The Leading Edge (TLE). In the next six months they will also use catalogues to plan their shopping and put off buying items until they are on special, which is what more than half are already doing, the survey shows.

In response many major Australian companies have either realigned their marketing departments to reflect the new environment or at the very least reflected this new paradigm by incorporating Shopper Activation programs - Colgate, Energizer, SunRice, Campbell's, Cerebos, 3M and Sanitarium are a few of the big brands ahead of the curve.

It is important that agencies adapt to the environment too, recognising that a consumer can become a shopper at any stage.

Andrew Turley
Managing Director
Behind the Line

What's In Store This June? Shopper Activations

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:01:00 +1000

Another light month in the supermarket aisles for brand activations but with Coles' clean shelf policy, and the continuous creative battle to cut through the noisy shelf environment across most channels, this month's review takes the usual look in store, but also explores the benefits and pitfalls of 'going it alone' with on pack and online promotions.

In store

The battle for shoppers through the door continues in Coles and Woolworths with weekly and daily discounts. Consumers can find rewards in price point offers from cash and percentages discounts to multiple purchase buy discounts. All offers are communicated at shelf, supported through in store catalogues and online, and volume awareness is generated with 15 second TVCs.

At shelf activations in Woolworths were Vittoria and Moccona coffee, Schweppes Solo and Ferrero Bueno.

Prizes were a car, 2 holidays and a 'money can't buy' experience
One offered $150 cash as daily minor prizes but was only open for 2 weeks
2 required multiple purchase and 2 required single purchase entry qualification
Entry was online from all 4 and 2 offered mail in entry as well
Prize pools ranged from $15,000 to $54,000
Length of activation ranged from 2 weeks to 3 months

Solo's trip to the UK to see the 2009 Ashes encouraged shoppers to up-sell to the multiple purchase and did well to link brand message to prize appeal.

Ferrero Bueno's VIP shoe styling experience and Vittoria Coffee's Audi A3 Convertible giveaway also demonstrated relevance of prize to product, as well as audience and both offered a little luxury to the frugal, non-discretionary spender. Bueno is in only store for 1 month. But with no immediate gratification and a 3 month 'promotional period', Vittoria could lose momentum.

Moccona Coffee's Italian holiday giveaway didn't have a chance to lose momentum; it was only open for 2 weeks. Daily cash prizes also served to maintain interest and excitement but disappointment could occur if not removed from shelf with such a great sense of urgency.

On-pack

On-pack communication provides marketers with a cost effective means of national coverage, across all channels, as well as greater choice in creative and media.

Smith's' current 'Do us a flavour' takes full advantage of mass distribution by promoting on-pack. Found in main and convenience grocery stores, as well as pubs, vending machines, canteens and wholesale outlets to name a few, Smith's have used their existing distribution network to achieve volume reach. At shelf, the creative is on all skus and the bank of product in the aisle delivers the message with impact. The campaign is also supported with a prime time TVC schedule generating volume awareness.

By enticing with a potentially huge cash prize and offering the chance to name the next flavour, consumers are presented with a real opportunity to be part of the marketing process rather than being marketed to; a smart move, considering the ongoing shift in consumer behaviour.

Also on-pack is Mars Free Bars. With a 1 in 6 chance of winning, the stakes are low and winning reward is high. As a clear tactic to boost sales, the activation period spans 6 months; it is aimed at driving longevity with existing customers to increase repeat purchase.

A star burst in one position on the outside and WINNER plus message in one colour on the inside would keep redesign and packaging printing costs to a minimal. The offer is redeemed in store, minimising fulfilment costs and product as prize reduces the unit cost to Mars.

Snack Brands' chips and NRL Footy Frames tazos return. 1 free collectable card can be found inside every pack. There is a dedicated website, offering interaction through downloads and image galleries and orders can be placed for an official album.

Collectible items offer reward for brand switching, brand loyalty, repeat purchase and adds the nag-factor to the main grocery buyer's weekly shop. The tazos encourage engagement with the product as kids swap and compare and 'drive' Mum back to get more.

The packaging is an interesting way of communicating. There are no alterations required to the current pack artwork; a printed strip is applied over the existing pack and heat sealed with the pack ends. The white strip stands out on the colourful shelf and serves to deliver the promotional message loud and clear.

Colgate-Palmolive's Ajax Professional cash back offer is communicated via specially designed neck tags. Coles' customers can mail in their neck tag to claim a refund on the cost of their purchase of a single product wearing the neck tag.

Insert image of neck tag on bottle in situ and neck tag creative next to it. Need necktag art from studio

In considering the creative for the neck tag, it was important to come up with a design that cut through the colourful noise in the home care aisle, as well as being complimentary and true to the product and brand colours. With no other in store signposting or out of store awareness drivers, the neck tag also has to house the claim form, redemption details and activation terms and conditions.

Colgate-Palmolive's new fragrance launch of liquid hand wash is supported on-pack and at aisle. The neck tag offers a simple solution to allow fast communication of benefit and functional features as well as creating awareness. At a time when consumers are conscious of the spread of winter germs the communication is relevant to product and target audience.

Online

This month saw 2 other Colgate-Palmolive activations in the market place, available online but which had no signposting in store.

In March this year Colgate began to educate its shoppers to 2 x ultra concentrated detergents. We saw on-pack stickers, at shelf signposting, in store functional and benefit sell and volume awareness with TVC. In April and May an online campaign was in market to sustain the education process, encourage trial and reward brand switching and loyalty post product launch. There was no purchase required and entry was online only.

In a game of skill, entrants had to answer, in 25 words or less, a question relevant to the education process. The online entry facilitates and encourages engagement and interaction with the products, brand and website, as well as offering clear measurement and reporting functions.

The launch of Cuddly Ultra has included an integrated online activation and sampling campaign. 500,000 samples of Cuddly Ultra were distributed to metropolitan areas to drive product trial. The sample packs communicated the offer and directed the user online to download an entry form.

