GSK had been using the same TV promotion strategy to promote its NiQuitin product with diminishing returns. Duffy Agency suggested an experiment to introduce online activity in their promotion without increasing campaign cost.
We proposed the 10% solution. NiQuitin provided us with 10% of the TV media spend. With that budget, we were able to conduct research into the target and their online habits, then utilize those insights to develop ten different digital assets to attract and engage smokers.
The experiment was run using Sweden as a test market. Each component of our online marketing campaign was based on a target insight and was monitored and measured. The results were so dramatic that we repeated the experiment to be sure and the results were replicated.
Take-away
- Online activation can dramatically increase the effectiveness of traditional TV advertising campaigns.
- Online activation with no special offer can still dramatically increase sales.
- The positive effects of online activation tend to be sustained longer than the effects of TV advertising alone.
- Buzz monitoring is an effective way to complement on-site analytics to get a more complete view of campaign impact.
- Online buzz tends to build over time. We call it the runway effect. It takes a while to get off the ground, but once it is airborne, it can take off on its own.
- Traditional media campaigns can be tuned off and on. A brand’s social presence, however, cannot. Social activity can be heightened during campaign periods, but has to be maintained at reasonable levels between campaign periods to work optimally.
- Traditional banner ads work poorly (although dynamic banner ads can be very effective).
