Ready, Set, Launch!

WHAT’S THE sexiest word in the English language? Any marketer knows: “NEW!” But with a slew of new products hitting store shelves, it takes a savvy promoter to make a brand stand out in the crowd. To grab that crowd’s attention, brands at launch stage are increasingly upping the “sexiness quotient” by partnering with sports and entertainment properties, reaching consumers where and when they are most captivated.

Take, for example, this summer’s launch of two mid-calorie colas, Pepsi-Cola’s Pepsi Edge and Coca-Cola’s C2. The heat was on as both brands scrambled to establish themselves as the number one mid-calorie soft drink. To make Pepsi Edge more relevant to consumers, the company leveraged its sports assets to promote its new product to NASCAR fans, noted for their brand loyalty.

“One of the most successful ways that we can talk to consumers is when we do it though something that they are already emotional about,” points out Adam Harter, marketing manager for Pepsi Racing. “We use sports properties to amplify our biggest initiatives — big national promotions, new product launches and new advertising campaigns.”

Often a full-scale launch, including sampling and a brand-centric event, creates consumer attention and buzz for a new product, especially if it gets partnered with a top athlete or movie premiere.

“A launch is about strategy and understanding how to get the brand message across to consumers,” says Tim Zuckert, executive VP-general manager at TracyLocke, Wilton, CT. (TracyLocke was the agency behind Pepsi’s Play for a Billion and other promotional camapigns.) “Action is everything — especially getting consumers to take action.”

Beverage blastoff

Beverage manufacturers, whether they are backing soft drinks or hard liquor alcohol brands, are constantly adding new products to the already overcrowded shelf. More and more, these companies are turning to partnering, co-branding, product tie-ins and sponsorships as they compete for a slice of the world’s $700 billion beverage market.

This summer Pepsi-Cola North America set out to launch Pepsi Edge, a product that boasts 50% less sugar, carbohydrates and calories than regular colas. The rollout began late summer and was supported by a full slate of advertising, marketing and in-store activity. Promotion played a big role in the introduction of this new product to get Pepsi Edge into the hands of consumers for trial.

TracyLocke helped Pepsi kick off the product via The Pepsi 400. That NASCAR race on Fox takes place in Daytona every July 4 weekend and fit in perfectly with the debut of the new cola.

“In the instance of racing, there are 75 million NASCAR fans out there and a lot of them have a strong emotional connection to their favorite driver,” Harter says. “We leveraged that connection to Jeff Gordon, one of the most popular drivers, by using him to carry our brand message.”

BBDO, New York created two TV spots that aired on Fox — one where racing sensation Jeff Gordon won and one where he didn’t. The watch-and-win promotion began when there were 30 laps left in the race — if Gordon was indeed victorious, which he was, Pepsi awarded everybody a free two-liter Pepsi Edge. The spots drove viewers to a promotional Web site where over 100,000 consumers signed up to get a coupon for a free Pepsi Edge over a 24-hour period.

“Advertising can get the message out there and develop trial, however using an asset like sports makes a brand like Pepsi Edge extremely relevant at the consumer level,” explains Lisa Aznaran, TracyLocke’s executive director-client services. “Promotion makes the product extremely relevant especially at a sporting event where the consumer is already engaged and open to hearing a Pepsi message.”

Guerrilla marketing also played a key part in the debut of Pepsi Edge, putting the new mid-calorie offering up against its biggest competitor, Coke’s C2. There were multiple Pepsi cruisers driving around Daytona and making appearances at retailers the weekend of the Pepsi 400. The cruisers handed out cans of Pepsi Edge in exchange for C2, which was then crushed by the vehicles.

Pepsi sampled at the MLB All-Star Game and will continue its sampling efforts in support of Pepsi Edge at other races and sporting events throughout the year. Spend for this launch was not revealed, however in previous product launches for Pepsi Blue and Pepsi Vanilla, Pepsi-Cola spent about $30 million in debut advertising.

Always ready for its closeup in Hollywood, Coke has begun to align itself with hot sports commodities as well. To launch its Powerade Flava23, the company signed with basketball superstar LeBron James in August, marking the first time a professional athlete created his own sports drink. The deal is worth approximately $2 million a year and there are incentives in James’ contract that will reward him if it is determined that his endorsement of the new product leads to greater sales.

Tapping into an athlete’s persona is nothing new for marketers. Getting their input on the product design, however, is more innovative. Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield originally put this concept into play while working with Michael Jordan to create the legendary Air Jordan. Hatfield believed that the association between athlete and product would help create a stronger connection with the consumer.

Helping to build that connection, DC Comics created an exclusive comic book based on James and his super-hero-caliber basketball skills. The comic, entitled King James, is available free with the purchase of three 32-ounce bottles of Powerade at participating retail locations. Ten different cover designs for the comic were created with four covers available only by mail-in redemption, four covers available only at Kroger Stores, one cover available only at military commissaries and one general market cover available at retail and mail-in redemption.

James was also involved in every aspect of the creation of the new sports drink, from choosing its “sourberry” flavor, to selecting its signature burgundy color and developing the new flavor’s package graphics, which feature a stylized comic version of James soaring through the air.

In support of the launch, an extensive print and online-marketing program is being rolled out along with in-store displays. Powerade’s Web site has been redesigned as part of the launch and a special Flava23 Web site can be accessed through Powerade.com, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the King James comic, art from all ten covers, screen savers, wallpaper, e-cards and more LeBron James content.

Athletic tie-ins aren’t just for cola and sports drinks; after all, sports and beer go hand in hand. Coors plays into the likely marriage of football and beer and promoting its new low carb beer Aspen Edge to NFL fans this fall with a recipe contest, steak giveaway and the launch of a new micro site featuring the beverage.

