Cassies 2009 Cases. Brand/Case: Get Into MINI. Winner: Events, Seasonal & Short-Term Silver Client Credits: MINI Canada

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1 Cassies 2009 Cases Brand/Case: Get Into MINI Winner: Events, Seasonal & Short-Term Silver Client Credits: MINI Canada Stephen McDonnell, Director, Brand Communications Marc Belcourt, Brand Communications Manager Tara Willis, Brand Communications Specialist Debbie Tovell, Brand Communications Specialist Agency Credits: TAXI 2 Lance Martin, Executive Creative Director Ryan Wagman, Associate Creative Director Guybrush Taylor, Art Director Troy McGuinness, Art Director Ryan Wagman, Writer Jordan Doucette, Writer Estella Tolentino, Print Producer Daryn Sutherland, Account Director Jared Stein, Account Director Tina Tieu, Account Manager Crossover Notes: All winning cases contain lessons that cross over from one case to another. David Rutherford has been identifying these as Crossover Notes since Cassies1997. The full set for Cassies 2009 can be downloaded from the Case Library section at Crossover Note 1. Crossover Note 3. Crossover Note 14. Crossover Note 17. Crossover Note 20. Crossover Note 30. What a Brand Stands For. Core Equity versus Price & Promotion. Refreshing a continuing campaign. Conventional Wisdom should it be challenged? Emotional versus Rational. Reach and Frequency versus Large-Space Impact. To see creative, go to the Case Library Index and click on the additional links beside the case.

2 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Business Results Period (Consecutive Months): April 2008 July 2008 Start of Advertising/Communication Effort: April 2008 Base Period for Comparison: Calendar 2007 a) Synopsis of the Case The summer of 2008 saw an unparalleled increase in gas prices, and fuel efficiency became the mot du jour. MINI needed to cut through the clutter and let people know that it was and always has been a fuel-efficient car. As more people than ever began considering fuel-efficient, eco-friendly cars we noticed one large barrier to our potential customers: they already had cars. We wanted to design a campaign that pushed people to get out of what they were currently driving and get behind the wheel of a MINI. We wanted these consumers to be armed with rational and emotional reasons to ditch their old clunkers. Crossover Note 20. b) Summary of Business Results The campaign contributed to 32% sales growth in 2008, the best annual result that MINI has had since its 2002 launch. For July 2008, the increase was 54%, the highest increase for a single month in MINI s history. SITUATION ANALYSIS a) Overall Assessment This campaign s success is all the more significant considering the consumer and market dynamics it had to contend with. The financial woes of North American automotive manufacturers in the past two years have introduced a new dynamic. Tactics such as 0% financing, employee pricing, and accessory credits have sent an unintended message about the value or more accurately, the lack thereof of automotive brands. Rather than creating brands that consumers will pay full price for, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have tried to shift the decision to a pricing contest. These very persuasive tactics put added pressure on cars like the MINI that succeed on the strength of the brand, not on 0% financing. Crossover Note 3. For MINI to get into the consideration set we had to identify who the competitors were. First were cars most like MINI in looks and performance Honda Civic, VW Golf and Acura RSX would fall into that category. Second were cars that appealed to people who defy age through attitude, interests and lifestyle. They are confident, individualistic, and non-conformist. Sophisticated risk-takers, they have a mind of their own, and their cars would include VW Beetle, VW Rabbit, Audi A3, and Mercedes fortwo Smart.

