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Launch Expert Julie Hall Adds 5th “P” – Participation – to the Classic 4 P’s of Marketing

The Holmes Report featured an op-ed by Schneider Associates’ EVP and Launch Expert Julie Hall about how social media is changing the way we launch new products. 

Hall and Schneider Associates introduced the Most Memorable New Product Launch (MMNPL) Survey in 2002, and since then, the poll has surveyed thousands of consumers about the most memorable product launches each year, analyzed media consumption and purchasing habits, and predicted trends based on the results. 

Hall highlighted one significant change in this year’s MMNPL findings: “Facebook was nowhere near the top 10 sources of information about new products – and in the span of one year, it became the third most used source of information on new product launches, jumping from 17% to 40%. And this is just Facebook.”

Based on this and other findings, Hall coined the fifth P in the product marketer’s arsenal – Participation (the original four: product, price, promotion and place). Hall insists that consumers can be engaged by “Relationship Marketing,” which allows them to interact more closely with brands and products they love. Going forward, campaigns must consist of a blend of participatory marketing through various sources of old and new, traditional and social media marketing techniques in order to succeed.

Read the full article here.

If you would like help planning your next launch, contact us at launch@schneiderpr.com or on Twitter @SchneiderPR.

SXSW is a Hotbed of Digital Innovation & Food Product Flavor Experiences

  

At this year’s SXSW 2012 event, brand names vied for exposure in a space teeming with messages and activity, with everything of course being shared in existing and new social media platforms. For more about what’s hot in the digital world and being launched and experienced by the 20,000 visitors to SXSW, be sure to watch the following videos with Launch Expert Julie Hall of Schneider Associates and our on-site correspondent, Lynne Viera, president and CEO of Rival Marketing.

 

No SXSW conference is without free food and sampling, and this year was no different. Some of the brands displaying innovation and creativity include Chevrolet, Nikon, Miller Lite, Monster Energy, and Doritos. Doritos JACKED, the newest tortilla chips from Doritos, were being sampled at a Doritos sponsored concert that also featured a chance to win special prizes. Doritos also displayed a nearly six-story tall pop-up vending machine with giant oversized quarters, to help promote the new extra large chips flavored as Smoky Chipotle BBQ or Enchilada Supreme. Doritos also recently launched a Doritos branded taco shell which is being served at Taco Bell. For additional commentary on food brand promotions at SXSW, check out the post from Dom Celentano, The Foodpreneur, on About.com.

 

SXSW also launched its first Tex-Mex Taco Table that featured participating restaurants Taco Deli, Habanero Mexican Café, and Matt's Famous El Rancho. What better place than Austin, Texas to promote foods and restaurants with Hispanic flavor profiles and influences?  This year, FedEx delivered food and free coffee from their food truck, along with providing a power up from their human chargers (see photo). Even world champion eater Kobayashi showed up to scarf what we think was a record number of grilled cheese sandwiches. The Today Show also had a food truck, as many brands find it is easier to get the attention of attendees outside the convention by offering free food or other services.

 

(Fedex Human Chargers)

(Today Show food truck)

Beer company Miller Lite gave its consumers a chance to enter the “SXSW 2012 Instant Win Game” for a $200 gift card or more.  Attendees can also "Tweet a Beer" to someone, buying a Miller via PayPal which is redeemable at some bars. They also sponsored giveaways and downloads on Pandora, Spotify, and other music apps.   Another beverage brand, Monster Energy, offered free breakfast and morning beverages during its events.

On the non-food front, Chevrolet developed an innovative promotion by providing taxi cab rides to Austin, Texas venues. Dubbed “Catch a Chevy,” the shuttle service showed off a full line of cars including Cruze sedans, Volts, Camaros, Corvettes and Mailbu Ecos featuring their updated OnStar service.  People test drove the vehicles from the convention center or hailed a car to take them to their next destination. 

Nikon put its new Nikon D4 and D-800 HD SLR cameras in the hands of fans.  SXSW attendees sampled the devices by snapping pictures of featured musicians.

The annual SXSW event began in 1987 in Austin, Texas, at the Austin Convention Center, and has become one of the best chances brands have to get in front of a core audience of influencers and trendsetters.

 

If you would like help planning your next launch, contact us at launch@schneiderpr.com or on Twitter @SchneiderPR.

