Promo - September 2008 - (Page 8)

10 Disney 12 dockers 14 legal 17 Experiential 20 Interactive 22 retail THE PLAYERS consumer driven Beverage drinkers vote on new product/Patricia Odell By the time all was said and done, more than 700,000 people had registered to take part in a contest to create the newest flavor of Mountain Dew. More than 350,000 people voted for the winning beverage, which will start appearing on store shelves in January. The drink, Mountain Dew Voltage, was created through a series of interactive games at DEWmocracy.com and was one of three candidates up for votes that were available for a limited time this summer. Players spent an average of 28 minutes on the site each time, a gold mine in the world of branded online games. This level of consumer engagement and enthusiasm for a fizzy, odd-colored soda is enjoyed by a brand that has spent years priming its core customer to jump at just such a chance: to actively participate in a very personal way in setting the direction of the brand. “It was becoming very obvious that this was the trend, consumers wanted some control, some power over the brand that they love,” says Joanne Nicoletti, associate brand manager for Mountain Dew. Promotions that give consumers the power to participate in the direction of a brand—to develop line extensions, create TV spots, tap out new jingles—are on the rise as media usage continues to fragment and individuals define how, when and where they are willing to communicate with a brand, says Ramona M. Biliunas, senior vice president, group management director at Draftfcb. Not every brand will have the success that Mountain Dew did, but many are trying. The following is a list of tips and case studies to keep in mind when rolling out these contests. Be Relevant Bissell, the vacuum cleaner company, got this right. It is playing into people’s love affairs with their pets and how it can help keep flying dog and cat hair in its place: the vacuum cleaner. It just wrapped up a contest that asked people to submit videos of their pets, with the winner to be featured on the packaging of its Lift-Off Revolution Pet Vacuum. It launched the contest after successfully testing the concept last year with a pet photo contest. Some 62,000 photos were entered, eliciting 7 million views. “This is something that we stumbled on by accident,” says Beth Jester, marketing events manager for Bissell. “When we came out with our first product marketed for pets, we used a stock photo of a dog on the box and we kept getting calls about who the dog was. When you pick up on those little cues, the idea for a contest might be right under your nose.” Temper Expectations as to participation and quality of submissions. A very small percentage of Internet users are likely to participate, and of those, an even smaller percentage will submit something that can actually be presented by the brand, says Chris Parker, senior vice president of marketing services, Story Worldwide. Offer an Incentive: a prize, discount, sample or giveaway that hits home to get people to participate. In the Bissell case, in addition to offering the winner’s pet a spot on its packaging, it also gave the winner $10,000 to donate to his or her favorite pet charity. “That was a big motivator,” Jester says. “Those allegiances run deep.” Develop Marketing Support A contest needs drivers, such as search, print, banner or TV ads or an e-mail blast, to get people to that experience. The contest is often supporting a larger campaign or promotion. Bissell used a partnership with the “Animal Planet Puppy Games” to promote its video contest and tied the deal to coincide with the opening and closing ceremonies of the 8 September 2008 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / Promo http://DEWmocracy.com http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - September 2008

Promo - September 2008 Contents Editor's Note Consumer Driven Magic Makeover Free Flight Legal Checkup Lasting Impressions Pop A Shop Commentary Squeezed Q&A: Eco-Friendly Champagne Tastes Safety First Resource Center The Agency Center Web Marketing 101 Index of Advertisers

Promo - September 2008

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