Once online, as well as the competition, visitors could find product information, allowing further engagement and delivering added value. Information was carefully crafted to be a mix of emotional and functional benefits, appealing to the female audience.

Redemption via mail suited the target audience and allowed precise measurability of campaign results and data collection where permission is supplied.

By offering multiple prizes the consumer is presented with a greater chance of winning. No purchase is required to enter. The Myer gift card offers a personal reward and the $500 value is worth the effort of entering.

The look ahead

On 14th June the famous Australian icon, Vegemite launched a new version that it says is 'smoother and more velvety than the original'. More than 300,000 people were quizzed leading up to the devise of the new recipe via the 'how do you eat yours?' online census and the conclusion was reached that Vegemite goes well with cheese.

In minimising the risk of losing customers for such an iconic Australian brand, Kraft has invited consumers to participate in the experience of naming the product. The new Vegemite will be on shelves until 6th July with a "Name Me" label. Entries are to be registered online and the winner will receive, tickets to the AFL grand final. It will be interesting to see what the final name is.

Nicki Robson
Admark Sydney

The Rise and Rise Of Non-Positioning

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:39:00 +1100

At the back end of 2006, I was asked for an opinion when an agency said "...the first thing that must be done is to heavily invest in the creation of a strong brand personality".

This traditionalist default marketing is one of my pet hates. Not only because it implies strategic laziness by the agency but because it is wrong for the market based on known consumer behaviours.

Economic activity is all about meeting human wants and needs. Therefore marketing activity is about inserting the benefits of product into that 'wants and needs' consideration set in the most efficient and effective way.

Wants and needs are in a state of flux. 16 to 30+ year olds (1,119,755 Australians in the 18-25 age bracket - ABS) are re-calibrating consumer behaviours. They are earning and spending as well as influencing up to 70% of their baby boomer parents food and clothing purchases while at home. They are savvy about global, political and commercial cross-over and culture theft. They have always been in control of their lives and they are screaming "Don't tell me you know me better than I know myself!"

For the new consumer pool, product, packaging, functionality and communication must facilitate consumer inclusivity, rather than excluding them through attempts at brand domination. They just don't buy it.

Inclusivity is an amazingly powerful marketing springboard. But a bloody difficult one to facilitate.

Marketing Territory

As a marketing territory, the ability to capitalise on "freedom to be" is incredibly powerful. It is inviting, welcoming, and not dictating who one should be. At present most brands wear the consumer. - demanding a certain attitude and persona to fit the brand and style. The opposite should be embraced. It flips the whole marketing expectation on its head by letting the consumer wear and define the brand.

iPod have integrated the approach well into their content - while still aggressively pushing their share of voice - allowing you, as the consumer, to insert your own definition into the communication. It is heavy on emotive value and clear on product function without ever trying to label, or even picture, a user. It allows you to easily place yourself into the scenario and to define your own benefit, whether it is "hip hop", "motivation", "fashion", "rock", "enjoyment" etc... the list is as long as there are 'needs'.

I am by no means advocating that marketing shouldn't brand plan. Nobody drinks black sweetened caramel water. They drink Coke. And while some people drink 'no-name' water, the biggest market share is Franklins while others walk the earth looking for San Pellegrino and buying no other along the way.

However, because this territory is consumer generated it requires tighter management than archetypal aggressive brands such as Coke or Nike. It requires strict management to appear relatively unmanaged (if you know what I mean!)

Non Positioning vs Un Brands

There are companies promoting themselves as "unbrands". Some store chains in the US are offering the "unbrand" with their logo free range of products, and they are achieving tremendous success. They have become the stores that sell 'no-logo products' and are attributed with a certain style.

Although it is catchy marketing speak, the reality is that there is no such thing as an "un-brand", as soon as a product or provider has a definition, the vacuum is filled by the consumer and it is labeled in one form or another ie. The US department stores are the "no logo" stores with all the inherent values that entails.

Logo free obviously appeals to a group of consumers and is heavily reflected in 15 to 35 year olds. People now can't stand the idea of having to walk around as a corporate billboard. Actually I'm one of them. This has also in part lead to the evolution of "Boho Skank", a socially motivated behaviour that has quickly developed into a fashion. That is, expensive and overtly aspirational clothing and accessories being mixed with no-name or low aspiration brands - a Bally bag with Supre clothes. This way the new consumer is meeting their aspirational needs without selling out (we even saw Paris Hilton doing it 3 weeks ago on Oxford Street, buying up $59 outfits at Dotti).

Brand positions will occur naturally through a consumer defined style. I'll create some waves here and even go so far as to say that if you have a recognisable style your logo could be redundant. The recognisable style is a form of logo. And if the style ceases to appeal no amount of badged marketing will necessarily save the day.

Function as a Brand Driver

Functional products are leading the charge in the style stakes. Their appeal is not built on the outward trappings of the personality or brand, but on their deep rooted appeal to consumer desires. Products are now an accessory to life as opposed to a 'raison d'etre' and there is a vast difference required from the usual intimidatory marketing. A good example is Balance Water who rarely run advertising as part of their marketing and when they do the product is the headline and the copy. Research shows that users feel as though the product is their own self-discovered secret.

It is a simple concept but not an easy one.

The ability to maintain the non-positioned territory of "freedom to be" will be totally dependant on channel and tonal management. I'm not talking advertising here - in fact traditional advertising can be extremely limited - I'm talking about a carefully managed and structured programme. One that is managed and measured solely on "consumer out-take" rather than the traditional "organisational input".

So be cautious of those so called experts whose default position is "you must identify and establish a brand personality". Non-personality brands are incredibly powerful with 16 to 35 year old consumers. But they do require a disciplined approach and a concerted plan... to ensure that it looks like there isn't really a plan or a position.

