Summary:
With all the email clutter, it’s difficult enough to make a momentarily
positive impression on consumers (i.e., open and read the offer).
But what if your aim is to unveil a personalized experience that
intends to generate buzz for a new product? And not simply for the near
future but also for the long term?
See how one European automaker synchronized video-messaging and
telemarketi
CHALLENGE“We were looking for an
[experiential] campaign that would stick in people’s minds,” says Stefaan
Claes, Internet & CRM Manager at General Motors/Opel Benelux. “While
you might say things in that nature have been done before, we wanted to
try something that combined online and offline in a way that would be new
to prospects.”
Indeed, creating a memorable experience is
important in all viral efforts. But it’s even more significant when
marketing in European countries such as The Netherlands (population 16
million) and Belgium (10 million) -- where opt-in laws are stricter and
marketplaces less dense.
In short, when promoting their new Astra
TwinTop convertible, they wanted to get as much bang as possible to break
through the competitive noise. Claes wondered if personalized video
messages with a simultaneous call to individual hand-raisers might do the
trick.
CAMPAIGNWhile building a database was
certainly not discouraged, Claes and his team focused on a multifaceted
advertising effort that would make the car model distinct in participants’
minds. They implemented a system allowing them to create a
video/telemarketing combo that was bound to catch the eye of their
Web-savvy, middle-class demographic.
Step #1. Teaser
campaign
Before test driving the multichannel marketing system,
Opel decided to create a separate opt-in file for the campaign. To build
the list, they sent an email to their monthly newsletter file of 80,000,
inviting consumers to take part in a “surprise event” while mentioning
that users had to provide their cell numbers to participate. To add to the
campaign’s difficulty, they had to present the offer in two languages:
Dutch and French.
The messaging was phrased in a brand-centric way
rather than a lead-gen or noticeably commercial fashion, Claes says,
because such a tone would have flown in the face of the look and feel of
the final campaign.
The opt-in email addresses, phone numbers and
names were automatically preloaded into the system, which inserted
consumers’ first and last names into the video image, audio playback and
telemarketing copy of the campaign, which would arrive only moments
later.
Step #2. Personalized video + humor =
success
Recipients were sent a follow-up text email with a link to
watch a 1-minute video commercial starring a gimmicky character created
for the campaign named “Professor Windaloopie.” In the video, two
characters were put through a hair wind test that involved having to stand
behind a jet engine. Then, the camera turned to Windaloopie, who checked
off their names and moved to the next name on his list: the email/viral
participant (see link to samples below).
Then, Windaloopie dialed a
number as the system triggered a prerecorded telemarketing call to the
participant. If he or she answered, they heard Windaloopie ask whether
their hair could withstand the wind in an Astra TwinTop. A similar message
was left if the call went to voice mail. The only car image was a
billboard advertising it in the background.
The system had tracking
devices that could tell if participants were likely to be watching the
video but not answering their phones. In those cases, the video played a
scene in which Windaloopie held up a sign telling viewers to get their
phones and push the replay button so the professor could call.
Step #3. Work to make campaign viral
Although Claes and
his team seeded landing pages at car lovers' blogs and general interest
blogs in Holland and Belgium, email was the primary way to get the viral
aspect going.
At the end of the video, recipients were told that
they could sign up for a month-long test-drive sweepstakes of an Astra
TwinTop or simply email 10 friends and family members about the campaign
(or both).
A templated message saying the video was “more about
fun than commercial selling” could be included -- or they could write
their own words.
Assisted by the fact that the senders input their
friends’ names and cell numbers, the video/call system personalized the
entries immediately for the next individual who took a look.
RESULTSOf the 80,000 consumers who received the
teaser email, 15,000 accepted and played the video. The viral aspect
kicked in almost immediately, as the telecenter was making as many as 900
to 1,200 calls an hour during the first few days of the campaign.
The numbers slowly dissipated until the campaign ended in late
July, with approximately 454,000 receiving a voice message from
Windaloopie.
Additionally, eight weeks after the campaign was
launched, the Web sites
http://www.prepareyourhair.be and
http://www.prepareyourhair.nl
had received 2 million unique visitors, and 12,000 names had been opted in
for the monthly newsletters.
“We came in at 50% over our
objective,” Claes says. “From that very perspective, it was more than we
expected and successful.” Indeed, a second wave of the campaign began last
month due to the response.
In terms of the viral nature, each
original recipient filled in an average of five names and email addresses
of family/friends in the first two weeks. For the entire eight-week
period, the average was 2 1/2 names.
The multichannel combination
also struck a chord with the audience. Participants ended up being engaged
with the brand for four straight minutes by the time the video and phone
process was completed.
“Usually with campaigns, you ask people if
they saw it and they say, ‘Uh, I think I might have seen it. … Yes, it
sounds familiar,’” Claes says. “In all my years, I have never seen the
things I have heard from people with this campaign. Everybody remembers
seeing it. The content is so unique that I think it’s possible people will
remember it the rest of their lives.”
Useful links related
to this articleCreative samples from Opel’s campaign:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/cs/opel/study.html
eStara - the marketing services firm that provided the “Call on
Cue” service:
http://www.estara.com By The
Way Advertainment/Markee - the agency that created the movie clip and
managed viral aspects of the campaign:
http://www.bytheway.be/General
Motors/Opel Benelux:
http://www.opel.com
This is an interesting campaign. It's too bad they were more focused on fun than on results. I understand the brand experience is important, but integrated-multi-channel campaigns like this have immense potential to bring in real revenues while creating a brand relationship. In fact, having ongoing rather than intermittent campaigns of this nature will create long term customer value and measurable results. And, importantly, justify the reason for opting in. -Eric