Integrated New Marketing
Case Study: Winners & Losers at New Marketing
The best marketers in the world are still unclear about the
rules and dynamics of all this “new” marketing.
So it may be most instructive to look at what is working and
what is not to determine the key winners and losers. In that
regard, a couple of examples:
Winners
Axe Spray Deodorant
It would not be at all surprising if many readers have either
never heard of this brand, or have done so only in passing.
However, in the four years since Unilever launched this product,
it has taken the number one brand position in the $2.4 billion
U.S. deodorant market and has done so without the use of prime
broadcast TV or any sports affiliation.
Rather, Axe Spray Deodorant has exploited (1) a provocative,
unique positioning: “unleash your inner animal magnetism”;
(2) a very targeted approach to content integration with placement
in shows on such cable channels as MTV and Spike TV; (3) brand
focused web sites such as “Gamekillers” and “Order
of the Serpentine” that have drawn as many as 150 million
unique visitors per month; and (4) a favorite “Myspace”
spokesperson named “Forbidden” to drive this very
young male oriented brand to market leadership.
Hershey "Wrapper Cash" Promotion
While it is just getting underway in late May 2006, early
indications and MCAworks judgment indicates that the new “Wrapper
Cash” promotion being implemented by Hershey—across
its full line of single portion products—is bound to
be a notable success.
Anticipated success recognizes that the promotion takes advantage
of the newest and most exciting aspects of latest communications
technologies: Text Messaging and Web Auctions on EBay—to
add “Buzz”, immediacy, constant refresh-ability,
and an ability to add heightened perceived value to the promotion.
The promotion prints unique codes inside the wrappers of
hundreds of millions of Hershey candy packages. Upon opening,
the buyer text messages the code to determine its value. Hershey
offers buyers the ability to submit wrapper bids for money
and prizes (up to and including automobiles) in daily auctions
over 200 consecutive days.
These two programs will drive lots of wrapper purchases and
continued and extended participation by many of Hershey’s
best customers. In all likelihood, the auction dynamic will
generate word of mouth and some interesting bidding dynamics.
Advertising/promotion for the program has not even begun,
and Hershey already had over 90,000 participants submit bids
in the promotion.
Stay tuned.
Loser
Vonage Voice over IP Telephony
Despite the extraordinary success of IP-based telephony in
Company and Enterprise oriented markets, and uniform predictions
that VoIP is likely to totally eclipse traditional technologies
in consumer telephony, Vonage has failed to leverage the extraordinary
opportunity in the U.S. consumer market. Vonage’s failure
traces to its inability to explain the inherent advantages
versus traditional phones, and thus justify consumer switching.
Rather than drive home the reality that this new technology
can help bring to home phones the kinds of communications
functionality and performance advantages—like directories
and SMS messaging—that consumers have seen and made
popular on their PC’s and wireless phones, Vonage has
focused single-mindedly (and stupidly) on price, with brain
numbing advertising citing the stupid things that other people
do.
It is no surprise that the recent Vonage IPO is considered
the worst in the last several years. Investors seem to recognize
a pig ready for market when they see one.
Contact John Hawkins
for more information.