Staminading Schoolies 2006

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:20:00 +1100

Holding the number three market position for Sports Drinks is a constant challenge, especially when the top two brands are worldwide names and have nearly 90% share of the market. It means you have to pick your battles.

Staminade faces this on a daily basis.

Staminade has been available in Australia for over 30 years, making it the first sports drink in the Australian market. Designed, manufactured and wholly owned by an Australian company, Staminade has been able to maintain its 10 point market position against Powerade and Gatorade despite aggressive distribution, product and brand marketing by both products.

It is only available in supermarkets and its price point sits at least a dollar cheaper than its competitors. It has good brand and product recognition amongst 30-55 year old grocery shoppers who, regardless of price activity of the other brands, continue to make their Staminade purchase.

This was particularly evident during the 2006 World Cup. Powerade's international sponsorship, mass marketing and consumer promotions along with the Socceroo's outstanding performance lifted Powerade's market share by over 9 points. Staminade only lost 1 point with Gatorade losing 8 market points.

The advent of tonic drinks such as Red Bull and V also affects sales in the market. And with Coca-Cola about to launch its own tonic 'Mother', as well as the rumoured introduction of new drinks, competitive marketing activities are heating up.

So what can you do to increase sales with limitations in price point, distribution and marketing budget?

Step One: Identifying Market Potential

GenY males are the largest single consumer group in the sports drink category. Their brands are predictably Powerade and Gatorade to which they have been exposed since childhood. Each have invested heavily in positioning their product to this market.

GenY is also about instant gratification. They surpass the 'me too' generation and have become the 'must have now'. And they are advertising savvy - not easily influenced by traditional marketing messages or methods.

Brand recognition of Staminade is non-existent with this market. It is not available through route trade and GenY are not known for their supermarket shopping. Yet it is an essential market for Staminade to crack if it is to experience any growth, and (in the long term) continue to maintain market position.

So, with an extremely limited budget, how can Staminade communicate with an audience that has no connection with the brand, and little interest in traditional marketing channels?

The Second Step: Exploiting Market Concentrations

Each year 40,000 17-19 year olds descend on Queensland's Gold Coast to celebrate the end of high school. In an action packed week, school leavers party their way from one event to another spending their days on the beach and the nights at concerts and in clubs.

Schoolies was an opportunity to create a targeted experiential campaign supported by relevant traditional channels that linked directly with a market concentration. A very cost effective campaign could also be extended throughout summer to a broader target market of 18-24 year olds.

The key communication channels would be full sponsorship of events (Staminade Beach Volleyball Competition), heavy radio advertising through the Coast's two hottest GenY stations, Radio Metro and Hot Tomato, as well as the schoolies themselves - a yet untapped channel.

Step Three: Environmental Relevance

By positioning itself as a sports drink, Staminade instantly places itself in direct competition with Powerade and Gatorade. To create product and brand differentiation, it was essential that Staminade identify and communicate a distinct USP that would resonate with a Schoolies male experience.

Staminade has two strong functional benefits:

* It has the lowest price in the market
* It has more potassium than any other sports drink (faster re-hydration)

Faster re-hydration means faster recovery, and with the summer party season kicking off with Schoolies, we had a related selling proposition.

"Party Hard. Recover Faster with Staminade".

The line re-positioned Staminade from a sports drink to a recovery drink.

Real recovery 'recipes' were dredged off the web - including rabbit turd tea, cow bowel soup and warm fish milkshakes - and developed to capture attention and act as a support mechanism for less traditional marketing channels. All communication suggested that Staminade might be an easier, more accessible option to assist in the recovery after a big night.

Lastly, But Most Importantly: Concentration of Effort

Staminade's sponsorship provided daily product and brand exposure (a Staminade Schoolies 2006 T-shirt was designed with every competitor receiving one with the obligatory free drink). It also delivered press advertising, SMS viral marketing and online links to the event and product website.

Additionally, by concentrating the media across two local stations (between the recovery hours of 9am and 12 noon) activity was leveraged to include live crosses, daily schoolies update sponsorship and daily give-a-ways of Staminade product. At its peak we had more than 128 spots a day on air.

Finally a summer long online competition 'What's Your Favourite Recovery Cure?' through the key station, Radio Metro was developed to support the new positioning, offering the best recipe a year's supply of Staminade.

All this was achieved for around the same price as a single full page advertisement in Saturdays Sydney Morning Herald.

The Bottom Line

The highlight event each day was the Staminade Beach Volleyball Competition. Registration numbers in previous years had been around 1,000, however, 2,000 Schoolies participated in the Staminade competition over 9 days. On top of participants, a further 4,000 spectators were directly exposed through the competition.

The Staminade Schoolies t-shirts became the 'must have' souvenir item and were out of stock in record time. Swarms of lime green could be seen all over Surfers throughout the day as the Schoolies milled around other activities.

Radio Metro's "Recovery Cure" promotion is still attracting over 1,000 entrants per week with email data being captured for further viral activity.

Product sampling and live crosses at various locations around the Gold Coast through Radio Metro and Hot Tomato have proved to be very popular - at one stage they were even handing out Staminade at the Gatorade Queensland Tri Series.

Sampling activity has now been extended through January 2007, and Staminade is on-board with Hot Tomato's weekend boat crew throughout the Gold Coast's water ways.

Awareness has been generated through brand and trial, with the majority of competitors trying Staminade for the first time. This number of participants exceeded all expectations.

But the most important result is the sales. Key supermarket outlets on the Gold Coast have clearly increased their sales position - with the greatest from 20th to 6th position. And as the activity draws to a close after Australia Day, further sales data will be analysed.

By integrating tactics Staminade at Schoolies shows how an approach strategy can be built from the ground up. This way a small budget can create a large impact through focused efforts, adapting content to the experience and using non-traditional drivers.

