Green Mountain Coffee
Situation
Green Mountain Coffee wanted to make its brand more recognizable and expand its geographic reach. “It has tremendous success in its core New England market, so with this campaign, it was looking to expand the brand into new markets,” says Mike Reese, president of BrandBuzz.
Approach
Green Mountain Coffee partnered with BrandBuzz to create the multifaceted “I realized…” campaign. Newspaper, radio and street-level ads prompted viewers to text about the ways that coffee inspires them to Green Mountain Coffee. Texted revelations have a chance to be placed on Green Mountain Coffee cups.
The companies decided on texting because it “is a simple way to centralize data collection, and it’s an easier way to get people to quickly respond to an advertisement,” Reese says. “It’s easier to ask and engage people and collect data through texting as opposed to driving them to the Web.”
Results
The campaign began late in the fourth quarter of 2008 and will run through spring 2009. Within the first two weeks of the campaign’s launch, Green Mountain Coffee received 470 texts from the out-of-home and newspaper ads.
-Jonathan Mack
Reebok
Approach
Reebok partnered with Buddy Media to promote the “Talkin’ Krazy” shoe, which can be written on with special markers. The campaign reached out to its target audience — 13- to 18-year-old boys — with a Facebook application that allowed users to “talk smack” by writing on a virtual shoe and sending it to friends.
Results
The month-long campaign, launched last September, saw 100,000 users download the app in the first week and still has 3,000 regular users.
-Lauren Bell
Tandberg
Approach
Video conferencing provider Tandberg tapped Goodman Marketing Partners to showcase a new product to C-level prospects via dimensional direct mail. Round, Star Trek-themed floor mats reflect how the brand’s system is like transporting employees between offices. Some also received an “employee’s lost journal.”
Results
The mailer was sent to prospects last fall. A 4% increase in lead volume at press time exceeded Tandberg’s stated expectations; it will keep monitoring results for the next four to six months.
-Mary Hurn
Molly Gilmore
VP and creative director, G2 Direct & Digital
Every day, I experience several “coffee moments.” The first usually involves the early-morning realization that I did not win the lottery overnight. The second is that I am running late for work. The third is that it’s time to come up with some great copy… or else. And, therein lies the problem with the new “I realized” brand campaign from Green Mountain Coffee. I love the positioning, I applaud the folksiness of using community-based media channels, and I like the consistency of the graphics. But the copy doesn’t have the “real-life” punch it needs to elevate the campaign beyond the cliché.
On the other hand, however, Reebok’s new “Talkin’ Krazy” application for Facebook uses street talk to its advantage. By allowing users to draw personalized smack talk on their virtual sneakers, the application becomes an online product demo of the real thing. Add to that the cool look and hip-to-its-target voice, and you’ll understand why this new “appvertisement” is proving such a success.
The new direct mail campaign for Tandberg video conferencing systems is another good example of how clever creative can demonstrate the benefits of a complex product to top decision-makers. The three-dimensional packages that were sent to CEOs, CFOs and CTOs immediately validated the many reasons for choosing Tandberg — including Star Trek technology, streamlined meeting costs and a better ROI. What’s more, the stellar response shows the campaign engaged the target in a fun and surprising way.
