A Special Commendation at the Drum Marketing Awards
11th May 2012
We're just back from the Drum Marketing Awards 2012. The Drum Marketing Awards reward and celebrate the UK’s most effective marketing strategies. The results were announced at the annual awards ceremony which took place May 9th 2012 at Emirates Stadium, London.
We were very pleased to make the finalists for our category (Best Direct and Promotional Strategy of the year), and although we didn't win (congratulations to CBS Outdoor) we did come second with a special commendation for ROI and campaign effectiveness.
Our nominated campaign needed not only a great concept but also needed the strength to be able to galvanise all the once disparate marketing teams into getting behind a single campaign. With a limited budget we delivered an integrated campaign that delivered beyond expectations, using specialist ATL, online, social media, partner co-marketing, in-retail merchandising and POS and in-store promoters all delivering a single message with a clear reason to buy.
Research led us to focus our direct push activity on the current a-level students that gained entry to university, delivering in partnership with UCAS a special offer through DM, email and online banner advertising, and advertising in the student fresher guides so we could catch the attention of early purchasers all the way through to those who waited for their first loan cheque to buy their first PC. This drove footfall to our key retail partners, while the same creative concept provided a general in-store and online campaign creating consistency.
Our strategy was:
– Use quantifiable research to understand where the greater % of population lives with their parents/guardians and target both high street and online partners where student are most likely to purchase a laptop for University
– Build Strategic Partnership with UCAS based on being the exclusive technology partner for all “Going to University” promotions
– Utilise In-Store POS material and Online web content to raise awareness
– Develop Social Media Strategy through key blogging sites and Facebook to build confidence in the brand solution
– Develop ATL and Creative Assets that draws on the experiences and case studies of other like minded people
– Be discipline agnostic. So to Integrate ATL, online, social media, partner co-marketing, in-store merchandising and in-store demonstrations to deliver a measurable and effective campaign and to use deep market and geo-analysis to guide our spend and focus the marketing activity. This resulted in a lower % of ATL from previous campaigns.
– Create engaging original photography, with localised messaging (in four key regions) to create a greater buyer connection.
Our Campaign message was “a Visibily Smart Solution that lasts the course’. The main objective of the campaign was to increase awareness and sales of Notebooks, Printers and Displays amongst students heading off to university, coupled with a strong generic in-store and online retail offer.
This strategy involved carrying out research amongst existing students and teachers to gain valuable insight into the requirements for students going off to university and using that as a basis of recommendation in the campaign itself.
This strategy involved carrying out research amongst existing students and teachers to gain valuable insight into the requirements for students going off to university and using that as a basis of recommendation in the campaign itself.
With a delivered ROI of 47:1 and a measurable sales delivery in excess of £12m we were very happy in the execution and very proud that our work was recognised.
Published by
Jason Burrows, Managing Director
jason@creationagency.com, 07764 898000
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