Virtual Word of Mouth: Reaching the Google Eyed

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:53:00 +1000

Move over traditional advertising and public relations methods - there's a new kid in town. Traditional media is suffering a down turn. Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations revealed that net weekly magazine sales fell by 5.1% to 2.47 million year-on-year in the three months to March. Roy Morgan readership figures show that nearly all metropolitan newspapers have lost readers. Traditional media is slowing down, and people are using other alternatives to communicate, including digital social media.

Internet and publishing technology has allowed for a shift in how people create, discover and communicate news and information through social media - online content production by people, fusing society and technology.

The appeal of social media is in its interactivity, its speed and its accessibility. It allows a shift to open multiple channels. The marketer is no longer just delivering communication to an audience - audiences are responding, commenting and talking amongst themselves. The individuals are empowered and communication becomes a two way street.

According to Nielsen Online's Consumer Generated Media (CGM) report, 6.5 million Australians belong to at least one social network, such as Facebook, and that two thirds of internet users looked at other user's content on social network sites during 2008. In the same report, 57% of internet users admitted to publishing opinions online in the last year and 47% commented specifically on brands, products and service.

So we're all looking at each other digitally, but what does this mean for marketers?

Companies are paying attention to digital advertising - a notable 12% of total ad spend is going online, but with all of the spam and static the world wide web is renowned for, how many of these 'impressions' actually leave an impression? People are getting better at seeing through traditional banner advertising, often used in an attempt to increase brand recognition.

There is a better way to broaden your advertising reach, build buzz and target the millions of internet users creating and sharing content daily. Sponsored conversation on popular web logs is a public relations activity similar to traditional means of hiring a well-known figure or celebrity to promote a brand. And the icing on the cake - it is cheap.

A web log, or "blog" for short, is a user-generated Web site where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Most blogs are run by a single person, known as the 'blogger'. With a whopping 47% of internet users frequently reading blogs, it is a social media form too big to ignore.

One way to use blogs, as we are exploring at Vector, is to send sample products to relevant bloggers. For example, sending food products to cooking bloggers to push a company's online recipe site. By doing this, we communicate with a highly involved audience - they are already interested in cooking, they are consumers and they are online.

The process is getting a product from a client, contacting chosen bloggers and pushing the product through to them. Marketers are paying for product and fulfilment, which tends to be a very small cost. If bloggers like the product, they will hopefully talk about it. If they don't - they won't.

For example, Perfect Italiano sent samples of ricotta and mozzarella cheese to popular Melbourne blogger Shellie from ironchefshellie.blogspot.com, whose blog receives 1,000 visits a week. Shellie is now using these products in the recipes she posts on her website and her product reviews are reaching all of her loyal readers. Her posts link back to the recipes available on the Perfect Italiano website, which leads to increased site traffic.

Including "blogvertising" in a media plan can help to tap into the elusive word-of-mouth influence that marketers have previously been unable to access. Peer influence has long been known to affect a consumer's purchasing decision so blogger branding has the same impact as a recommendation of a trusted celebrity or friend.

Blogs are essentially being used for sponsored conversation, third party endorsement or a review of the marketer's brand in the blogger's voice. Of course, like any developing advertising method, there are risks involved.

There is no sure bet as to what a blogger will write, or if they will write anything at all. The blogger is entitled to express their own opinion - that is, after all, what they are respected for and what their readership expects. As in traditional media, you can advertise all you want, but if a product isn't good it won't garner sales or positive conversation.

Savvy online consumers can tell when they are being marketed to. There can be audience backlash toward this activity but as long as bloggers are upfront about receiving free products and sponsorship, they have the freedom to write whatever they want. Most popular bloggers are "switched on" enough to realise that sponsored conversation is a sensitive topic and will handle their disclosure accordingly.

Another risk is the forum aspect of blogs. Readers can choose to comment as they please and have free rein to say anything - positive or negative - about your product. However, if a marketer has a high quality product, why not put it into the online sphere and get people talking about it? By doing so, you are effectively changing the way consumers have relationships with your brand and opening up a two-way communication path which empowers the consumer and offers the marketer valuable and rapid feedback.

If online audiences are responding, commenting and talking amongst themselves, then companies should not only be listening to what is being said about their brand, but they should playing a part in this conversation and prompting further discussion.

Taking the benefits and risks into account, when used correctly blogvertising can help corporations spread buzz about their products or services. Whether your aim is to reach out and form relationships with bloggers, offer sponsorship, garner publicity or engage highly targeted consumers, all brands should be considering strategies for the blogosphere.

Taryn Stenvei
Vector Digital

What's In Store This July? Shopper Activations

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:01:00 +1000

July's review of in store activations returns to Priceline, Franklins and IGA, as well as the usual look at Woolworths. This month we have seen the return of the cash prize with brands starting to pick up their WIN spend and a new way of communicating product benefits in a very tangible way.

Prize pools

Prize values ranged from $50 cash back on a dental visit from Listerine to a $35,500 'family trip of a lifetime' for 4 to the Test Match Cricket in London and Intrepid Safari in Africa from Swisse Vitamins. Communicated at shelf with a rare picture of Ricky Ponting smiling, Swisse marketers need to hope their audience are cricket fans: we've seen Swisse and Ricky on offer several times before in the last year.

In May we saw the launch of Johnson & Johnson's new Listerine mouthwash across all accounts. Holidays and cash rewards were offered as incentives in Franklins and Priceline but there was no WIN value in Woolworths. This month Woolworths shoppers are presented with Torchmedia 'take ones' that communicate $50 off a dental visit and remind consumers of the oral care regime message, driving purchase across the oral care category.

