Marketing and advertising case studies.
The following marketing and advertising case studies represent large, medium and small companies across a variety of industries.
Although each brand faced their own unique set of challenges, market conditions and budget constraints, the mission was the same:
overcome their marketing challenges by generating demand, driving sales and building brand value.
Contact Bill to discuss meeting your brand’s challenges and building your next success story – you’ll be in good company.
A Demand Generation Campaign.
Product/Service Destination Travel
Budget $3MM
Key Problem Market research revealed there are four barriers to increasing American travel to Hong Kong: (1) Language, (2) Cuisine, (3) Travel time, and (4) Accommodations.
Key Strategic Insight The attraction of Hong Kong is its ability to provide modern amenities against a backdrop of ancient tradition. This fusion of East and West is the key driver to visit and experience this destination city.
Creative Strategy Promote the fusion of East and West as
exemplified by Hong Kong’s modern skyline and amenities juxtaposed with its ancient temples and customs. The tale of two cities is precisely what makes Hong Kong a MUST on any Asian excursion.
Tactical Elements Print ads in travel magazines, spot market newspapers, online ads, travel agent P.O.P.
Target Audience Travel agents, American travelers planning trips to Asia and, American travelers residing in gateway markets.
Results Even as the U.S. and world economy swooned, the number of Americans traveling to Hong Kong was up 3%. Then SARS hit. Recovery continues to slowly rebound.
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A Brand Re-Positioning Campaign.
Product/Service Semiconductors and Controllers
Budget $7MM
Key Problem Historically recognized as a major player in the world of defense, Rockwell needed an image make-over to convince Wall Street, and the investment community at large, it remained a viable company worthy of continued investment especially in light of lower defense spending.
Key Strategic Insight You’re known by the company you keep. In this case, one Rockwell division’s customers were major consumer brands with loads of positive brand equities – Chrysler, Eddie Bauer, FedEx, Nabisco even Broadway theatrical productions.
Creative Strategy Re-position Rockwell by leveraging one division’s association with major consumer brands thereby demonstrating the
brand’s commitment and success in the consumer goods marketplace.
Tactical Elements Print advertising in key business books: Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Investor’s Business Daily and their associated online properties.
Target Audience The “C” suite: CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CMOs, Wall Street and the investment community at large.
Results
- The campaign successfully re-positioned Rockwell as more than a defense company
- Stock price declines reversed and gained seven points in the first nine months of the campaign
- Other key customers requested campaign participation
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A Brand Awareness and Demand Generation Campaign.
Product/Service Hair, Skin and Bath Products
Budget $525K
Key Problem The hair, skin and bath market is saturated with parity products. Freeman, a division of Dial Corp., was outspent, had little brand awareness and commanded little shelf space at grocery, drug or mass merchandisers.
Key Strategic Insight Market research revealed consumer purchase decisions are made in-aisle based on product scent, feel and efficacy.
Creative Strategy Link Freeman’s unique botanical blends to the
beauty and uniqueness of consumers themselves. In these two examples, Cucumber & Ginseng Peel-Off Masque and Mango & Ginger Revitalizing Shampoo ads also reflect consumers’ ingredients.
Tactical Elements Consumer print and online media serving select fashion, entertainment and lifestyle interests; price promotion.
Target Audience Women, 18-34
Results
- Sales improved 4% in a category known for nominal growth
- Brand awareness increased 8% on a relatively modest budget
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A Brand Awareness and Demand Generation Campaign.
Product/Service Diesel Engines (15hp – 549hp)
Budget $2MM
Key Problem Isuzu suffered from low brand awareness and perception as a second-rate player. Among customers, however, their reputation was stellar. The mission: getting the truth told loudly and clearly.
Key Strategic Insight Buyers of diesel engines are concerned with one thing: product “reliability” because their livelihood and, sometimes their lives, literally depend on the product.
Creative Strategy (1) Develop an integrated campaign based on true customer stories depicting the product’s reliability in harsh, high-demand environments, (2) Take the high ground and position the brand as the most reliable and “One Less Thing to Worry About.”
Tactical Elements Integrated relationship marketing program (CRM), print ads in vertical trade pubs and horizontal business pubs, collateral materials, product brochures and spec sheets.
Target Audience Specifiers, purchasing personnel, engineers and owners of small- and medium-sized businesses in a variety of vertical markets.
Results
- Brand awareness up 30%
- Brand perception improved 37%
- Most importantly, the client attributed this campaign to cracking a major account they’d been trying to penetrate for the previous two years
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A Brand Awareness and Positioning Campaign.
Product/Service Global Website Strategists
Budget $1.5MM
Key Problem During the era of dotcom explosive growth, a new brand with modest resources wanted to rise above the competitive noise to generate attention and establish itself as an expert in digital e-commerce solutions.