 

Axe Introduces New Fragrance for Women

Axe, the body spray and grooming brand by Unilever, famous for its ads that turn average young men into heroic “girl-magnets,” recently launched the newest addition to its line of body sprays: Anarchy, a scent marketed towards men and women.

The campaign, by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, focuses on the idea of chaos and commotion, using dramatic online and print advertisements to stir up attention. The online promotion kicked-off with a teaser commercial, also seen in movie theaters, which featured the "Anarchy" concept without revealing the new product for women.

Social media, specifically the Axe Facebook page, played a key role in unleashing the “anarchist” scent. Up until the launch, Facebook users were greeted with a countdown to the fragrance release using the text “Anarchy is coming.” Free samples were distributed before the product hit stores for Facebook users who answered all of the questions correctly on an Axe quiz.

Axe also launched an original graphic novel in partnership with Aspen Comics, appropriately titled “Anarchy,” via YouTube and Facebook.  The graphic novel, “Anarchy Girl,.” Was created with fan feedback in real time, with Axe consumers voting on the comic’s plotline, characters and other aspects online through Axe’s social media channels. Some lucky fans also had comic versions of themselves featured in the novel after “liking” specific Axe Facebook posts or contributing their ideas.

To elaborate on their “Are you ready for unexpected attraction at every turn?” marketing campaign, Axe produced their usual suggestive commercial: a female police officer chasing a male robber through the city, only to meet with an incredible force of attraction at the end of the ad.

 A limited edition release, the question is will the body spray make women forgo their normal stand-by and make Axe Anarchy body spray their new choice? Barret Roberts, Senior Brand Manager at Axe, told the New York Times, “We’ve been hearing for some time that females have been asking for and looking for their very own scent of Axe.”

 At SA, we believe this is not anarchy, just smart marketing.

 

10 Consumer Behavior Trends from the Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey

Check out our video highlighting 10 Consumer Behavior Trends from the Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey.

A Healthy Shade of Green: The Avocado Trend

Where health-conscious eaters used to steer away from this fruit (yes – avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable), it seems that Americans now can’t get enough of them.  In the past year, domestic avocado sales skyrocketed to 1.3 billion pounds - a 16% increase, according to the Hass Avocado Board. This is partially due to the more than 75 new products made with avocado have been introduced over the past five years. Grocery store products, restaurant menus and chain markets have all jumped on the trend. Whether it’s a side of guacamole, a topping on your sandwich, or the center of a vegetarian entrée – avocados are now a low cost, healthy and tasty indulgence. 

With 85% of its calories coming from fat, it’s no wonder the avocado was nicknamed the “butter-fruit.” In recent years, researchers have put the high-fat myth to rest, uncovering an important difference between the fat content of avocados (monounsaturated fats), and the fat content of, say, a bag of potato chips. Avocados boost your metabolism, offer more than 20 different nutrients, help fight cancer and osteoporosis, and improve heart health, memory, weight-loss and anti-aging.

Using this new evidence, The California Avocado Commission (CAC) organized a marketing campaign that included a combination of radio spots, outdoor and online banner ads, trade commissions, print ads, point-of-sale support and coupon programs, resulting in 33 million consumer impressions.

A follow-up survey revealed that the primary motivation to purchase avocados came as a result of its versatility as an ingredient and use in conjunction with other foods. From here, CAC modified their campaign to include promotions that focused on educating the consumer on how to use and prepare avocados at home. 
Avocado products were co-promoted with related ingredients like chips, lime and salads – for example, CAC teamed up with ReadyPac Salad to co-promote avocados and fresh cut salads, via radio spots and coupons. Adhering to the consumer trend of authenticity, they also began to coordinate promotions with domestic avocado growers around peak harvest periods.  

These awareness campaigns successfully established public interest in avocados and its newly discovered health advantages. Results demonstrated a significant increase in consumers’ understanding of the health benefits of eating avocados.

Subway’s Avocado Sandwich

Earlier this year, Subway jumped on the avocado band wagon, nudging other fast food chains to follow suit and include the vitamin- and mineral-packed fruit on their menus. To promote the launch of its avocado spread, Subway created an ad campaign featuring Olympic athletes Michael Phelps and Apolo Ohno, juggling avocados. Subway also launched a “Grab the Green” campaign, promoting avocados alongside the summer flick, The Green Lantern. 

