Tagged 'promotions'

Saudi hardware retailer spotlights groom’s burdens

Published by Abdulmoshen Almadani - Saudi Arabia on July 28, 2010 in Middle East. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

help-mousaedIn Saudi, where grooms are expected to pay the bride’s family a dowry for her hand in marriage, many young men are asked to bear financial burdens they cannot hope to shoulder. Saco Hardware, in collaboration with JWT, created a social media promotion that spotlights the financial challenges facing young people and positions the retailer as a tool for helping them.

We came up with a simple concept/story: A video clip shows young Mousaed making the traditional visit to his future father-in-law, who demands 28 items from Saco as a dowry. Returning home, Mousead finds the catalogue is ripped to shreds, and the young man is left to guess the names of the items he needs to buy. Photos of torn pages were posted to the Saco Facebook page, and people were encouraged to identify the products to help Mousaed get one more item toward his marriage. Correct guesses won items.

The campaign is doing well with minimal support, and the hope is to evolve the effort into a commitment to sponsor newlyweds who need to furnish their apartments. For more social media case studies, see our Social Media Checklist.

Photo Credit: http://www.facebook.com/sacoksa?v=app_7146470109#!/sacoksa?v=app_7146470109

Dunkin’ Coffee shows it’s in touch with Spain’s consumers—unlike politicians

Published by Ugo Ceria - Madrid on July 6, 2010 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

zp-cafeThe general sensation that politicians are disconnected from reality gets even more pronounced during a downturn, often contributing to anxiety. Several years ago an infamous incident showed Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s disconnect from everyday life: During a TV debate with citizens, a man asked him how much a coffee costs, and Zapatero answered “80 cents,” 40 cents under the actual price. “Zapateros’ coffee” became a classic media buzzword, indicating how out of touch politicians are with their countrymen.

Earlier this year, as Spain’s consumers continued to grapple with high unemployment and other effects of the downturn, JWT created an 80 cent “ZP’s coffee” promotion for Dunkin’ Coffee. Since this low price had existed only in the optimistic mind of the prime minister (nicknamed ZP), we made it real, demonstrating that a “better world” can exist! With only point-of-sale marketing—copy read “This month, have a coffee with a different frame of mind”—the “ZP coffee” got significant media coverage. This simple way of leveraging a catchphrase put a smile on people’s faces and transmitted the brand’s connection with its customers’ needs.

The U.K.’s National Rail equates cost-cutting with cuddles

Published by Brooke Curtis - London on June 30, 2010 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

national-railIn pitching cost-saving railcards to young people, families and the more senior among us, National Rail has moved from a positioning of pure cost savings to equating those savings with the warmer, cuddlier things in life. It seems that they’re seeking not only to address anxieties about the cost of rail travel (which is on the increase) but also those tied to the fact that we don’t connect face-to-face as much anymore. A headline of “1/3 off hugs with mum” is paired with the line “because a text won’t get your washing done”; “1/3 off hugs with grandad” adds the line “because it’s hard to play hide and seek on a webcam.”

We’ve seen a similar idea from Nescafé in Australia, where a “Get a little closer” campaign urges consumers to “turn off the gadgets, turn on the kettle and enjoy a cup of coffee together.” These campaigns tap into the trend of Savoring Simple Pleasures as well as the growing urge to unplug in an increasingly digital world. Quality face time certainly feels like something the modern world needs. A virtual hug via Facebook really isn’t the same, is it?

Pepsi gets egg on its face with Mexican promotion

Published by Argelia Martinez - Mexico City on June 4, 2010 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

A Pepsi promotion in Mexico that seemed designed to address consumer anxiety ended up causing some angst instead. The major causes of anxiety in Mexico, a country beaten down by regular economic crises, are uncertainty about future income, job loss and rising food prices. (For more on anxiety in Mexico, click here to download our AnxietyIndex Mexico report.) In the states of Puebla and Veracruz—where poverty rates are high and families regularly struggle to buy the basics—Pepsi distributors launched a promotion in which people could redeem two specially marked bottle caps at small corner stores for an egg (yes, a fresh egg).

The “Now Pepsi is worth an egg” campaign, which ran during April and part of May, was supported with TV, press and, of course, posters outside the corner stores. Problems began to surface when shopkeepers would not redeem the Pepsi caps, even those that displayed the promotional materials outside. Consumers started blaming Pepsi, though the point-of-sale materials stated that Pepsi was not responsible for the availability of eggs.

The idea of demonstrating the brand’s empathy and solidarity with struggling consumers, and helping them in a real way, was a good one. But Pepsi distributors failed to fully consider the logistics behind the idea. Once a brand launches a promotion, it has to deliver an immaculate implementation, strengthen it, ensure the participation of partners, put monitoring and control programs in place, provide a call center for consumers and so on. In this case, something that could have been historical became hysterical.

Photo Credit: dos tapas un huevo? by ~brickarms on deviantART

Lonely Planet lends a hand to stranded travelers

Published by Alexandra Suarez - San Juan on April 21, 2010 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

lonely-planetWith the massive travel disruptions caused by the volcanic ash cloud over Europe, Lonely Planet turned chaos into an opportunity to get on the radar of the numerous travelers stranded in unfamiliar cities. It is offering 13 of its iPhone guides for free for a period of a few days, focusing on the most affected cities; the apps normally sell for $15.99 apiece. The simple initiative will score goodwill points with anxious travelers, helping to drive consumer engagement while making more people aware of the brand’s iPhone guides.

