Sugarshots -- they’re grrrrrrrreat, and the consumer needs to know it.
| Campaign Details:
Client: Sugarshots, Inc.
Agency: Basement, Inc.
Ad Network: 24/7 Real Media
Ad Serving + Tracking: Atlas DMT
Site Analytics: Think Metrics |
When asked to contribute to this first open source marketing effort, I immediately said “yes.” I love the medium, and what better platform in our industry than imediaconnection.com? However, as the deadline approached, and I sifted through the first 25 pages of analysis on Sugarshots at an hour way past my bedtime, I realized that this was not going to be a walk in the park.
In fact, Doug Schumacher has put together a thorough, intelligent and well-executed campaign for Sugarshots. This includes strategic selection of at least 12 different behavioral test cells, four creative executions, and analysis that ranges from up-front response rates to visits, intent to purchase, and conversion to sales. What could I possibly add? I think that Mr. Schumacher has covered it. At the conclusion of the campaign Sugarshots will know who its target audience is on the internet and what creative executions will provide the best ROI.
As I tend to do more frequently, I probed my memory banks for similar experiences, and from the dim recesses I went back to my ancient direct mail experience. Don’t even ask me to tell you the year. But I actually went into the vault and looked at some old direct mail campaigns for Texaco, Chase and Fingerhut dating back to the time when I was their account exec. They tested mailing lists ranging from recent auto buyers, to frequent vacation travelers, to buyers of shop towels and lawn equipment. There were multiple creative and offer executions. In terms of measurement, response rates were tallied. Conversion was documented. In the case of products like insurance, “persistency” was calculated to determine the ultimate lifetime value of a policy holder. Behavioral targeting? It was there in the guise of data overlays provided by companies with acronyms like CACI, PRISM and Claritas. Cluster modeling provided rudimentary behavioral targeting by postulating that, depending on what zip and block you lived on, you would be more likely to buy plane tickets for a vacation in the next 6 months.
The point here is that we’ve reached a point of true legitimacy in internet marketing. We’re taking the best practices of intelligent marketers and applying them to our medium. And that means we’ll be taken more seriously more often, provide meaningful results and get more business.
But as I read the case studies and looked at the Sugarshots website and read some of their short history, I had some nagging thoughts that wouldn’t go away.
It strikes me that Sugarshots is a very unique product, one that is in search of a market and an audience. Going back into the cerebral archives again, I remember one of the first things I asked myself when selling online media to a prospect was “what are they doing in the offline world to establish their brand, and can I somehow sell them an online media plan/placement that plays to their traditional marketing plans?” It usually worked pretty well. I could establish a bond with the brand manager because I thought about their offline business, and more importantly, because I gave them a rationale for selling the concept of internet marketing to internal skeptics.
Here’s my $64,000 question -- is targeted online media going to build the business for Sugarshots? What’s the offline component? Why do I ask? For the following reasons:
- Liquid sugar is a new food concept that has yet to achieve consumer awareness.
- Consumers need to be educated on what liquid sugar is, and why it’s a habit they should adopt.
- Liquid sugar does not have the distribution or market share of traditional sweeteners.
I think that if this is a product that will win the hearts and minds of American consumers, it needs to be front and center to a broad audience. If the testing determines that Sugarshots appeals to a young audience interested in entertainment, it should strike sponsorship deals with Fuse, or become the premier sponsor of the next ColdPlay tour, or sponsor the X Games, or get distribution deals with Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. “Wait!” you’re saying. “This is about the online component.” Yeah, but I can’t help thinking that in the larger context, this product is going to need broad, not just niche, exposure.
One of the questions asked in this open source program is: “Will a strategy that shows product use pay off better than one which shows product shot?” Personally, I’ll vote for product use because it graphically shows who uses the product, how they use it, and under what circumstances. To demonstrate new product use of an unknown brand you need a broad audience platform with branding images and positioning that will become ingrained in the consumers’ minds. So for Sugarshots, while we definitely need the intelligence described in the current online marketing programs, I think we also need to turn to some of the more ancient forms of branding to raise it up in the consciousness of the consumer. One option that would pull in our medium is internet video. There are several broadcast networks that now have an online component specifically developed to leverage local TV station content, with content that is as compelling online as it is offline. An additional test matrix for Sugarshots could be to test selected local markets whose demos match those of the prospective buyers, incorporating both online and offline video commercials. Perhaps Sugarshots could be the pioneer of online infomercials to educate consumers and visibly demonstrate how the product is being used. Now you’ve created a marketing platform that marries the traditional branding experience with the online experience.
As much as I love the analytics of our newly emerging business, I still remember the animated character Tony the Tiger who used to pitch the sweetened breakfast cereal Frosted Flakes by saying “…….they’re grrreeattt!” on the TV tube. As much as I hate to admit it, I think a new CPG product trying to make a big splash in the U.S. consumer market and take market share from entrenched competitors needs to make the commitment to that level of branding, in addition to applying the smart analytical tools available online.
Doug Wintz began his interactive career with Prodigy in 1988. During that time, he pioneered the sales and development of online applications for automotive clients Toyota, Ford and Autobytel, brokerage firm DLJ Direct and grocers Dominick’s and D’Agostino. He led the development of one of the first online ad networks for Softbank, managed sales/operations for gamesite Uproar and recently served as VP of Digital Media Solutions for Lycos. Doug is currently founder and principle of DMW MediaWorks, a consultancy in interactive media and operations, with long-term clients that include the market leaders in online health, broadcast television, behavioral targeting and custom publishing.