CASE STUDIES

Nokia flies with snowboarders

The target: The on-site audience (13-24) at the 2005 FIS Snowboard World Championships, held in Whistler, B.C. this past winter.

The goal: To increase audience participation in the event, create a buzz with the target and promote the Nokia 3205i handset.

The goods: Sports marketing firm IMG developed an interactive text voting campaign for the 10-day championships, enabling kids to vote for their favourite riders via SMS. Voting was based on the bib numbers worn by the athletes. Right after they sent a message, attendees received a reply thanking them for participating and alerting them if they had won an instant prize.

The it factor: IMG displayed real-time voting results on large screens. This enhanced participation among kids who really wanted to see their favourite snowboarder win. A separate competition was also created to award the ‘ultimate fan’ who sent the most text votes. The prize? A new Nokia snowboard signed immediately after the event by the winner of the fan vote.

The impact: On average, the promo had 13.5% penetration of overall attendance. Not only that, during the SBX Championship Finals, the number of text votes exceeded the number of fans in attendance. And when asked, via on-site surveys, to pick the ‘coolest’ element of the event, the demo was most likely to pick the promo.

The players: Grace Belmonte, director of marketing and Paul Burns, marketing sponsorship & promotions, Nokia Canada; agency: IMG, Vancouver; software development: 80/20 Solutions, Vancouver; aggregator: Magnet Mobile Media, Charlottetown LD

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Gatorade’s X-Factor will be SMS

The target: Males (13-18 bull’s-eye but stretches to age 24).

The goal: To generate awareness and excitement for the new Gatorade X-Factor beverage, plus drive trial and repeat purchase.

The goods: To support the launch of X-Factor, Gatorade will run a text-based promotion for seven to eight weeks beginning July 1. Using C-stores and gas stations as a channel, the program revolves around an instant win game card that consumers receive when they purchase two bottles of the sports drink. Between 800,000 and 1.2 million cards will be in circulation. Folks scratch to reveal a short code and unique pin that they can then punch into their cells. (The pin number can also be used online.) Those who opt in will be added to the company database.

The it factor: The fact that every card is a winner should help the promo score with the sports-crazed target. Guys can automatically redeem one of three downloads: a sports-inspired ringtone; cell wallpaper images featuring Gatorade athletes like up-and-coming hockey great Sidney Crosby; and celebrity athlete voicemail. And there will be no waiting around to find out if they won a bigger prize, like a Crosby-autographed Team Canada jersey or a Nokia phone emblazoned with the X-Factor logo. They’ll find out instantly.

The players: marketer: Derek Estabrook, marketing director of non-carbonated beverages, Jeff Jackett, marketing manager, and Andrew Shulman, associate marketing manager, Pepsico Beverages Canada, Mississauga, Ont.; agency: Capital C, Toronto; mobile: Magnet Mobile Media, Charlottetown LD

Playtex or Playtxt?

The target: Playtex wouldn’t say, but we’re going to take a wild guess that it’s girls 13-16ish.

The goal: To broaden the brand’s reach.

The goods: Shop and talk. Those are the two activities this target loves most. So Playtex cleverly tied the two together in this promo for its Slimfits Tampons. The program launched in March in partnership with MuchMusic.

Participants could enter for a chance to win a $4,000 shopping spree at their favourite mall either online or by text messaging PLAY to 101010. Instead of leaving it at that, Playtex took the mobile component viral. Each time the consumer encouraged a friend to join via SMS, they received five bonus entries.

The it factor: Charge! Playtex knew that getting access to their scores could drive some of these shopaholics into a frenzy. So whenever a participant increased their tally, they received another SMS stating their overall total – as well as that of the leader – to get the competitive juices flowing.

The impact: At press time, Playtex was on target to overachieve its objectives.

The players: Elizabeth Beemer, VP sales &

marketing, Playtex, Toronto; media: MBS Toronto; microsite: MuchMusic, Toronto; mobile: Impact Mobile, Toronto LD

50 cents for 50 cent

The target: Urban music consumers 15-24.

The goal: Reach the target through the mobile communication channel; establish a database for permission-based ongoing communication; and create a source of incremental revenue.

The goods: In March, 50 Cent’s CD The Massacre was released. Realizing that any fan who purchased it would probably love to meet the rapper in the flesh, Universal and agency MyThum Interactive ran an in-pack contest for a chance to win the honour. Once a consumer opened the CD, they were instructed to text

SOLDIER plus a unique pin short code to enter.

The it factor: The offer stood out, for starters. Once fans participated, they received an automatic message telling them whether they had won and inviting them to subscribe to regular alerts by replying with URBAN.

Each text message cost the consumer 50

cents, so Universal actually earned a share of that revenue.

And subsequent dialogue looks promising. Michael Carter, president of MyThum, says future initiatives will include $2 coupons towards the purchase of other Universal CDs and invitations to listen to 30 seconds of an artist’s new single.

The impact: Nearly 14,000 entries from 175,000 copies sold in seven weeks (8% participation), and a significant portion of users opted in for future communication.

The players: marketer: Janis Nixon, senior marketing manager, new media, Universal Music, Toronto; mobile: MyThum Interactive, Toronto LD