Case in point: strategic thinking drives sales.by the Colle + McVoy Staff New Holland is a century-old hay tools company that once was linked to Ford Motor Company. The company and its agency, Colle + McVoy, faced the challenge of reinventing and reintroducing New Holland as a tractor brand. They were up against fierce competition in the tractor marketplace, with domination by John Deere, strong movement by Kubota and Case IH, and an influx of less-expensive brands who were aggressively vying vy·ing v. Present participle of vie. vying vie for the rest of the pie. Competitive brands were spending many times more than New Holland. Making matters worse, nearly every segment of the agriculture equipment industry was stagnant stagnant /stag·nant/ (stag´nant) 1. motionless; not flowing or moving. 2. inactive; not developing or progressing. or shrinking. FINDING COMMON GROUND Clearly, if New Holland tried to be all things to all people, the brand would fail. It was essential to define a target mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. that would be receptive receptive /re·cep·tive/ (re-cep´tiv) capable of receiving or of responding to a stimulus. to the idea of a New Holland tractor. Based on in-depth psychographic In the field of marketing, demographics, opinion research, and social research in general, psychographic variables are any attributes relating to personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles. They are also called IAO variables (for Interests, Attitudes, and Opinions). interviews designed to understand the emotional role of tractors among producers and rural homeowners, the New Holland and Colle + McVoy team identified a mindset among target audiences that took pride in choosing non-traditional options. Unlike producers and rural homeowners who sought out the market leader as a badge of success and security, New Holland target consumers said choosing nontraditional brands was empowering. Being nonconformist Nonconformist Any English Protestant who does not conform to the doctrines or practices of the established Church of England. The term was first used after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 to describe congregations that had separated from the national church. , especially on a major purchase like a tractor, reflected their passion and insight. The team also knew that increasing dealer satisfaction would be key to a successful campaign, so they kept dealers in mind as the campaign was planned and concepts were created. Research showed that while the independent tractor purchaser had many rational issues to consider, they had a strong latent desire to possess the coolest equipment in the field. Tapping into the target's sense of possibility and excitement about technology, the Colle + McVoy team identified the opportunity to position New Holland as the tractor brand of the future. To achieve the goal of making New Holland the tractor of the future in the target's mind, it became crucial to turn traditional tractor advertising on its head. The creative team took the tractor out of its natural habitat. Stark, unconventional backgrounds, including sand dunes sand dune Hill, mound, or ridge of windblown sand or other loose material such as clay particles. Dunes are commonly associated with desert regions and seacoasts, and there are large areas of dunes in nonglacial parts of Antarctica. , the desert and arctic tundra tundra (tŭn`drə), treeless plains of N North America and N Eurasia, lying principally along the Arctic Circle, on the coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean, and to the north of the coniferous forest belt. , were juxtaposed jux·ta·pose tr.v. jux·ta·posed, jux·ta·pos·ing, jux·ta·pos·es To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. with close-ups of tractors to create a compelling, clean display for each piece of equipment. The media mix also was bold and unique. Traditional media for reach and frequency was combined with new media for impact and buzz value. The media strategy of brand intrusion allowed the campaign to reach people in many ways: Dealer rollout: Brochures and banners pre-announced the campaign. Microsite: Whyblueisbetter.com was developed and launched. Online advertising: Banner ads A graphic image used on Web sites to advertise a product or service. Banner ads come in numerous sizes, but are often rectangles 460 pixels wide by 60 pixels high. Also 460 x 55 and 392 x 72 sizes are commonly used. and Google keywords pointed to New Holland Web sites Print advertising: The brand campaign appeared nationally in industry publications. Magazine insert: A unique insert targeted livestock producers; branded stickers could be placed on glass surface. Advertorial ad·ver·to·ri·al n. An advertisement promoting the interests or opinions of a corporate sponsor, often presented in such a way as to resemble an editorial. [adver(tisement) + (edi)torial. series: A "How technology is changing agriculture and rural living" spread advertorial campaign appeared in key magazines. Newspaper insert: Dealer-imprintable FSIs ran locally, highlighting 0% financing. Co-op radio: Dealer-tagged radio spots ran regionally. Trailblazer Awards sponsorship: Multi-media exposure was associated to industry leadership in innovation. Wildlife Habitat Program: A how-to advertorial appealed to rural lifestylers. MOVING THE NEEDLE New Holland tractor sales increased substantially and market share jumped. And, since the start of the campaign, New Holland dealer satisfaction with brand image has reached an all-time high. With happy dealers and increased demand, the tractor of the future is looking at a brighter future. |
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