- Case Study
- smart/Mercedes-Benz Brand Strategy
- Goal
- Position smart as the preferred automobile brand of young professionals
- Research
-
- Street Interviews
- International Brand Survey
- Conjoint Analysis of Product Features
- American Brand Survey
- Company, Customer, Competitor Insights
-
- Brand was admired internationally for its compact design and fuel-economy
- Product's design appealed to creative professionals
- Brand name created high expectations for other Americans
- Strategies
- Focus marketing efforts on social influencers among urban creative professionals
- Product: Allow customization of exterior
- Place
- Sell product in artistic urban areas (Silverlake)
- Replace some salespeople with touch screen demos
- Price: Above non-stylish compacts, but below luxury
- Promotion
- Print, online and outdoor advertising
- Seed urban communities (KCRW giveaway)
- Communicate compact design and fuel-economy ("Save the world in style")
- Results
- While the 2005 smart launch was postponed due to smart's financial
problems, many of the ideas that were generated will be used for the
2008 launch (product will be
sold in small retail shops in urban areas)
- Case Study
- Edmunds.com User Experience
& Lead Generation
- Goal
- Redesign site to
- Improve time spent on site
- Improve navigation
- Generate demand/revenue for advertiser's services (dealers, auto financing and insurance)
- Research
-
- Focus groups
- User Interface Ethnography
- Company, Consumer and Competitive Insights
-
- Users assumed Edmunds sold cars
- Users wanted ability to browse visually
- Majority of users wanted car pricing
- Advertiser's links had to be relevant to content on page
- Strategies
-
- One sentence at top of homepage stated value proposition (pricing and reviews)
- Top-level pages redesigned so that each page from homepage to model pricing page highlighted the route to pricing for easy navigation
- Pricing page communicated the value of contacting numerous dealers to compare pricing - dealer lead performance improved 40%s
- Results
-
- Named Best Car Research site by Forbes
- Edmunds ranked Best Automotive Site for online customer experience by Keynote Systems, The Online Performance Authority
- Dealer lead performance, and the revenue it generated, improved 40%
- Case Study
- Nite
White Brand Management
- Goal
- Improve revenue and profit of $25 million Nite White tooth-whitening
line
- Research
-
- Analysis of past and current sales (sales mix, ASP, COGs, GM%, customer count)
- Customer surveys and focus groups
- International Competitive Analysis
- Company, Consumer and Competitive Insights
- Products in category were perceived as commodities
- Dentists unaware of the benefits of Nite White's differentiating ingredient, Amorphous Calcium Phosphate
- Dentists were choosing products based on their convenience
- Packaging materials were perceived as outdated, excessive and wasteful
- Many dentists were loyal to our competitors
- Strategies
-
- Product
- Bulk Pack launched
- Entire product line repackaged with less material
- Packaging was updated with a simple, cosmetic look
- Customization feature added - dentist's name could be added to label
- Price: At least 10% below biggest competitor in every direct market (12 countries)
- Promotion
- Advertising focused on the clinically-proven benefits of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (ACP) and customization
- Professional Relations campaign educated dental experts and lectures on the benefits of ACP
- Aggressive sales promotions for new customers lured dentists loyal to our competitors to sample/switch brands
- Results
- Annual sales increased 10%, and Nite White is now the top-selling take-home whitening brand in the U.S. (from second place)
- Case Study
- Lifeform LLC Branding
- Goal
- Position Lifeform as a mission-based event promotions group in order
to gain corporate sponsors, produce a successful event and raise money
for the The HeArt Project
(a charity that providing art classes to underprivileged kids, and was
on the verge of extinction)
- Research
-
- Personal experience in the Los Angeles dance music scene
- Extensive online research
- Approached corporate sponsors regarding partnership opportunities
- Company, Consumer and Competitive Insights
-
- Internet companies needed a way to find, and connect with, potential employees among tech-saavy youth
- Music web sites needed content (online streaming and downloadable DJ sets)
- Dance venues, and attendees, supported the growth of mission-based organizations inside the music community
- Strategies
-
- Logo integrated infinity symbols to communicate the transcendent nature of mission-based events. Marketing collateral and a press kit was built around logo & logotype.
- Lifeform used marketing collateral and personal selling to approach several Internet companies about sponsorship and free services
- Case Study
-
- Lifeform obtained iXL as a premier event sponsor
- Prominent DJs agreed to play at discounted rates, and event was broadcast live online
- Event raised $30,000 for The HeArt Project, not only keeping the charity alive, but allowing it to flourish. The HeArt Project continues to grow with each passing year