Prizes also included a car, a trip for 2 to Paris, $1,000 cash, power tools, golf clubs, barbeques, $200 vouchers and a 'money can't buy' experience.
Cash prizes ranged from daily prizes of $1,000 to 1 major prize draw of $5,000 for a '25 words or less' entry.
Total prize pools ranged from $10,000 to $100,000

Total prize pool values were still down compared to earlier in the year, but we are beginning to see an increase in the variety of rewards. In all instances rewards outweighed cash outlay to qualify but the lure of the 'big value' prize is still lacking.

Entry methods and consumer engagement

Entry qualifications ranged from purchasing one participating product to purchasing 3 and also spending $10 or more in store. Consumers were encouraged to increase spend to 2 and 3 products in half of activations, indicating brands may be feeling the economic pinch. The Heinz Big 'n Chunky soups activation required 3 products to be purchased in a single transaction to qualify: the purchase cycle of soup is short with frequent repurchase and so it may not seem unreasonable to ask shoppers to purchase more in a single transaction.

42% of activations offered a choice of method of entry. These were mail, phone, SMS and web. Entry forms were available in store and online.
66% of activations offered online entry either as a link on the main site or as a purpose built micro-site.

Websites continue to provide a golden opportunity for consumer engagement with the brand, as well as facilitate provision of product information and campaign measurement.

A good example of this is the Vegemite Name Me site. In last month's article we looked at Kraft's invitation to participate in the naming process of their new cheesy recipe product. Name registrations are via a flash based website which is fun and interactive. Statistics and already registered names can be found as well as product information. The prize for the winning name is tickets to the AFL Grand Final but the entry mechanic requires a 25 words or less qualification as well as the name.

It is important to keep the site simple yet functional and to deliver easy entry mechanics; it is a shame to lose consumers at the entry stage because it takes too long or is deemed 'too hard'.

Prize relevance

Prizes remained relevant to product, brand and target audience.

Procter & Gamble, Coca Cola and Pauls Custard from Parmalat were luring purchasers by giving away $1,000 in cash or as a WISH gift card.

With appeal to tightened consumer purse strings these are particularly pertinent to current buyer behaviour. The $1,000 prize value is great enough to warrant appeal and 'Lift' and 'Pauls' also offer the chance of instant gratification with prizes being given away daily.

The Heinz Big 'n Chunky prize pool consisted of 28 daily prize draws to win a 'Man Stuff' pack consisting of Wilson golf clubs and bag, portable barbeque and Black and Decker cordless drill. Each pack is worth over $1,000 and the prizes demonstrate a clear link with brand and target audience.

VIP tickets to meet "I Kissed A Girl" Katy Perry are targeted at the Gen Y female audience for Nivea lip care products and when shoppers purchase any Ambi Pure car products they have the chance to win a car make over. The link between Weight Watchers and a trip for 2 to Paris is pushing the boundaries of relevance of prize to product but by offering indulgence the dieting audience is rewarded for 'good behaviour'. I am struggling to find the connection between vitamins and a car on offer from BioSource: even with a clichÃ©d headline, the link is a little tenuous.

A new medium - seen and noted

This month we have seen an added dimension to being able to communicate in store - the scratch and sniff shelf talker.

Colgate-Palmolive's latest premium laundry detergent launch has made use of the button which, when pressed, emits a squirt of the detergent's fragrance. Positioned for its fragrance, the message is delivered succinctly and with interest, at the same time as offering engagement to the main grocery buyer when 'she' interacts with the waft of white lilies.

The product is also displayed in store in hang cells, as well as part of a larger communication to drive purchase across the fabric care category. Support is also provided with press advertising, in store displays and an event for Woolworths head office.

The last word

Overall marketers are making the most of cash rewards to attract the wavering decision maker. Good perceived value and relevance of prize to audience help the success of an activation. Woolworths had the most activations and Priceline offered added value through price pointing and communicating product information at shelf. In Franklins, shoppers received their added value also through product discounts via the catalogue but IGA customers had the least rewarding month.

Nicki Robson
Admark Sydney

2006 - The Year of Digital Lag

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:00:00 +1100

The stunning growth of online advertising in 2006 didn't make it "The Year of Digital". In fact 2006 was "The Year of Digital Lag" as consumer expectations outstripped attempts by marketers and agencies to provide entertaining and contextually relevant content across all digital channels.

John Butterworth, CEO, Australian Interactive Media Industry Association was recently quoted as saying "Media spend goes where the audience is and the audience goes where the good/useful content is". He is, of course, correct. But with the transactional way digital is being approached by agencies it seldom follows that media spend goes to creating good/useful content where the audience is.

So let's use snapshots from a global research project, a US interactive study and Australian data to see if we can explore the inherent marketing opportunity in:

* audience expectations
* their relationships with portals and content
* where the "digital lag" is occurring in Australia

Firstly, let's define "digital lag".

When a media concept has been universally accepted and valid technology exists to deliver the concept it is generally followed by commercially viable take-up by consumers. "Lag" is defined as the difference between this mass consumer acceptance and effective commercial use of a media or network system as a practical marketing and communications tool.

If we put a positive spin on this and attempt to coin a catchy phrase, we'd call it the "digital opportunity gap". This opportunity exists because consumer behaviours and beliefs are not being matched.

In 2006 Yahoo and Isobar released the results of a collaborative global research project to explore the impact of the latest mobile internet advances on consumers. It was called "Fluid Lives" and most of it confirmed things we know.

It said that across the US, UK, France, Germany and China broadband is the standard form of internet access both at work and at home. No surprises there! According to Nielsen Netratings in Australia, 62% of 14-24 year olds are surfing the web at high speed.

Acceptance of the web as a legitimate mass media means that virtual worlds and speed of information are now expectations, not motivations.

This is a salient "tap on the shoulder" for those Australian marketers and advertising agencies that are still using functional messages such as "new delivery via the web" as a purchase motivation for consumers (you know who you are!).
I like my laptop

The Yahoo/Isobar study also outlines a close relationship developing between users and their PC's. It is far more personal than with other media devices. It states that the emotional connection with the device is heightened because of the breadth of user activity and level of dependency.

