Marketing research and theories are fine. However, it's results you want. That’s why marketing case studies are important. Here’s a DMN3 case study about marketing to moms that you should find informative.
If you read last week’s post on “marketing to moms” you will see why the marketing strategies and tactics used to target women with children in this marketing campaign support what we know about the mom demographic.
As you read the DMN3 case study, remember the following. Compared to the general population, moms are more likely to:
- Be more engaged in social networking through, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.
- Be influenced in their purchasing decisions by Mom bloggers
- Become a fan of a brand on social media
- Be “cause-oriented”
Take action when viewing online ads
Now let’s see how that translates into an actual marketing case study. Can you see the research applied to this campaign?
Situation / Marketing Challenge
Star Furniture is one of the largest furniture retailers in the country and is best known among the Houston community. It currently has 11 locations in four Texas cities: Houston (8), San Antonio (1), Austin (1), and Bryan (1).
In the third quarter of 2010, Star Furniture launched the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture line for the children's market. It combines Nickelodeon’s kid-friendly appeal with quality furniture designed by Lea Furniture.
The first challenge was the launch of the furniture line. It was Star Furniture’s first time to promote a children’s furniture line.
The secondary challenge was limited resources and time. The campaign required a creative strategy that would expand reach beyond the limited dollars invested in paid media.
Objective(s)
- Increase awareness of the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture line.
- Position Star Furniture as the preferred provider of youth furniture among target markets.
- Leverage online traffic to maximize reach and drive Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture line sales at Star Furniture.
Overall Strategy
The campaign's marketing strategy was to engage mothers and their children with online and social media in order to drive awareness and sales for Star Furniture's new Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture line.
Tactics
DMN3 (formerly Spur Interactive) launched the Star Nickelodeon Contest Campaign with supporting interactive advs, third party e-mails, events and giveaways that promoted the Contest and the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture Line. The campaign also engaged “mommy bloggers.”
The Star Nickelodeon Contest Campaign employed multiple giveaways over the course of several weeks in July 2010. Giveaways included two drawings to win tickets to the Nickelodeon Story Time Live Show, as well as a grand prize of a Nickelodeon Rooms bedroom set (valued at $3000). Prospects registered for the drawing online and the drawings took place in-store to maximize destination traffic.
The Promotional events occurred at Star Furniture locations and Texas Children’s Hospital. The events included visits and photo opportunities with Nickelodeon show characters, such as SpongeBob Square Pants and Dora the Explorer. Event attendees also enjoyed live entertainment, face painting and balloon art before going on a guided tour of the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture.
Viral participation ehanced the campaign. Participants got additional entries into the giveaways to promote the Contest to their network through Twitter.
“Mommy bloggers” and blogs became influencers for the Contest Campaign. Several key local “mommy bloggers” promoted the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture Line and Star Nickelodeon Contest Campaign to followers and fans.
Online ads for the Star Nickelodeon Contest Campaign ran on targeted online sites, such as MTV Parenting Tribe Network, NickJr.com and Facebook. Targeted third party e-mails were sent to prospects in Star Furniture’s markets.
A Star Nickelodeon Contest Campaign micro-site kept the Contest Campaign details and event schedules updated weekly. The website also published the names of giveaway winners to encourage Contest Campaign participation/registration. Twitter instructions also helped beginners increase promotion and site readers.
A Facebook custom tab promoted the event schedule, giveaways and the Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture Line launch at Star Furniture locations. Fans were directed to the micro-site to register for the Contest Campaign by clicking the “Register Now!” Call-to-Action link.
Weekly e-mails went to Contest Campaign participants/registrants to communicate news and events.
Contest Campaign collateral included third party emails, display ads, rich media ads, Facebook ads, press releases, auto-responder emails, post event pictures and in-store registration cards.
Message Alignment
To increase event attendance and registration of the Contest Campaign, messages to mothers offered the chance to win a “Free Kid’s Room.” The messaging also included information about the furniture designer (Lea Furniture) and emphasized the brand as a quality manufacturer. Copy headlines emphasized the importance of the product’s launch at Star Furniture with “They’re Here!” and “The Rooms Every Kid’s Been Waiting For!”.
Children's messaging for the Contest Campaign invited kids to “Meet Spongebob” or “Meet Dora” to drive registration and event attendance. An example of the contest and giveaway media headlines include, “A Chance to Win!” and “Win Nickelodeon Prizes.”
Creative elements included Nickelodeon characters and images of the complimenting Nickelodeon Rooms Furniture line, as well as minimal Star Furniture branding. Fun, and colorful fonts highlighted the Nickelodeon brand and aimed to catch the attention of both the mother and the child.
Results
- Over 30 million impressions were served by paid targeted ads
- 40,000 mothers were reached through Houston’s most popular Mommy blog sites
- 11,544 e-mail opens by customers and prospects
- 20,000 click-thrus on paid targeted ads
- 4,000 Star Furniture Facebook page visits
- Over 3,000 Contest Campaign registrants
- Acquired 2,147 new registrants for future Star Furniture offers
- 150,712 micro-site page views
- Over 1,000 attendants of the Contest Campaign’s promotional events
- 31% of registrants responded to subsequent e-mail announcement
- 1,066% increase in web site visits (3,221 clicks) related to kids' furniture during the campaign
This DMN3 integrated marketing campaign was successful because it applied what the marketing profession learned from marketing research.
You can’t argue with success. The AMA awarded a 2011 American Marketing Association CRYSTAL AWARD for the strategy and results of the campaign.
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