Their social media campaign included a Subway Avocado and Green Lantern promotion party, hosted on Twitter. For one hour, The Clever Girls Collective discussed the health benefits of avocados, as well as the Green Lantern movie, and Twitter followers’ superpower wish lists.

The avocado option was initially a limited-time offer, but after seeing all-time sales records during its first week, franchises may decide to keep avocados as a permanent topping. 

Around the same time that Subway released its avocado spread, Frito-Lay launched three different flavors of dip seasonings, including “Freshly Made Guacamole,” a seasoning mix added to fresh avocados, catered to those who need a quick and easy recipe to wow their guests. 

It’s rare that a fruit or vegetable ingredient takes the food industry by storm, but the amazing avocado has done just that, supported by a strong awareness campaign and a healthy eating trend.

New Balance Goes Minimalist With Minimus Launch

New Balance is toeing the line on the minimalist running craze with its Spring 2011 release of its Minimus – a product that fits the trend but is steeped in consumer insights and research.

The New Balance Minimus, or NB Minimus for short, represents the company’s first venture into minimalist shoes, a rapidly growing market for the hardcore running community.

“NB Minimus is a barefoot-inspired line of shoes created specifically for runners seeking a truly minimalist experience,” said Katherine Petrecca, the manager for the new line. “We view these shoes very much as tools that encourage better running form, and help strengthen the legs and feet. As important, a great minimal shoe should deliver increased ground feel and control, which is what makes them so much fun to use.”

You don’t have to be a competitive runner to use a Minimus shoe, either. New Balance created three different shoes for different uses: Minimus Road, Minimus Trail and Minimus Wellness. The first two are self-explanatory while the Minimus Wellness is intended as a shoe that doesn’t have to be used just for exercise.

This isn’t the first line of shoes to hit the minimalist market. The Merrell Barefoot shoes, the Vibram Five Fingers and the Mizuno Universe Wave 3 racing flats all have a healthy following among runners. However, what sets the NB Minimus apart from its competitors is its reliance on incorporating feedback from real minimalist running enthusiasts into their designs.

A video on their website shows Team New Balance ultra-marathoner Anton Krupicka describing how he had begun cutting the soles off of his running shoes in frustration because he could not find a shoe with a small enough drop, and the other minimalist shoes available weren’t protective enough. This led to an “aha!” moment for New Balance’s designers: Send prototypes to real runners and encourage them to make modifications to the shoes and send them back. The result? A minimalist shoe made by runners, for runners.

The minimalist movement is all about providing the most natural running experience, and that means using a shoe that feels like it’s barely there. Its growth is thanks in large part to the research done by Dr. Daniel Lieberman at Harvard University, which found that the most experienced (read: best) runners avoid landing on their heels to minimize impact and maximize energy and endurance. It is also based on the ideas in Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run.

The NB Minimus design is ultralight (under 8.5 ounces) and incredibly low to the ground with just a 4 mm drop from the heel to the forefoot.

New Balance took all of the research and information they had gathered in developing the Minimus and created educational launch events which promised “There’s a better way to run. Learn to train more efficiently, to keep you on the road, to run longer, faster, and more comfortably than ever before.” These events were designed to advocate for minimalist running, teach proper form and to dispel some of the myths around the minimalist movement.

By integrating customers into the development of their product, and positioning themselves as an expert in the minimalist running category, New Balance has definitely created and launched a line of products designed to go the distance.

Mentos Leaves the Flavor Choice UP2U

 

In May, Mentos launched UP2U Gum – two different flavors of gum in a single pack, giving consumers the choice of which flavor to chew at any given time. And if two choices aren’t enough, UP2U has released four different assortments of the dual-flavor pack: Daylight Mint/Mintnight Mint, Sweet Mint/Bubble Fresh, Berry Watermelon/Fresh Mint, and Mandarin Strawberry/Spearmint. Whether it’s a sweet, fruity taste you’re after, or that minty, just-brushed feeling – UP2U lets you act on your impulses.

The concept of a 2-in-1 flavored candy product is not necessarily an original idea – both Nerds and Stride’s Shift Gum have offered their sweet-toothed consumers a variety-pack of flavors in the past. What gives UP2U Gum the innovation advantage is its emphasis on the role of the consumer - a decision-maker, stepping up to make his or her own choice.