"I like my Laptop, it is like my friend"
- female 48 Cologne

The cynics amongst us would say "of course it says that - it was commissioned by a web company!"

But we have found similar relationships forming here in Australia. How many of you have Blackberries? Where television once bred homogeneity, the internet is breeding diversity and an emotional bond with both the channel and the delivery devices. According to Roy Morgan, 44% of 14 to 24 year olds in Australia believe computers and technology have given them more control of their lives.

The emotional bond that is being formed is driven by the daily role the computer plays in socialising and providing a congregation point where communication can occur in private environments. Consumers are actively sharing opinions with this new "word of mouth" spreading faster and reaching further than ever before.

According to a report released by US interactive marketing firm Sharpe Partners in 2006, 89% of adult Internet users have forwarded viral email content, and a staggering 25% say they do it every day. In total, 63% of adults say they do it at least once a week, and three-quarters of people answering the survey share their emails with up to six other people.

Not surprisingly, humorous emails were the most common type shared with others (88%), followed by news items (56%), health/medical items (32%), religious/spiritual (30%), games (25%), sports/hobbies and business/finance items (24%), and "sexually provocative" content (12%).

The good news for marketers is that the study found that adding overt brand messages only slightly reduces the likelihood that people will share the content. More than 40% said they are more or slightly more likely to send marketing-related messages, while only 5% refuse to share content that contains a clear brand message.Nearly nine out of ten people who receive emails with brand sponsorships said they had no adverse feelings about the brand-related emails.

But let's not forget that digital isn't just a laptop and the internet.

Australians say that technology in general is making them chase life faster. In previous years the trend was PC but now it is mobile (WiFi). And the market for multi-access personal portals has exploded with iPods, phones, Play Station Portable and laptops.

The traditional role for these portals has evolved from "just music", or "just games", or "just talking", and now through each of them we "listen, chat, play and watch" (did you know that the Lonely Planet series was recently released on PSP for the go anywhere gamer?).
I like my mobile phone

Fluid Lives points out that Australians fit the global mould, where mobile phones are ingrained in daily life and the relationship between phone and user is highly pervasive. Mobiles are now phones, cameras, entertainment hubs (for games), MP3 players and internet portals (although prevalent, internet enabled phones appear to be frustrating users with access, speed and user platforms as the main issues - I know I have problems with mine).

In Australia our love affair with the mobile phone continues with 16% first given a phone before turning 13 years old, 57% between 13-14 and 27% between 15-18. But we are outdone by the UK, where according to a study for the Carphone Warehouse and The London School of Economics, 51 percent of 10 year-olds own a mobile phone, rising to 91 percent for 12 year-olds.

But enough of the "facts and figures"! Everybody knows its happening, a few clients and agencies are capitalising, but what is being done about it by the "many" What does it all mean for marketers and agencies?

Is there a "digital opportunity gap" on the internet?

There definitely is, if you consider it as a multi dimensional marketing tool to optimise sales. Do not fall into the trap of limiting its use as a one dimensional advertising medium. Instead, compress the traditional marketing process and deliver it through a single portal to connect vision (awareness building) with content/product (functional comparison) and the shop front (point of purchase) in a relevant and entertaining way.

If you are not comfortable about integrating vision-rich content into a single portal engagement then the Yahoo/Isobar study highlights points to bear in mind for tactical online advertising

* "It hasn't kept pace with the evolution of the internet"
* "Consumers expect it to be more contextually relevant and entertaining - 'I like profiled suggestions, but block them immediately if I feel bombed by random information'"
* "Many consumers perceive brand related email newsletters as a service rather than advertising. In contrast pop-ups are widely reviled"

OK, so what about mobile phones? The opportunity depends on who you talk to.

Right now we see a "relevance gap" for mobile phone marketing in Australia. "Fluid Lives" points out that globally the main role of mobile phones remains communication - making calls and sending texts - with MMS, IM and email gathering user momentum. Aggressively interrupting an audience in their personal world is brand suicide. Passive content, such as vision clips is still in its infancy from both a technology and user perspective. The lack of relevance for marketers is based on technology and consumer use of applicable marketing platforms not being at viable levels. Yet!

Australian experts had similar points of view in a recent December B&T feature:

Tony Faure, CEO NineMSN said 'As the "telco's walled gardens begin to crumble and it becomes easier for publishers to create content and for consumers to access it, mobile marketing will move fast"

Rich Field, Marketing Director Virgin Mobile, stayed pragmatic with "2007 will be a year in which the mobile industry will realign against core strategic pillars - either as a niche specialist or as a generic provider built on scale"

So in both Australia and around the globe, pervasiveness and control shift are the key words in digital marketing. Laptops and phones mean that the consumer is never more than one step away from the shop front there are some significant opportunities still not being exploited by marketers and agencies. If you plan a digital marketing platform it is still critical that consumers are guided down the path to purchase through a continuous engagement built around content portals rather than mechanical devices. And don't forget that there are digital channels being touted as marketing platforms that do not yet have either the technology or required consumer behaviours to be viable channels.

Earn That Promotion - Securing a Return On Investment

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:00:00 +1000

People often ask me to define a successful promotion (and, of course, how to create one). My perspective is "execute a promotion that fails to provide a commercial return, over and above your increase in marketing spend, and no matter how you justify it, it has failed"

There is no doubt that promotions lift sales. The big question is whether they lift them high enough to provide a return on investment. In my opinion good ROI is the only definition of "success".

The role of a promotion is to turn shoppers into buyers (shopper activation). And there are 4 distinct phases to consider in their creation.

