Awards:
• Best use of radio (runner-up)
Agency/media company: OMD Canada
Client: The Globe and Mail
Brand: The Globe and Mail newspaper
Media team: Steve Cotten, group media director, Craig Jennings, media planner, Kristine Sherliker, senior buyer
Media budget: Less than $25,000
Media used: Radio
Timing: Victoria Day through Labour Day, 200
THE BACKGROUND
How does a national newspaper follow its readers to cottage country in the summertime? Traditionally, that’s been a difficult question to answer for The Globe and Mail.
OMD Canada was faced with the challenge of building awareness for the Globe and instituting trial readership in the Muskoka region. The media company was mandated to market the product in a unique fashion that would fit the cottage experience.
Radio was chosen as a medium to which virtually all cottagers have access. Local station Moose 100.9 FM joined as a partner, once the station staff checked in with local retail advertisers to make sure their participation wouldn’t be seen as infringing on newspaper sales.
THE PLAN
How do you get to potential customers who live in cottages? In a boat, of course.
Every Saturday morning during the summer, the Moose Master-craft, branded with signage and a large Globe and Mail flag, cruised Muskoka’s big three lakes (Joseph, Rosseau and Muskoka) delivering 150 complimentary copies of the paper to lakeside cottages. To ensure that cottagers were interested in receiving the paper, delivery hosts only handed out copies when someone was outside to receive the paper, rather than leaving the papers lying on the docks.
Two greeters were employed: one to drive the boat, the other to meet cottagers and drop off papers. These tasks were undertaken by station owner Christopher Grossman and Moose Morning Man Greg James, both decked out in Moose Ts and Globe and Mail hats.
Local creative was written, and the Saturday delivery was promoted on Moose 100.9 FM every Thursday through Sunday during the summer. As well, each Saturday the delivery hosts did at least one live remote cut-in with a cottager as the Moose Cruiser delivered its goods. After delivery was completed, the cruiser’s crew spent the afternoon touring local boat shows and waterfront events.
Delivery was, of course, far more difficult during inclement weather but fortunately there were only two rainy days during the entire promotion.
THE RESULTS
While specific results were not available, anecdotally the promotion was a big success. The Saturday morning strategy ensured that The Globe and Mail hit its core cottage-country readers just when they were looking for something to read.