3 3 With the collective presence created by the combined marketing budget of MINI s competitors, the battle for the target customer was decidedly not in MINI s favour. In the automotive segment marketing budgets are based on cars allocated to a given market. As an example, MINI Canada had an allotment of 3,703 cars in 2007, or roughly 14% of one month s worth of GM sales. This fact mandated a different approach: rather than competing in standard media with a minuscule share of voice, we focused on customer conversion. Six years of solid brand building had created a distinct MINI identity, which liberated us from having to create desire among the target group. The task was to harness that desire into behaviour that would drive people into purchase mode. b) Resulting Business Objectives These were as follows: 1. To increase retailer leads and test drives 2. To increase sales despite the sluggish economy and rising gas prices 3. To leverage the eco-friendliness of the MINI c) Budget Range/Share of Voice $1 - $2 million, National. STRATEGY & INSIGHT a) Analysis and Insight MINI s experience confirmed that retailer leads and test drives translate to roughly a 95% close rate on sales; so getting people behind the wheel was of paramount importance. To do this, we would highlight the gas friendliness of the MINI vs. other cars. We wanted to provide people with the rational and emotional arguments needed to Get into MINI. And to stay consistent with previous campaigns Crossover Note 14 our approach has been an ongoing demonstration of size is deceptive. The car might be small, but the attitude is big. Even our choice of a brand personality ( shit disturber ) shows a strategic focus on this defiant attitude. Crossover Notes 1 and 17. Target Because it is virtually impossible to maintain an automotive brand without a strong male presence, a decidedly male outlook was essential for MINI. A focus on performance (fun to drive) and fuel efficiency was to be our foundation. Another key insight into our target was their ability to adapt to new technologies and methods of information gathering. An integrated approach ensured that all consumer touch points were addressed. Non-Traditional Media We would defy the category conventions of using a big broadcast effort. Media usually considered secondary (such as online and OOH) helped build the MINI brand image.

4 4 Our media strategy favoured impact over tonnage, choosing high visibility opportunities that allowed us to bring the MINI spirit to life. Crossover Note 30. In doing so we amplified a budget that is small by automotive standards. We also used the interactive capacity of the Internet to create a high involvement relationship with prospective buyers. b) Communication Strategy Our brand insight has been the touchstone for all creative development. It guides strategic correctness and serves as a constant reminder of what we want to communicate. It is expressed in the acronym FLIP, which stands for Fun, Legacy, Individuality and Performance. By being current and topical we remained relevant. We never once mentioned that we were the eco-friendly car. We remained true to the brand tone and our target. CREATIVE EXECUTION Our creative idea for GET INTO MINI was fixed in communicating the tangible aspects of the MINI that make it fuel efficient and highly desirable. We did this with the goal of turning the mundane notion of fuel efficiency into something fun and engaging. To create visual impact and drive awareness we launched with OOH that consisted of headline-driven TSAs such as WE RE NOT TELLING YOU WE RE BETTER THAN SUVs. AL GORE IS. Large-format billboards were placed in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal with headlines such as REDUCE YOUR CARBON LEAD-FOOT PRINT. All were intended to build excitement and awareness about the MINI s fuel efficiency and drive traffic to MINI.ca.

5 5 Another way we spoke to our target was through targeted restroom advertising. Motion activated lights lit up, to let people know where the high theft areas were located in the city. This was our cheeky way of letting consumers know that if you were looking for a way to get out of your old car and into a MINI, dropping your old car off with the keys in the ignition at any one of these sites might be helpful.

6 6 To take the campaign one step further we devised the MINI Incubator! Participants who signed up to change their current car into a fun and exciting MINI received weekly s and updates so they could monitor the transformation of their Franken-MINI. This execution allowed us to gather information on what our target was currently driving, where they lived, and where in the purchase cycle they were. ( We also wanted to up consumer engagement by providing people with the opportunity to lose their current car keys. We did this by wrapping public garbage cans.

7 7 Like most MINI campaigns the intelligent use of media space, with the idea driving the medium, helped create a campaign that stood out as one of our most successful. MEDIA EXECUTION Another important aspect of the creative is its consistency. Since launch, we have ruthlessly adhered to the MINI brand standards. As a result, we ve established a visual equity that ties one media to another and connects one campaign to the next. The majority of MINI s media investment has been in out-of-home, online, print and guerilla tactics. This media mix has stimulated some innovative executions and has contributed immensely to the perception of MINI as an a-typical brand. BUSINESS RESULTS This campaign contributed to the most successful annual sales growth since launch, at +32%.

8 8 Monthly results were excellent, and the 54% increase for July 2008 was the highest increase for a single month in MINI s history. Time Period % Increase vs April 22% May 40% June 50% July 54% CAUSE & EFFECT BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND RESULTS MINI does not have an extensive research budget to track advertising metrics, but examination shows that there was nothing else in the market to cause these results. Given the aggressive pricing of the North American manufacturers, price was not a factor, and, as noted, media spending was modest. The MINI product was, of course, a factor, but this would not explain growth of this magnitude. All in all, it s clear that this was a success driven by an innovative approach to lead-generation and advertising.