Beyond securing television and print advertisements, the Martin Agency kick-started UP2U’s social media campaign with the placement of several billboards in Chicago, urging people to call (800) 304-UCHOOSE. Callers hear an automated voice that directs them through a series of survey questions. A series of simple questions (“What is your favorite color?”) progress to increasingly stranger decisions. Prompts like “Where do you think grandpa is hiding?” and “What would be a good name for a mongoose farm?” engage the caller in making some bizarre choices.

After all the questions have been answered, callers receive this response: “Thank you, friend, for your choices and the hard work you put into choosing all of them. After analyzing your responses, it appears that Mentos UP2U gum is the perfect gum for you. Please buy some and visit us at facebook.com/up2u.”

From there, UP2U keeps the ball rolling on their social media campaign with online promotional deals. For 10 days   through June 22^nd, UP2U Facebook followers can log onto the product’s fan page, where every day at noon EST, the first 1,000 people to sign in receive a free pack of Mentos UP2U Gum.  This is the first layer of a large-scale social media sampling campaign/contest, which Mentos will gradually build on over the next couple of months.

Keeping in sync with the rising consumer trend of personalization and consumer participation, Mentos UP2U Gum serves up an interesting launch in the ever competitive gum category. It will be interesting to see if UP2U’s social push gives it the teeth to compete with chewing favorites like Trident, Orbit, Stride and Extra.

Have you tried this gum? Let us know which flavor you like best.

Casio Gets Funky with TRYX

Casio launched its newest camera with a stylin’ event in New York City featuring hip-hop acts The Roots and Nicki Minaj. The new product from Casio is TRYX, a point-and-shoot skinny cam with HD video capabilities. But the real revolution is in the camera’s frame. As opposed to most cameras, the TRYX’s frame can flip out and act as a handle, a tripod or a hanger, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity. The TRYX also boasts a wide-angle lens to capture group shots, and an HDR-ART special effects feature, which stylizes photos in artistic ways.

In developing the TRYX camera, Casio targeted young, socially-networked college students and mid-30s adults. Casio listened to what this younger audience wanted in a camera: easy photo sharing, fun special effects for a photo-booth feel, and flexibility.

 "Photography is a large part of how young people express themselves today, and they want the ability to share their photographs with friends over social networking sites," said Toshi Iguchi, Casio U.S. digital imaging products general manager, when speaking with the Official CES Daily. "They have the ability to immediately identify the benefits of our new camera, and that's why we've targeted them in this launch."

Casio teamed up with Best Buy for an exclusive nationwide launch, and for a special launch concert. The New York City event, TRYX: OUT NYC 2011, featured a Nicki Minaj lookalike contest and a concert with the hip-hop diva and The Roots. The top ten finalists in the Minaj lookalike contest won a TRYX camera and a gift certificate to Best Buy, with the winner receiving a back stage pass to meet the real Nicki. Users who signed up for a free account with Casio’s photo-sharing community, Imaging Square, were automatically entered to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to the NYC event. Casio also created two, limited edition pink TRYX cameras for Minaj, which she used, signed and auctioned off to help victims of Japan’s recent earthquake.

The event and giveaways were promoted via Casio’s Facebook and Twitter accounts,while event and product videos were featured on the company’s TRYX-focused YouTube channel.  

TRYX faces a challenging market for personal, portable technology devices, plus competition from improving cell phone cameras. Who knows, this product just might be funky enough to replicate the success Polaroid had with their i-Zone sticker camera.

Less Is More and More is More with New KFC Double Down

After KFC’s high profile Grilled Chicken became created a stir in 2009 with its couponing issues and subsequent sales success, marketers wondered what KFC would do next to captivate consumers’ imaginations. The answer? The Double Down sandwich.

KFC has gone “bun-less” with its latest non-traditional sandwich, which seemed more like a test market experiment or urban myth based on the early buzz it received (note the advertising touting “it’s real”). With this new sandwich, KFC answers the call for more meat, by offering “so much premium chicken that [they] didn’t have room for a bun.” Now two chicken filets (grilled or fried) hold together two pieces of bacon, and two melted slices of Monterey and pepper jack cheeses smothered in Colonel's Sauce. For those calorie conscious consumers, the Double Down comes in at 540 calories (equivalent to some large cheeseburgers) and the grilled version is 460; but both sandwiches are low carb of course.

