After examining the product attributes and perceived benefits of Screen d’Or as defined by the client, we agree the primary objective is to create awareness and stimulate trial of the product, resulting in a comparable sales increase of 30% by the end of the promotional period.
We have created a sales promotion that will dramatically and cost-effectively achieve the desired objective.
This objective could easily be implemented in time to meet the client’s requested launch date of the May 24 long weekend and be sustained through the Labor Day weekend.
Because the product is marketed only in Ontario, our primary geographic target market is urban Toronto, followed by secondary and tertiary markets of the Hamilton and Ottawa areas.
Strategy
The experience of Screen d’Or is that once people try it, they come back for more.
So, our strategy was to create a sales promotion that would both encourage trial and make the first-time experience a real experience, one that the participant would be sure to remember and talk about to his or her friends.
We wanted a sales promotion that was an event, attracting attention and creating strong top-of-mind awareness for Screen d’Or.
The theme for our sales promotion is: ‘What’s the Buzz behind Screen d’Or?’
Limited budget
Because of the limited media budget, we would co-op with a radio station in each market for the entire summer. The radio station selected in each market would be the one that targetted the demographic most effectively.
Each radio station would have a Screen d’Or Super Soaker Team in a marked van which would visit each area’s busiest beaches and parks over the course of the summer.
The Super Soaker is a toy with a high profile and one that is popular at beaches.
Water gun
In effect, it is a pressurized water gun, but in this case, it will be modified to spray the Screen d’Or product onto anyone at the beach who wants it.
This promotion effectively expands on the company’s marketing efforts in beach volleyball tournaments and 10-kilometre runs.
We would look to the maker of Super Soaker for co-op dollars to extend the cost-effectiveness and impact of the promotion.
Once negotiations were finalized with each media partner, the radio stations would be autonomous to a great degree in day-to-day operations of the promotion.
The company would pay for a base media buy, staffing of the Screen d’Or Super Soaker Teams and painting of the Teams’ vehicles.
Value-added package
In return, the client would receive a value-added package which would include recorded promos, live mentions and remote cut-ins live from the venues.
This would cause tremendous awareness and excitement for the product through ‘beach towel testimonials,’ positioning the product as new, different and on the cutting edge.
The promotion would be extended into stores through point-of-purchase advertising asking the consumer, ‘What’s the Buzz behind Screen d’Or?’ and inviting him or her to ‘Look for the CHUM Super Soakers this Weekend.’
Further image
In order to further the professional and healthy image of the product, we may suggest to participating radio stations that they run a series of tanning tips, called ‘Today’s Tip from the Tanning Coach’ as part of the promotion.
We will also provide our radio station partners with promotional extensions they may want to implement to heighten overall impact.
Store appearances
These could include store appearances by the Screen d’Or Super Soaker Team; distribution of free samples at other popular summer events at which spraying would not be appropriate, and distribution of a Screen d’Or Tanning Stencil.
The Tanning Stencil could be popular with the younger reaches of our demographic, who would end up wearing the Screen d’Or logo tanned onto their skin for the whole summer.
Splashiest presence
We believe that Screen d’Or will have the splashiest presence on Ontario’s beaches since children had beach buckets.
This promotion cannot help but cause incredible awareness for the product, and because of the job responsibilities of the Super Soaker Teams, we are forcing trial of the product onto thousands of sunscreen buyers.
On the effectiveness scale, we think this promotion rates ‘a perfect tan.’
Glennie Stamnes Advertising is a Vancouver-based advertising agency.