They are:
1. assessing the true issues faced
2. establishing your objective
3. setting success criteria (acceptable ROI)
4. executing with relevance and flare

Each category and product has its own set of unique issues but the principles are valid for all. I will use FMCG as an example, where there are the most number of promotional activities, many of our clients sit and where there are rapidly emerging sales barriers common to most channels.

Firstly assess the sales issues and you will identify opportunities. Successful promotions turn issues and opportunities into sales uplifts. For example over the last 2 years there has been a significant change in purchasing fuelled by the economic situation, a new range of distributors and an ever-changing social landscape. Of all FMCG shoppers 50% now write a shopping list, 66% are reducing the purchase of non-essential items and 38% are buying fewer items. Only 6% have not made a change to shopping patterns, 29% have changed where, 26% now buy retailers own brand and 44% now read supermarket catalogues. They are cutting back on non-essentials (with a splurge every now and again) and are increasingly time poor making snap decisions. Where brand drivers once played a part, functional info, price and promotion have taken over.

So once you have assessed and identified your issues, establishing your objectives are relatively simple (but not easy). In my opinion competition entries should not be used as a promotional objective.

Promotions are not about giveaways. They are about one, or a combination of the following:

Driving consumers to store
Support communication of a new product function or innovation
Driving shoppers to shelf
Signpost product at shelf
Creating brand switching
Drive repeat purchase

Sometimes of the most successful promotions (in the case of FMCG anyway) are created for the distributors or supermarket accounts to increase the facings and elevate the profile in-store (consumers are a secondary audience). Colgate promotions have seen sales peak at 300% above projections in stores with off-location displays. In Coles and Woolworths there are 3.8 and 3.9 million qualified shoppers trawling the aisles every month respectively - improve your positioning and sales will spike.

Setting success criteria (ROI) only takes two sentences and was recently summed up beautifully by Mark Kelly the Group Publisher Lifestyle at News Magazines. In a discussion we had he said "calculate expected sales/volume increases over and above the normal sales/volumes. Subtract the cost of goods from the increase and make sure the difference exceeds the cost of the promotion". Simple.

Of course there are long-term benefits but these are "nice to haves" once the base return has been achieved.

The final 25% of effort is executing with relevance and flare.

Reinforce and leverage every possible brand and product attribute because your objective is not to get entries but to sell product (now and in the future). So get inside the consumer and shopper headspace, use what excites them and more importantly use it to underline the compelling reason they should purchase your product when there is no promotion.

Select a relevant "giveaway". And a giveaway doesn't have to be a competition prize, it could be intangible like the free internet video cooking classes from SunRice on http://www.10minutemeals.com.au that helped microwave rice reach record sales last year. Remember that your "giveaway" is only motivational if your audience thinks it is motivational, and each generation has different hot buttons. Most importantly look for something that "money can't buy".

If it is a competition, entry methods have a big impact on uptake. And again, as a general rule of thumb, preferred methods differ by generation:

GenY - SMS and online instant wins
GenX - 1900 and SMS game of chance
Baby Boomers - mail-in game of skill

With POS, contrast instead of blending. Be careful of corporate or product colours at shelf, they are often absorbed by the billboard of product behind them. The promotion can be missed.

Use every channel possible. Communication at shelf will facilitate brand switching and repeat purchase but using external support media and linking media touch-point to media touch-point will prepare the purchase, get product on the shopping list and turn consumers into shoppers...all based on the right cost/benefit equation of course!

At a Glance

Assess all product sales issues and opportunities
Clearly establish objectives
Set Success criteria
Execute with relevance and flare, including:

reinforce and leverage every possible brand and product attribute
select relevant giveaways, especially if they are "money can't buy"
easy entry
POS announcements that contrast with packaging
use external media support

Target Marketing - Tailoring Your Message To Your Audience

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:46:00 +1000

Whether you are aiming to reach an individual market segment or one with a range of audiences, you must tailor your message to be one that reaches your audience while still working within the scope of your budget. Your marketing message cannot be about personal preference or be about which option you, as the brand custodian prefer. It should be about the benefits of your brand while showcasing your product, in a way that appeals to your audience and converts them to loyal consumers.

It's simple. You need to tailor your message to suit your audience. There are multiple channels out there. Where there use to be only tv, we now live in a cluttered advertising environment full of marketing messages with new products popping up everyday. Consumers are time poor. They don't have the time to absorb messages like they used to and they are very self-aware (it's all about me). Brands are on the decline as consumers look for function - people are still aware of brands but functional messages such as low fat, low sugar, low GI are becoming more important.

But the very media that created the clutter also creates opportunities to target. Advertisers have opportunities to reach individuals by tracking their web-browsing behaviour and targeting them with online advertisements that would be of most interest to them. We can also find out what their mindset and interests are by determining their browsing behaviour. We can then use this to maximise relevance when delivering a message. For example, an advertiser looking to promote a hybrid car can place their message next to content about climate change.

Target marketing uses media specialisation and communication to determine and reach a specific marketing segment. Being discerning about your target market allows you to build brand loyalty and increase your customer base. However, how and where you use your message can depend on your budget.

If you have a large budget for a specific product you can use multi messages across multi media to reach a wide audience base. Therefore if you have a big budget you have less of an issue in your media selection process, but that comes with a greater tolerance for audience "wastage".

An example of a large budget using a well-known identity on a global basis is T-Mobile who use Catherine Zeta Jones as their spokesperson. They are targeting teenagers - female teenagers aspire to be her while male teenagers dream about her. She definitely gets teenagers to want...

If you are working with a smaller budget you must either use a combination of multi messages with a generic appeal to reach a range of audiences or a single message that can be tailored to a smaller audience.

A perfect example of brands trying to reach a range of audiences is Australian universities. In looking to increase their student enrolments they are targeting prospective students from overseas as well as in Australia. There are quite a number of differences. A lot of overseas students either do not speak English or do not have a good command of the English language. This combined with cultural differences makes using the same material to market to Australian and overseas markets very difficult. The message must be about the product in a generic sense, as your budget will not allow you to individualise it to every market.

