BtoB - January 16, 2012 - (Page 10)

ADVERTISING Send new campaigns, account action and people changes to kmaddox@crain.com CDW campaign heads North Fictional holiday-themed case study ads show tech company helping out Santa BY KATE MADDOX F computers to hackers trying to get on Santa’s “nice” list, the North Pole has IT issues that would give any CIO a headache. These are just some of the technology problems CDW helps solve in a holidaythemed campaign, called “North Pole Inc.,” that takes a whimsical look at how that fictional technology company optimizes the IT infrastructure for “the world’s largest gift distribution network.” The integrated campaign, which debuted last month, was created by Ogilvy & Mather, New York, and includes TV and online, with heavy use of social media. It is an extension of CDW’s “People Who Get IT” campaign, launched in January 2011. (The campaign budget was undisclosed.) Featuring Larry, the IT elf, the campaign is designed as a customer case study to show how CDW helps solve technology problems from data storage to security threats. “We wanted to generate familiarity around CDW’s capabilities with services and solutions, talking about technology problems in a way that shows how CDW might be able to help solve them,” said Neal Campbell, who was named senior VP-CMO at CDW last February. ROM FROZEN CHRISTMAS HELP CDW’s latest campaign featured North Pole Inc., the world’s largest gift distribution network. problems real and linked them back to real capabilities CDW had put into play with real customers and real case studies, the whole thing would work.” CDW turned to Ogilvy, its agency of record, to develop the campaign. “There is a lot of technology marketing out there, and a lot of it is very smart. In order to make a difference and really cut through the clutter, we wanted to bring it down to a human level that is very relatable,” said Charles Brandl, managing supervisor of the CDW account at Ogilvy. “We wanted to think about the tangible problems every business has—from security threats to data loss prevention—and turn that into, ‘What would the problem be like at the North Pole?’ ” In concept testing for the online video, Ogilvy used its own IT staff, including IT Director Larry Gordon, whose first name was adopted for Larry, the IT elf. In the TV spots, Larry, the IT elf, deals with an onslaught of IT problems at North Pole Inc. as the big delivery date approaches. For example, CEO (Chief Elf Officer) Santa has 3 billion emails he wants printed out; kids are sending in 10GB video files for their wish lists; and computers are frozen in giant blocks of ice. As if these problems weren’t enough, reindeer are wandering through the server room getting tangled in wires, and an elf crashes the network when she plugs in Christmas lights. newcampaigns Lincoln Financial Group “You’re in Charge” Agency: gyro, New York Target audience: Financial professionals and individual investors Campaign objective: Show how Lincoln Financial empowers customers to make financial decisions Media: TV (NBC and TNT telecasts of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” NFL broadcasts), print (The Wall Street Journal), radio, online Budget: $20 million Ally Bank “People Sense” Agency: Grey New York Target audience: Bank customers Campaign objective: Highlight the importance of customer service by showcasing Ally services such as 24/7 live chat Media: TV Budget: Undisclosed ONLINE CASE STUDY On the website (www.northpoleitelves.com), these problems are fleshed out in more detail in a “case study” section, under topics including security, unified communications, infrastructure optimization and configuration. This section shows how CDW can solve the types of problems North Pole Inc. and other businesses face. The website also features online videos; Larry, the IT elf’s Twitter feed; downloadable “Elfspiration” posters; and an area where users can make a donation to a charitable cause. As part of the campaign, CDW is donating $250,000 to a number of charities, and it encourages users to contribute as well. The campaign proved to be a big success, with more than 10,000 views on YouTube in the first few weeks. NOT INITIALLY SOLD ON THE NORTH POLE However, he was not initially sold on the idea of featuring the North Pole as a customer case study. “We started a case study program in 2011, helping people understand we have solutions and capabilities to solve their IT problems,” said Ann Batko, senior director-communications and brand management at CDW. Last year, the company featured the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys as an actual customer case study during the Super Bowl, and Batko