How to Use a Clever Awards Program to Re-launch an Older Product & Make it Buzz-worthy Again

How to Use a Clever Awards Program to Re-launch an Older Product & Make it Buzz-worthy Again Lynn Tornabene, Vice President Marketing DoubleClick Inc. Monday, November 13, 2006 © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

First… what were we trying to do? • Objectives: • Generate customer excitement and affinity towards DoubleClick • Build awareness of new releases and enhancements that are often ignored by the target • Cost-effectively speak to a multitude of diverse DoubleClick audiences (end-users and decision-makers at marketers, agencies, and web publishers) in a single voice © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Technology Adoption Curve Visionaries Pragmatists Source: Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm, Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customer (revised edition), HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1999 © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Step one: Putting your solution on the curve Visionaries Pragmatists Source: Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm, Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customer (revised edition), HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1999 © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Step two: Understanding how that affects your go-to-market strategy Source: Paul Wiefels, The Chasm Companion, HarperBusiness, New York, 2002. Adapted from Geoffrey A. Moore, Inside the Tornado, HarperBusiness, New York, 1995 © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Segmentation Scheme • Technology curve and our experience led us to primary segmentation scheme with two targets: • Decision Makers (the Boss) • End Users (the Worker) © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Segmentation Details • Decision-makers: Manage team who use product on a daily basis to accomplish their job. Many do not interact with product and do not keep up with product changes. Competitors are calling them often. • End-users: Use product daily, many 20+ hours per week. Interact with changes, but don’t have overall view of value product or updates brings to their business. © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Target Insights • Annual customer surveys told us we were not communicating enough about product enhancements • Many clients had multi-year contracts, and did not have full understanding of increase in product benefits/value at time of renewal • Competitors all message around increased ROI • This is not a compelling differentiator © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Target Insights • Online industry not a 9 to 5 job • Our market is savvy and creative, and expects us to be the same • Overall, audience is young/youthful, interested and active in contemporary culture, has a sense of humor about themselves © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Take Advantage of Human Nature Everyone loves to:1. Tell you what they think about your product2. Be recognized for their work3. Win a contest (especially for a beach vacation) © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Big Idea Work Smarter, Not Harder • Speaks to target directly, acknowledging the reality of their day-to-day life • Strokes the ego • Not “corporate-speak” • Celebrate the end-user, give the boss a way to recognize their star employees without any investment on their part © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Program: Direct Mail • End Users: “Boss Influencing Device” • Brochure describing the awards and program • Boss influencing items (apple, coffee cup, shoe polish, pencils) • Tags for each item, highlighting how they were using a new product feature to provide more value to the organization – and, please nominate me for the awards. • Entry required telling us how they were working smarter, not harder, with DART and how we can make DART better for them © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Program: Direct Mail • Decision Maker: “Who’s the Smartest Boss of the Year?” • Brochure describing the awards and product updates • Branded mirror that reflects recipient • Entry required telling us how the employee was working smarter, not harder, with DART and how we can make DART better for them © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Program: Tradeshow • Leveraged presence at leading industry trade show to promote awards • Generate buzz about the program • Generate interest in product updates • Communicate overall value of product suite © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Program: Website • Entries were done via a special microsite • Microsite targeted at each audience: end-user and boss, marketer/publisher/agency • Key messages regarding product enhancements and overall product value reinforced © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Program: Other communications • Sent ongoing reminders during the contest period (6 months) through email and sales channels • Leveraged the theme by creating email templates for product updates and launches © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Example quotes “I refer to DFA as a “Distinctly Flexible Application” that saves me time!!!” “It is very simple. By using DFP over the last 3 years, I have saved thousands of hours for my company… We previously used another inferior product and it literally took twice the amount of time to manage and had far fewer bells and whistles. It is a godsend and helps me keep my sanity. Thank you.” © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

The Results • 12% response rate to Direct Mail • 109 entries into the contest • “Ode to DART” • DART song to tune of “We didn’t start the fire” (Billy Joel) • 4 clients awarded with vacations to Cancun • Press/blog coverage of tradeshow promotion • Testimonials used in ongoing marketing • Client suggestions provided to product management • Clients still mention the tagline © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

Key Take Aways • Go back to school: The technology adoption curve should affect your go-to-market strategies • Remember the basics: Segmentation and insight are the keys to success (with kick-ass creative) • Take advantage of human nature: Everyone loves to tell you what they think about your product, be recognized for their work, and win a contest (especially for a beach vacation) © 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.

How to Use a Clever Awards Program to Re-launch an Older Product & Make it Buzz-worthy Again