Photo Credit: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/campaigns/iphone/

7-Eleven, Fruitas try to douse Filipinos’ election anxiety with a sip

Published by Pam Garcia - Manila on April 9, 2010 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

fruitas-cupIt’s just a month to the Philippine elections, which will determine the next president and vice president and fill senatorial slots. Since the vote will have a major impact on the fate of people’s lives and that of the country, Filipinos cited the elections as a source of considerable anxiety in JWT’s 10 Trends local research, conducted in December 2009. For example, an engineer we interviewed said the elections will determine whether he needs to worry about his personal stability, as well as the country’s.

Convenience-store chain 7-Eleven and juice chain Fruitas are seeking to defuse anxiety during the lead-up to the elections with a bit of fun. The “7-Elections” promotion carries the fun line “Every Gulp counts” and offers 10 colorful cups decorated with each candidate’s face for customers buying a Gulp drink. Each choice mimics one vote (there’s even one for those abstaining or undecided). A Web site tracks the votes and shows a daily tally. For my friend who likes Fruitas’ fruit shakes, sipping from the colorful cups that feature each candidate’s slogan gives her a moment to think about how to exercise her civic duty.

Does your brand have an opportunity to ease your consumers’ anxiety when it’s at its height?

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Photo Credits: Pam G., www.7-elections.com

Toyota incentives counteract consumer safety concerns

Published by Amy Avery - Atlanta on March 25, 2010 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , .

toyotaTo help counteract the effect of its extensive recalls and safety issues on sales, Toyota has been offering 0 percent financing for as long as 60 months on eight of its most popular models. A print and TV campaign features testimonials and details about the deals. Various other manufacturers are offering the same incentives—this promotion is neither surprising nor unheard of—but these are purely responses to the downturn.

In Toyota’s case, the question was whether consumer concerns over safety would outweigh their concerns over saving money. It seems not—Toyota has seen dramatic sales increases over the past few weeks. It’s not surprising to see money concerns winning out for consumers. After all, the chances of not being able to afford a payment seem far greater than the odds of getting an unsafe car. Problem is, this strategy is shortsighted and, as some analysts have noted, will ultimately hurt brand value. When consumers ultimately want to sell these cars, their value will be deflated since the market has been flooded with new Toyotas. Just ask Jeep, which put so many Cherokees on the streets that it ended up having to close a significant number of dealerships.

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Photo Credits: http://www.toyota.com/, danielctw

Argentinean brands chase consumers with shortsighted strategy

Published by Gonzalo Fonseca - Buenos Aires on March 24, 2010 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Before concluding a purchase in almost any kind of store, Argentineans now routinely ask, “Do you have discounts with any banking or credit card today?” That’s because most banks or credit card companies offer deals on certain brands or retailers (Sony, Carrefour, Shell, etc.) depending on the day of the week.

carrefour
Since the last big socioeconomic crisis here, consumers have learned fast. As a result, they’re exploiting these promotions to their full extent—strategically paying with the appropriate card on the appropriate day, and sometimes even applying on the spot to a new brand if it seems worth the effort. At the same time, major loyalty programs, like that of the newspaper La Nación, offer numerous discounts for products and services.

So the question is, are these promotions bringing any benefit to the brands involved? And what kind of effect will they have on brands, their values and their relationships with key consumers? While there may be short-term benefits, these offers clearly have nothing to do with values that can strengthen relationships—they do nothing for customer loyalty. It’s time to rethink how to drive sales in ways that will have a more positive effect on the brand. Because as most banks, and various loyalty programs, chase consumers with the same strategy, other brands continue to build equity even as they achieve sales targets.

Photo Credit: http://www.santanderrio.com.ar/

Mazuma Mobile addresses twin anxieties with recycling program

Published by Brooke Curtis - London on March 23, 2010 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The impact of our disposable lifestyles on the environment has been a concern to many for some time now. But how many consumers are prepared to pay more for a “green” brand? So often, the anxiety about bank balance is put before anxiety about the environment. Now, being green can actually earn consumers money: A number of companies in the U.K. are encouraging people to recycle old mobile phones in return for cash.



Mazuma Mobile, the most vocal of these, boldly aims to address both concerns at once—recycle your phone for reuse in developing markets (thereby being kinder to the environment and bettering communications in these countries) while earning some cold hard cash in the bargain (reducing concerns about just how to fund one’s lifestyle until the next payday). And with up to £280 for a used phone, Mazuma is likely to have found a successful combination. If only being green could always be this profitable.

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Photo Credit: http://www.mazumamobile.com/

Target’s mobile coupons a smart tool for post-recession consumer

Published by Marian Berelowitz - New York on March 19, 2010 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Helping value-minded consumers shop more smartly is becoming increasingly important for brands and retailers in the post-recession era. According to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers report, the “rampant deal-seeking” of the recession is giving way to a selective consumer who still uses “shopping techniques and tools discovered during the recession.”

A PwC executive notes in a press release that as tools such as online and mobile coupons, comparison shopping sites, and loyalty and rewards programs become more ingrained among shoppers, “retailers will need to adapt their strategies to appeal to this new generation of consumers.” One recommendation is that retailers make “promotion and savings-related information more easily accessible across all shopper touch points.”

Target took a step in the right direction last week when it became the first major nationwide retailer in the U.S. to introduce mobile coupons. Customers sign up online or via text, then get monthly texts with links to a coupon page. The store clerk scans the bar codes from the phone at checkout. Watch for mobile coupons to become as popular as they already are in Japan, where consumers have used them for several years already. Juniper Research has forecast that in the developed world, more than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers will use mobile coupons by 2014, according to USA Today.

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Photo Credit: www.target.com