and her team were looking for new opportunities. “ the fourth quarter approached, we As started thinking about Christmas, and we came up with the idea of doing a fictional case study and producing it just like a regular case study. But in this case it would be all about the North Pole and the kinds of business problems Santa would have—and how these problems would relate to the problems our customers have,” Batko said. “When Ann came into my office, at first I said, ‘No way; we are not associating our brand with fictional characters,’ ” Campbell said. “But after some discussion, we decided that as long as we made the technology ALSO BREAKING: ■ Domtar Corp. Campaign: “Really, Really Short Films” Media: Online, Agency: Eric Mower+Associates, Charlotte, N.C. Target audience: Business decision-makers ■ Lenovo Campaign: “Funny on the Fly” Media: Online Agency: Woo Agency, Culver City, Calif. Target audience: Business travelers ■ TD Ameritrade Campaign: “Common Sense” Media: TV Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco Target audience: Investors Online ad revenue expected to lead growth in ’12 BY KATE MADDOX G LOBAL AD spending this year will grow at a faster rate than last year, although economic uncertainty in many parts of the world is expected to temper that growth, according to recent ad forecasts. MagnaGlobal, a division of IPG Mediabrands, released a revised ad forecast last month projecting that global ad spending will reach $449 billion this year, up 5.0%. However, that forecast was down from an earlier projection of 6.5% growth. “This downward revision is due to deteriorating macroeco- nomic perspectives,” MagnaGlobal said in the report, pointing to continued uncertainty in Europe, particularly Greece, Italy and Portugal, which are expected to suffer full-year recessions in 2012. However, quadrennial events— including the Olympic Games in London, the Poland/Ukraine European Soccer Championship and the presidential election in the U.S.— will drive an additional 1%-to-2% growth across geographic markets, MagnaGlobal projected. “In the U.S., political and Olympic money will account for $3 billion of incremental ad spend, mostly on television [$2.4 billion related to the election; and $600 million generated by Olympic telecasts],” MagnaGlobal said in the report. In October, MagnaGlobal issued a revised forecast for the U.S., downgrading its projected ad spending growth to 2.9% this year from an earlier projection of 4.8%. The big winner this year will be Internet advertising, which will grow 11.2% and outrank newspapers to become the second-largest media category globally, accounting for nearly 20% of global advertising dollars (19.5% at $87.4 billion), according to MagnaGlobal. TV advertising will grow 6.7% globally to $187.1 billion this year, while newspaper revenue will decline 1.0% and magazine revenue will decrease 1.3%, MagnaGlobal said. In a separate forecast released last month, ZenithOptimedia said global ad spending would total $486 billion this year, up 4.7% over last year, “despite the continuing slowdown in Europe and fears that its debt crisis will get much worse,” according to the report. Next year, global ad spending is expected to grow 5.2%; and, in 2014, ad spending is expected to increase 5.8%. In the U.S., ad spending will grow 3.5% this year and also next year, according to ZenithOptimedia. The fastest-growing ad categories in the U.S. this year will be Internet (up 12.6%) and cable TV (up 12.0%). Categories that will show decreases include newspapers (down 8.5%), business magazines (down 4.0%), TV syndication (down 4.0%) and network TV (down 2.0%). ZenithOptimedia projected that Internet advertising, which now accounts for 15.9% of the total global advertising market, will make up 21.2% of total advertising by 2014. 10 | BtoB | January 16, 2012 | btobonline.com  http://www.northpoleitelves.com/ http://www.northpoleitelves.com/ http://www.btobonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BtoB - January 16, 2012

BtoB - January 16, 2012
B-to-b learns from b-to-c e-commerce experience
Large share of marketers boosting spending, especially online
Mobile apps, social integration, content are key trends
ANA ramps up I CANN domain name protest
B-to-b marketers still in Super Bowl lineup
'BtoB' to host Digital Edge Live conference
Social media matures with added players, new metrics
Quick Hits
Reader Comments/Polls
Opinion
Positive outlook for online ad spending
Advertising
Media companies flock to mobile Web
Business Media
Email remains a strong marketing tool
Direct & Database
Tools & Metrics

BtoB - January 16, 2012

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