Saturday, August 28, 2010

Energi to Go



Agency: Pro Motion, Inc.
Client: Energizer

Energi to Go

Despite its well-known pink bunny who’s energy goes on and on, Energizer’s Energi to Go portable instant cell phone charger was not so well known and, as a result, not so well purchased. Pro Motion was charged with raising awareness and, ultimately sales, through a sampling program.

Using guerilla marketing, the agency put the chargers in the hands of people who needed them the most – those attending all-day outdoor events with no access to electrical outlets or charging stations.
Their first stop was Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park. Working in teams, the agency distributed the Energi to Go chargers to more than 20,000 people over three days. The agency reports that some participants were so excited at the opportunity to grab the $20 charger and ensure they’d be able to Facebook, text and tweet all weekend that they got out of line to get it.

Their next distribution venues were three-day Komen Race for the Cure walks in Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis where more than 11,000 Energi to Go chargers were given out. Word of mouth during these events drove the distribution numbers up. Additional stops included the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the St. Louis Balloon Race, the CES Show in Las Vegas and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
The Energi to Go Sampling Program has distributed more than 130,000 chargers to date, on target with a goal to reach 200,000 before program end. The best result of all: the buzz generated interest from Walgreen’s, which is now distributing the product in all 7,000 of its stores. 

Ho Ho Hold the Lactose


Agency: The Zucconi IDEA Agency, Inc.
Client: Valio USA

valio hold the lactose

Valio USA felt that the lactose-free milk category was cluttered with confusing messages and similar products. Valio felt it had a genuine product innovation to talk about – its Real Goodness brand of lactose-free milk is made using a patented process that retains real milk taste and creaminess, while improving the nutritional value. The challenge was getting that message out to its niche audience; lactose-intolerant consumers had become desensitized to the taste promises of the other brands. Valio needed to cut through the clutter. The agency felt the best way to achieve its client’s goals would be by getting the products into their hands. Once they tried it, the difference, the agency felt, would speak for itself.

The holidays were coming, and who knows more about milk than the man who downs a glass at every home he visits on Christmas Eve? So they came up with a headline that mashed up a holiday message with their own: “Ho-ho-hold the lactose!”

They chose 15 busy malls throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic region on the busiest shopping weekend of the year – the weekend before Christmas 2009. It gave the brand the opportunity to reach the greatest number of people with their message.

And as luck would have it, NestlĂ© USA was baking and distributing Toll House cookies that weekend, and the Zucconi IDEA Agency obtained permission to put Valio’s Real Goodness milk sampling table right next to it. The connection was immediate and irresistible: an almost-instinctual response that attracted consumers in droves, and powerfully reinforced the brand's “taste” message.

More than 50,000 Real Goodness samples were delivered that weekend which elevated brand awareness among lactose-intolerant consumers and their families and generated meaningful market share growth. 

Lunch Is on Us


Agency: Wunderman Chicago
Client: Kraft DiGiorno


DiGiorno wanted to attract convenience-oriented adults who do not buy DiGiorno Single Serve, shop at least two or more of the categories of Single Serve Frozen Meals (sandwiches, pizza and/or entrees), are in a non-weight-management category, buy premium brands and get carryout from restaurants or pizzerias. The agency put together a sampling program called “Lunch Is on Us.”

The objective of the campaign was to compete effectively against the cold, deli-bought lunch by replacing it with a hot, fresh home-baked DiGiorno Flatbread melt. A multi-faceted sampling strategy was used with Chicago as the main focus. The first phase was “Lunch Is on Us in the Office”, where 18 companies with 1,000 employees were selected and served free lunch for two weeks.

For the second phase, “Lunch Is on Us in Chicago,” Wunderman transformed Pioneer Plaza (401 N. Michigan Avenue) into a delicious takeout experience without the takeout price -- everyone who came received a free full-sized Flatbread Melt. A 40’x40’ branded ground graphic, among other graphics, drew people’s attention along with hand-crafted Flatbread Melt benches and branded tables that were brought in. A newspaper buy spread the word, while wallpaper content transmitted to people’s Bluetooth devices within a limited geographic area.

Overall, the office invitation generated a 31% response rate resulting in 1,106 lunches; an additional 2,400 were served outdoors; and a total of 3,700 coupons were distributed. The event generated 256 blog posts and 217 tweets.