I always say that our job is to spread a message. Regardless of the objectives set by the client, we deliver a message. In what form will we do it? This is where the game starts to get interesting. Of course the customer’s budget will be a consideration, but we have several options to destabilize consumers. If we take the television option, or should I say film because videos are not exclusively broadcast on television, we will go for an advertisement that evokes an emotion. This may sound clichéd, but it is still difficult to obtain this type of result.

To create a singular product, it is first necessary to get the client to agree to think outside the box. Then we must find a memorable idea and to do justice to it, the execution must be flawless. When I talk about emotions, I am not just referring to love or laughter. I am talking about a feeling that will freeze you in front of your screen or will make you want to watch the entire advertisement. What I look for in a commercial is the kind of message that the audience likes to watch again and again, or that leads to a visceral desire to speak about it to your entourage. The viral effect is more often associated with the Internet, but word of mouth continues to operate without the Web. We talk about it at the office, in the subway, during a dinner with friends and so on. As a customer, you are looking for the kind of viral which will dramatically increase awareness of your brand, a passport that invariably leads you to enviable success. In a few words, if you have the privilege of using an agency that asks you to think outside the box, take the opportunity. Maybe it will lead you to the results you’ve always dreamed of for your business!

Whopper freakout – December 2007

http://www.whopperfreakout.com/index.html

With this in-store initiative, Burger King wanted to know the impact of withdrawing the Whopper from its menus. Throughout the day, many of the restaurant’s employees were filmed and had to announce the withdrawal of the popular sandwich to customers who were ordering it. The news, we can assume, destabilized the clientele.

A « making of » the day then circulated contagiously on the web, leading to a microsite specially designed to announce the chaos created by the withdrawal of the Whopper from the traditional Burger King menu. It was a sensational success: more than 1 million visitors saw different versions of the video, which resulted in the creation of a 30 second TV commercial to promote the microsite.

With all the coverage generated by its non-traditional action, Burger King is certain to have recovered its investment and is already preparing its next buzz.

In the light of these examples, we can see that traditional marketing is far from having reached its limits and is constantly being redefined. A well-balanced marketing mix shouldn’t rely only on traditional media, but also leave room for non-traditional ideas as a part of the main strategy.

Who will be the next to challenge Burger King’s creativity?

Experiential marketing, also called non-traditional advertising, is the result of a creative phase that will not fade anytime soon.

The non-traditional media is perfect to start a buzz for a campaign and should preferably be supported by traditional media. A well-orchestrated experiential action can give good mileage to a brand and often at a low cost!

In the coming weeks, you will read about some recent non-traditional actions from a very creative player in the market: Burger King. Its non-traditional, well-designed strategy, supported by a traditional on-target offensive, created a buzz around the brand. These efforts, sometimes quite local, were able to get significant results from various media.

Lost & found wallets – November 2008

Burger King scattered nearly 5,000 wallets in public places with heavy traffic in Orlando and Chicago, but wasn’t trying to test the honesty of the citizens.

It was a non-traditional marketing tactic. Each wallet held a “King’s” driver license, a prepaid card for $5 to $20 valid in Burger King restaurants, a map with each restaurant’s location, and a one dollar to $100 bill.

When you opened the wallet, you could read the following text: « Attention would-be good Samaritan! Don’t worry about lost and found, the King wants you to keep this wallet and everything in it. »

Several journalists and bloggers who provided the PR relay catalyzed the campaign. Given the actual economic climate, it was an unexpected strategy at the right time! This is a good example of a low-budget campaign that received high media coverage ensuring its success.

In marketing, whatever the size of your company, it is important not to lose sight of consumers since every purchase decision revolves around them.

An initiative close to people is important in experiential marketing because the target public has to live the experience and be a part of it. These viral activities that bring instant excitement for the brand are often used at the start of a campaign using other communication tools or to support it once it is underway.

In the following videos, you will see Google’s simple but innovative ideas to give a real experience of a virtual interface to thousands of users.

To support these actions, Google has used various other media including public relations and web viral. There are several versions of each video, and we can safely estimate that these initiatives have affected over 250,000 people to date.

With this strategy, Google has managed to pique the curiosity of thousands of users, while remaining innovative in its marketing strategy and using a reasonable budget.

Whether we like it or not, this is a great way for a company to involve consumers in its marketing strategy and to make them talk about its product. This shows that it is not always the most expensive strategies that are necessarily the most far-reaching.

Small gestures like these often make the difference in consumers’ perception. Enjoy!

The holiday season is often an opportunity for many to make a large percentage of their annual sales. We must therefore have the right strategy and ensure that its execution will be flawless. A vast majority will focus on a pricing strategy. This is not very original, but can still be effective if it is well thought out. Many believe that this strategy is simple because it seems that they only need to lower their prices. Nonetheless, they have to take into consideration competitors, product comparisons, their inventory, timing, consumers’ perceptions, etc.

A strategy based on low prices may be good for some, but deadly to others. If you intend to stay focused on low prices like Wal-Mart, Costco or Maxi, you will have to build up a strong clientele to get considerable volume, and maintain a good relationship with your suppliers. You will also have to get an excellent price from them in order to keep a minimum profit margin.

However, if you don’t choose a position based on low prices but instead decide to reduce your prices drastically to sell, your brand will be affected in the long run. Many consumers will prefer to wait for your discounts and look elsewhere throughout the year. As time goes on, you will have to have a lot of clearance sales to get rid of your stock. People sometimes ask me: « Why do customers go to another place when we offer it for less? » The reason is simply because people are not fooled and believe that you’re being disrespectful by not having a fair price. They say, « I like your products, but why should I pay $150 now when I know the same product will be 25% to 50% less expensive in a month. » They feel cheated.

Always keep in mind that low prices may affect the perception people have of your brand. The discounts may give people the wrong idea about the product. Remember that the leader in a category will be the reference for consumers.

I experienced something similar last weekend. I went to Home Depot to do some shopping and I must admit, I was attracted by a sale. I was faced with a good deal: a box of bits for a drill that, for once, offered everything for concrete, wood, metal, in one package. All this for only $29.99, even though the sign claimed that the actual value was $300. I instinctively thought something was up. Like several other people, I didn’t believe in their promotion. I felt that the product had to be of inferior quality. The difference between the two prices was too great and I didn’t recognize the brand, so, the promotion had no credibility in my opinion.

In conclusion, it is not only essential to define a positioning for your brand and to build its reputation, but also, to analyze every situation before deciding to cut prices.