Bond & Bond – Cut to the chase
SUMMARY
Bond & Bond sales had been declining at an average of 2.4% pa for two years. Yet the appliance retail category had been growing at 7.2%.
DraftFCB set out to reverse Bond & Bond's fortunes using advertising only. There would be no increase in advertising spend and no change to product and pricing strategy.
The agency created a straight-talking campaign that told informed shoppers in the target audience “you want it, we've got it, let's talk'.
This campaign won DraftFCB a Gold EFFIE for retail/etail.
MARKETING CHALLENGE
Bond & Bond was in a difficult situation with sales declining, relentless advertising from competitors and New Zealand facing a recession.
All brand health measures were falling, including top-of-mind awareness, store visits and sales conversion.
Any new strategy for Bond & Bond could not be to the detriment of larger sister brand, Noel Leeming. The challenge was to establish a strong new position as part of a brand portfolio strategy.
Pricing and the in-store experience would not be changed so the advertising had to work hard.
CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
Rather than traditional soft measures such as brand health this campaign had to halt the decline in sales of 2.4% pa and return Bond & Bond to growth within six months.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The campaign break-through came with identifying a new target: Bond & Bond would target 'Mission Accomplished Shoppers'.
Mission Accomplished Shoppers are more likely to be young males or young couples. They like to research the options before entering a store and talking to a salesperson.
When they go in they want to be informed and confident. They'll know exactly what they want, or at least have narrowed it down.
They often don't accept the displayed price. They treat the in-store environment like a sporting arena. Their aim is to get the best deal possible, and the sales person is their opponent.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
The Bond & Bond brand would be all about 'cutting to the chase'. The facts were delivered in a straight-talking style – the features, the price, the deal – without the over-hyped sales pitch.
This approach was summed up by a new brand-line; 'You want it, We've got it, Let's Talk.' To get noticed a humorous and non-PC approach was used to connect with the target audience.
OTHER COMMUNICATION PROGRAMMES
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None
MEDIA STRATEGY
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TV for attitude and urgency Print to promote 'killer deals' Mailers for features and benefits
MEDIA
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Television, Newspaper, Catalogue, Point of Purchase, Online
TOTAL MEDIA EXPENDITURE
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Over $3 million
RESULTS
Target: Halt the decline in sales of 2.4% pa and return Bond & Bond to growth within 6 months.
The impact of the new campaign on sales was immediate and sustained.
This was made even more exceptional given that the category began to run out of steam due to the economic downturn. (-0.6% final quarter '07, year on year)
With the category in decline, and Bond & Bond sales in growth, the trend had truly been reversed.
Bond & Bond Sales Performance vs Category
And despite improvements to Brand Health not being an objective:
Declining brand health measures were being reversed within three months of taking the new communications strategy to market.
Analysis supplied by Colmar Brunton stated:
The brand communication awareness trend had been reversed with most of the positive shift being driven by TV and mailers. Of those who recalled B+B advertising 29% felt more positive towards the brand and 36% claimed they would be more likely to shop there.
And the new creative was engaging the new target market in particular.
On average 60% of respondents recognised seeing the new campaign. This was greater amongst our young life-stage target audience groups i.e. 67% and 73% recognition amongst 18–44 and 18–34 year olds respectively.
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