University of Tasmania has done this well. In 2004 the university was rebranded to become UTAS using the lion to represent the brand. All of their collateral was produced using the UTAS logo and the lion in the same format but overseas material was printed in the language for the country it was intended.

Billabong is a brand that is perceived to be designed by surfers, for surfers. However, since its beginnings in 1973, Billabong has grown to be a brand that encompasses not only the Australian surf culture but also offering products that are designed to accommodate numerous lifestyles.

Their extensive range now offers products for general beach goers, skateboards and the general fashion aficianados. They can no longer market just to the surfers, they have to consider a much broader, more comprehensive market across Australia. Having a larger budget they can do this with product, shop design, catalogues and on-line.

Sanitarium Up & Go is another product that is marketing to two opposing audiences. They do this by using packaging and the individual name of the product to create differentiation.

Up & Go Energize is targeted specifically at 16-24 year old males. They use niche advertising which revolves around action sports that appeal to young males including legends of FMX, Wakeboard, BMS and Skate.

Up & Go Vive is a new product targeted towards female consumers offering lower sugar and low GI (much more attractive to female consumers). They have two fruit flavours, Banana and Wild Berry with a distinctly female design. It comes in a smaller 250ml pack while the Energize is in a 350ml pack.

In the past we have been able to use a singular message via television, radio and press to reach our audience.

The diversification of the traditional marketing mix means that marketers must now speak to smaller groups, rather than the mass market.

An Active New Channel - Niche Marketing in Gyms

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:57:00 +1000

Looking for fit and healthy people to engage with? Sounds like the start of a RSVP ad right! On the other hand, it is actually the start of a (relatively) new niche marketing opportunity, and one that is becoming big media business.

Fitness First, Fernwood and Curves now all offer the opportunity to talk, engage and mix with their customers, and with a collective membership of over 650,000 Australians, it is quite a sizeable niche approach to marketing.

So what do we know about them?

Fitness First define their 400,000 active members as 20-49 year old males and females â�� income rich and time poor. Hard to reach with mass media, they hit the gym at least 2 times per week, spend on average 83 minutes working out and are generally interested in themselves, their home, their holidays and their friends. In regards to product selection, they prefer quality over price.

Sound a little to Me Generation for you?

The average Fernwood member is 31 years old, female (itâ��s a womenâ��s only gym), works full time and are married or in a permanent relationship. 42% have children. Curves skews to a slightly older female again, work part-time, have children and are the primary home managers.

What they DO have in common is that each of these fitness centres has leveraged their membership figures into niche marketing channels. Fitness First even claim to have created a fully integrated â��brand environmentâ�� for advertisers to enjoy.

They are certainly the most sophisticated in their approach. With their own media arm, Active Media, they have creative a range of opportunities for brands to engage through in-house TV, posters, floor and mirror decals, light boxes, magazine, online community and sampling.

Key advertisers include an unusual mix of health, fact and premium brands such as PowerAde, Nike, SunRice, ING Direct, Uncle Tobyâ��s, Pfizer, Safcol, Lynx, 3 Mobile, Energizer and Voyages, all looking to spend at least 83 minutes with their ideal shopper.

As you would expect, the Fernwood and Curves advertisers are more family and female oriented with Sanitarium Up & Go, more Uncle Tobyâ��s, Australian Avocados
(I love those ads) and a variety of smaller brand health and beauty products. While not as integrated within their centres, Curves is about to launch its first sample bags going out to market with 68,000 bags in October. Sampling is also available in Fernwood (from January this year) as well as poster and floor advertising in strategic locations.

In 2008, Admark Sydney and SunRice utilized Fitness First as part of an integrated activation plan for SunRiceâ��s 90 Second Microwave Rice. Based on the timely proposition â��Real Rice in 90 Secondsâ�� and the health aspects of rice in general, Fitness First was selected as a critical marketing channel to activate time poor, higher income singles with 80,000 â��Gourmet Meals in Under 10 Minutesâ�� recipe books, magazine advertising and editorial, free product sampling and e-newsletters linking back to the specialty website www.10minutemeals.com.au. As part of a fully integrated home to shelf campaign focusing on the functional benefits of real rice in 90 seconds, sales volumes reached record levels soon after the program launched, taking market share from the nearest competitor with only 10% of the budget.

The results were so successful that Fitness First continues to be a cornerstone in the SunRice 90 Second and Ready to Go product activation plans in 2009, expanding into digi-panels, floor media, magazine, e-newsletters. (Hint: Get the Fitness First magazine next month for your own recipe booklet.)

Johnson & Johnson (Listerine) and Unilever (Lynx) are also big fans of Fitness First.

By using in-house tv, magazine, posters, mirror decals and sample dispensers in each change room, Listerine achieved 69% unprompted member recall for their new Smooth Mint flavour and 90% of members took advantage of the free samples.

Lynx went one step further by actually supplying the menâ��s change rooms with deodorant for a full month.

The key to effectiveness is matching messaging with the channel environment. All SunRice communications are specifically targeted to the audience.

Targeting members with gym specific creative always stands out. In 2008, Audi used clear decals in the change rooms asking members to 'see yourself with a streamlined new body'. At the entrance to the spin classroom, Audi had a decal encouraging member to 'put the pedal to the metalâ��, and in high traffic areas of the club, Audi played on the 'grip' of a person lifting weights and the grip of the wheels on their car.

Like the successful use of any media channel, it is essential to understand the audience, and craft your message appropriately. For Nike, this just means doing what it does everywhere else â�� in other words, â��just do itâ��. But for the rest of us, it opens a new opportunity to present the most relevant emotional and functional benefits of our products to a uniquely receptive audience. Just donâ��t waste their time doing it.

Linda Hayes
Admark Sydney
General Manager