“We leveraged Coors’ NFL sponsorship by doing a promotion that gives consumers the chance to win a football season worth of steaks,” says Mark McMullen, SVP-director of business development for Golden, CO-based The Integer Group, which handles the promo.

Consumers can visit AspenEdgeLager.com and enter a grilling tip and by doing so, they can win steaks for the entire six months of the football season. Seven entrants will win $1,200 gift certificates to Omaha Steaks.

Aspen Edge is the sponsor for the Taste of the NFL, which teams up chefs with all 32 NFL markets to raise money and awareness for hunger-relief organizations across the country. Aspen Edge will be running their point of sale promotion in retail outlets nationwide supporting this initiative.

“Partnering with the NFL makes sense for several reasons,” points out Kabira Hatland, Aspen Edge spokesperson. “First, Aspen Edge is a beer focused on men in their thirties and thus, shares an audience with the NFL. Second, Americans love football, and we are pleased to be associated with something that our consumers relate to and get excited about.”

Elements of the launch include print, outdoor and television advertising, sponsorships and public relations. Merchandise ranging from banners, pennants, a recipe book, buttons, branded buckets, coasters and coaster decals also support.

Cinema clout

A certain amount of spotlight sharing was integral to Pioneer Electronics ties to Universal Studios’ summer blockbuster The Chronicles of Riddick. Pioneer wanted to get in front with early adopter males as it set out to launch AVIC-N1, a new automobile navigation and entertainment product.

This was a first for Pioneer. Via a targeted e-mail blast to 5 million database members, it offered private, advanced screenings of the film, which starred Vin Diesel. Consumers were directed to a special micro site where they were able to print tickets to attend the screening. They could also get free movie tickets at select Pioneer dealers with a demonstration of the new product.

“This is the first time Pioneer had done anything as far as a promotion tied with a film,” says McMullen. “More and more brands are using promotion to drive new product launches. I think we’ve seen this a lot more in the last few years with the economy being down. Clients in need of short term sales gains have benefited the promotion business.”

The Integer Group Dallas executed this promotion that was geared to drive traffic and sales at retail. The “cool factor” of the movie also meshed well with the cool factor of the new navigation and entertainment product designed for automobiles.

“Pioneer Electronics is a recognized brand, and in launching our new product into the market we worked with Integer to help drive retail sales,” says Christina Hayama, advertising and promotions specialist for Pioneer. “Vin Diesel resonates well with the 18-35 year-old male, our target demographic, and his awareness level is well above the norm.”

Moviegoers who attended the special screenings in 19 markets received game pieces that could be revealed at Best Buy and Circuit City for a chance to win a complete AVIC-N1 system. Local radio and print, along with P-O-P at 560 Pioneer dealers, also carried out the brand message.

The Pioneer screenings had an overall 81% attendance rate over the course of the promotion and there was a visible bump in retail traffic over the promotional weekend — over 6,000 movie tickets were distributed to consumers attending in-store demos

According to Hayama, “Leveraging the movie screening as part of our overall program was very successful and fulfilled our objective to generate both brand and category awareness.”

KITTY CONNOISSEURS

In a strategic move to reach out to cat owners and their beloved felines, Meow Mix set up a café in Manhattan that allowed cats to sample new Wet Pouches firsthand, or, ahem, firstpaw. The 3,500 square-foot Meow Mix Café was located in the heart of Midtown in late August and offered interactive games for both cats and owners, themed to a host of the featured entrees.

“We drove around Manhattan about five days in advance with Meow Mix mobiles featuring signage promoting the café,” says Matthew Glass, president of Grand Central Marketing, the New York City-based agency that handled the promo. “We handed out Wet Pouches and a postcard invitation to the opening offering cat owners a free toy if they brought their cat to the café.”

In addition to sampling across the city, cats were able to taste any of the seven new flavors of Meow Mix Wet Pouches at the café. Originally the café was slated to be a five-day event, however the event was extended an additional seven days following a huge interest from both media and visitors. In the first week about 3,000 people per day strolled through.

During the 12 days of operation Meow Mix sold and sampled over 14,000 Wet Pouches. The café also took in close to $20,000 from the sale of cat toys, food and accessories that was donated to the ASPCA.

“We are encouraging Meow Mix lovers to go online to our Web site and tell us why their city should host the Meow Mix Café — almost like cities competing to host the Olympics,” explains Richard Thompson, Meow Mix CEO. “In 35 years, this was the best promotion that Meow Mix has ever done.”

GET IT WHILE IT’S COLD!

Following the success of its first limited-time soft drink offering for Mountain Dew Live Wire (which grew the Dew brand more than 10% during its six-month run in 2003), Pepsi is launching two new soft drinks for brief, in-and-out plays. “People are much more interested in variety nowadays than they were just a few years ago,” says Dave Burwick, senior VP and CMO Pepsi-Cola North America. “By introducing new flavors for a short period of time, then taking them away, we’re playing directly to consumers’ purchasing patterns.” Mountain Dew Pitch Black, launched in late August, stays on store shelves through Halloween. Pepsi Holiday Spice will hit stores Nov. 1 for an eight-week appearance. In addition to Mountain Dew Pitch Black’s package graphics, in-store P-O-P and a commercial (parodying “B” horror movies) support in 4,000 movie theaters; a Web “Dews-letter” and product sampling in malls and at the ESPN X Games in Los Angeles round out the debut. Pepsi Holiday Spice features nostalgic package graphics; the cola will be available for an eight-week period (Nov. 1-Dec. 31).