Key Strategic Insight Many companies were quick to jump on the e-commerce bandwagon, but they didn’t have the expertise to deal with the myriad of e-business issues.
Understanding the critical needs of companies entering new and uncharted e-commerce waters was at the heart of quidnunc’s promise.
Creative Strategy Develop a bold, intrusive campaign with huge
stopping power that hit hard with the high-emotions associated with developing new e-commerce solutions while promoting quidnunc as a proven solutions provider.
Tactical Elements High-powered print ads (spreads) using bold illustrations placed in key dotcom, e-commerce and business publications.
Target Audience The “C” suite – CEOs, CFOs, CIOs and CMOs.
Results
- Brand awareness jumped from zero to 23% among key e-commerce decision makers
- The company secured 12 new assignments valued at $6.5MM during the first six months of the campaign making the cost self-liquidating
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A Brand Awareness and Demand Generation Campaign.
Product/Service Summer Art Festival
Budget $135K
Key Problem Event attendance was in decline – down 43% to 200,000 from its peak of 350,000.
Key Strategic Insight Competition for consumers is intense. Local summer-time competition includes Art-A-Fair and Pageant of the Masters (Laguna Beach), Orange County Fair and Vans US Open of Surfing. Other major attractions: Aquarium of the Pacific, Catalina, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Legoland, Raging Waters, Sea World, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SoCal beaches.
Creative Strategy (1) Create and promote a branded “3-for-1” offer giving access to all three Laguna Beach summer art festivals
Sawdust, Art-A-Fair and Pageant of the Masters, (2) Promote the art exhibits and participatory demonstrations, (3) Promote the convenience of mobile ticket purchasing.
Tactical Elements Laguna Beach print, online and transit media (bus sides and benches), visitor guides, summer calendar directories, table tents in restaurants and hotel rooms, static clings in merchant windows.
Target Audience Adults 25-54, skewed to women. (Represents 3 generations):
- Boomers: 45-63
- GenX: 30-44
- GenY/Millennials:15-29
Results N/A
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A Brand Awareness and Positioning Campaign.
Product/Service Commercial Trucks (Classes 3 – 7)
Budget $4MM
Key Problem Isuzu Commercial Trucks suffered from low brand awareness and a negative stigma of being an import.
Key Strategic Insight Market research found commercial trucks are purely a rational purchase. Buyers demand four specific truck attributes:
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Creative Strategy (1) Promote product attributes linked to each of
the four buying criteria, (2) Position the brand as the most reliable, and “One Less Thing to Worry About”.
Tactical Elements Integrated relationship marketing program (CRM), print ads in fleet books, horizontal small business and vertical trade pubs, outdoor and collateral materials.
Target Audience Fleet buyers, owners of small- and medium-sized businesses in a variety of vertical markets.
Results
- Brand awareness improved by 23%
- Sales up 19%
- Isuzu reclaimed its #1 commercial truck import position
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A Brand Awareness and Repositioning Campaign.
Product/Service PC Hard Drives
Budget $6MM
Key Problem In a world full of low-interest, parity PC storage products, how do you raise awareness, preference and demand for WD hard drives?
Key Strategic Insight People are passionate about their data. They get emotional about losing it. (Just ask anyone who’s had their hard drive crash, how it felt.) Reliability is the single most important product attribute.
Resellers also demand reliability because there’s no profit in repairing or exchanging drives.
Creative Strategy (1) Reposition WD as the world’s most recommended hard drives and a brand that does everything humanly possible to ensure product reliability. The new positioning line,
“Put Your Life On It.” reinforced the reliability story.
(2) End-user messages were based on interesting true stories of people trusting their data to WD drives.
(3) Reseller ads used a humorous creative approach as a platform to capture reseller attention and deliver “speeds & feeds.”
Tactical Elements Corporate IT, end-user and reseller publications, online banner ads, collateral materials.
Target Audience CIOs, IT managers, engineers, computer resellers and end-users.
Results
- Brand awareness increased 21%
- Brand image and preference up 17%
- Stock priced doubled and split . . . twice
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Product Introduction and Demand Generation Campaign.
Product/Service Notebook Computers
Budget $15MM
Key Problem With a sea of new notebooks constantly being introduced, how do you get corporate IT’s attention and purchase orders?
Key Strategic Insight Corporate IT is bombarded with information. And, they’re forever conducting cost/benefit analyses prior to any major computer purchase. They’re in a time crunch.
Creative Strategy Straight talk – provide the rational product information IT needs to make a decision. No fluff. No bull. Just
authentic information to demonstrate Toshiba notebooks’ design and performance superiority.
Tactical Elements IT, business and CMO pubs, online banner ads, collateral materials.
Target Audience Corporate CIOs and IT managers.
Results
- The large business share increased by 6.4%
- The company consistently exceeded sales quotas for all campaign products
- The campaign successfully introduced new products while reinforcing Toshiba’s leadership position