KFC announced the Double Down in an April press release and began offering the item in restaurants on April 12^th. The Double Down was initially test marketed in Omaha, Nebraska and Providence, Rhode Island. Consumer curiosity and demand drove people to travel for miles to sample it. Online buzz in conjunction with late night talk show mentions helped the Double Down generate more interest than any other test market item in KFC history. Originally the Double Down was a limited time offer ending on May 23, 2010 – but KFC reversed course on May 19, 2010, stating the item would remain available as long as consumer demand is high.

To fuel interest after its national launch, KFC enlistedfemale students on college campuses to hand out coupons while wearing fitted sweatpants that had "Double Down" in large letters across their rear ends. Some questioned this marketing strategy, but KFC’s Manager of Public Relations, Rick Maynard, pointed out that KFC had only, "taken a page out of the book of some apparel companies and sororities who have promoted in this way for years." KFC Marketing Chief John Cywinski added, “It's an effective way to catch the attention of young men” — KFC's key customers and the biggest fans of Double Down. Additionally, KFC is giving the “unneeded” sandwich buns plus cash donations to food banks across the country, starting with the Dare to Care Food Bank in KFC’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Billboards, print ads, and comical TV commercials boosted awareness and trial.

The chain cited its popularity in overall sales, aided by consumer-posted videos of people eating the Double Down, leading to YouTube buzz and celebrity ties, including Stephen Colbert’s televised feasting.  So far the campaign has worked: A KFC spokesperson reported 10 million Double Downs were sold for a total of about $50 million in revenue through mid-July.

Will this bun-less meat creation revolutionize fast food? Will we see a two-patty bun-less burger someday? Who knows? But this 2010 introduction from KFC certainly created a buzz with its innovative approach to creating and marketing a chicken sandwich.

If you would like help planning your next product launch, contact us at launch@schneiderpr.com or on Twitter, @SchneiderPR.

 

 

A New Dimension of Entertainment

 

A New Dimension of Entertainment

With the introduction of groundbreaking 3D technology promoted with highly creative experiential marketing, one brand of TVs is changing the way the world experiences both entertainment and marketing. Even before James Cameron’s movie, Avatar, forever raised the public’s expectations on the entertainment value of 3D visual media, manufacturers were feverishly working to replicate the 3D experience in the home. So who was the first-to-market? Entertainment technophiles know it was Samsung, a brand that has recently been relentless in developing and releasing new technologies before its competitors.

To introduce this innovative and mesmerizing new product line in early March, Samsung hosted a global launch event in Times Square. Avatar producer James Cameron made an appearance to promote the technology, and DreamWorks’ CEO Jeffery Katzenberg announced the next phase of the strategic alliance between the two companies, including putting the Shrek film series on 3D Bl u-ray. The Times Square event featured a performance by the Black Eyed Peas, which was filmed in 3D and made available exclusively to Samsung customers.  

In addition to the Times Square launch, Samsung also engineered two high profile experiential events to demonstrate category leadership. They created a stunning viral video of 3D projection mapping (over 1 million Youtube views) that debuted in Amsterdam and showed animation that was so realistic, it looked like the historic building on which the video was being projected was crashing to the ground. Samsung also planned and executed a tremendous experiential event in Buenos 
Aries where 1,256 3D TVs showed amazing three dimensional footage and attracted throngs of people to see displays in different spots across the city.

These buzz generating events are backed by a multi-million dollar “dedicated to wonder” integrated marketing campaign that incorporated ads, social media and cinema advertising at highly-anticipated 3D movies, such as Pixar’s Toy Story 3. To enable consumer trial of the product, Samsung is implementing a national in-store merchandising program that features 5,000 3D kiosks. They are also promoting a “starter kit” to encourage early adopters, which includes two sets of 3D active glasses to watch DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens or Shrek.

Samsung’s high profile, high budget, memorable product launch is exactly the kind of marketing you would expect from a brand that is forging ahead of the competition. Is it possible for Samsung to achieve category dominance? Only time will tell. (Click here for more about Samsung’s 3D TV product)

If you would like help planning your next launch, contact us at launch@schneiderpr.com or on Twitter @SchneiderPR.