Beverage World - May 2008 - (Page 78) [SALES&MARKETING] STATISTICAL INSIGHTS IN BRIEF BEVSOLUTIONS Cures for the Wrong Mindset by kent phillips Help Wanted for The Most Interesting Man Dos Equis recently launched a multifaceted advertising and marketing campaign extension to find a new assistant for its humorous ad campaign, The Most Interesting Man (MIM) in the World. The search began on National Administrative Professionals Day, April 23, and is looking to replace the MIM’s former assistant. Applicants can submit their dossiers online and will be narrowed down to 10 A SCENE from Dos Equis’ semi-finalists The Most Interesting Man in the World campaign. by a panel of judges. An online vote will determine the winner. “Dos Equis prides itself on being the most interesting beer on the market today,” says Lisa Pfenning, Dos Equis brand director. “Now we are looking to find an individual who brings to life that ‘interesting’ quality that Dos Equis and the Most Interesting Man in the World embody and bring honor to all assistants around the world.” In support of the assistant search, new advertising developed by Euro RSCG New York debuted on April 14, featuring new Dos Equis television, print, radio, digital and out-of-home ads. The advertising highlights the MIM and his clever advice on a range of topics, such as cologne, conversation, life and grooming. For example, in a new ad “On Life,” the MIM says, “It’s never too early to start beefing up your obituary.” The seven new TV ads and three new radio spots build upon the Dos Equis MIM advertising campaign that initially launched in 2007. The print creative will run nationwide in target publications, including Maxim, Paper Magazine and Blackbook. E Kent Phillips is chairman of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Data Bank Limited, a market research firm dedicated to the accurate tracking of national beverage sales since 1979. Tel: 1.800.666.4570; E-mail: Kent_I_Phillips@databankusa.com 78_BEVERAGE WORLD_MAY 2008 » arth to the beverage business… is anyone there? Our industry is regressing. We graduated from a distribution mindset around 1970, and we moved on and started working on a Masters in Marketing. We worked on distribution issues from about 1915 until late in the last century: organizing routes, delivery schedules, service frequencies, vending machine placements, visi-coolers, shelving and a host of other mechanical problems. Market share during this period was not as important to us as just filling the market with enough goods. The biggest thing that happened to us was the transition in the marketplace from returnable, refillable bottles to large pack cans. At about this point, and the introduction of Diet Coke in the 80s, we finally graduated from a distribution mindset to a marketing mindset. We then wrote the book on brand development and positioning. I don’t think any industry charted the success that we did in the conversion from distributional thinking to marketing thinking. However, somewhere around 2005, we just simply, completely dropped to the ground again and reverted to Distributional Thinking! This reversion is bad and wrong! Today, we are faced with massive marketing challenges and we are addressing them with a distribution mindset. Look at what is happening. First, we have become the product of the week people. We call them “innovations,” but in reality they are line extensions. Second, parent companies are advertising on expensive national network television new products that address a very small market volume potential, rather that proven, large volume products. Third, without local information on vending placements and vended brands, it is impossible to position brands in the cold market. “Let’s just get it out there” is about the least sophisticated, distribution based, marketing solution utilized today. So, what do we do? I think we need to start thinking of our local markets and what will work there. What kind of consumers do we have? What is fueling our local market sales share? What is available in vending by segment, by brand? What brands do I want to grow? How big is the opportunity in the entire cold market (single serve)? Am I just switching the consumer from one of my brands to a new one? If I had five facings on my largest brand in 20-ounce single serve, can I expect to do well with one or two facings now? Can I expect to do well with my allied brands, ones that I have emphasized for years, with fewer and fewer facings, less and less vendor presence, and smaller and smaller display (AD) quantities? I don’t have a perfect answer for “What do we do?” But I have asked you a number of questions. Answer all of these, and then you will know how you are doing, and probably what you should do next. BW BEVERAGEWORLD.COM http://BEVERAGEWORLD.COM
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