Asking to change the format of the product. It’s a surefire way of generating a dismissive wave of the hand from your client (normally followed by a fruity expletive). Which is why I’m so curious about the “Dare to be Tender” campaign from Milka that ran in France.
The Mondelez International-owned chocolate brand sold bars which had one square missing and invited customers to choose whether to claim the piece for themselves or to donate it to a loved one. How did the agency manage to get it through?
OK, you might say giving away a sample isn’t groundbreaking. Perhaps what made the difference here is that Dare to be Tender has an irresistible business case behind it – and the missing “final square” format was integral to its success.
First up, it reduces the content of the bar by one square. While that doesn’t sound much, factor in a decent production run of 13 million bars and the cost saving would be considerable. Well, certainly enough to cover the retooling costs. This reduction in costs facilitates the trade incentive too.
Working on the theory there were a few euros left over from the reduction in the promotional bar’s cost, the brand could incentivise a retailer to carry the stock. The promotional bar probably retailed at the full price too. That’s one happy trade story right there. And finally, what did the campaign mean to the people who will be inspired to buy?
On the shelf they discovered a charming, emotive idea that both surprised and delighted in equal measure.
Each pack featured a special code the purchasers then entered on the campaign microsite with the chance to choose between those two options.
Customers could either claim the missing square back for themselves or enter a personalised message and address for that special someone who would receive the last square by post (the latter clearly ticking all necessary social sharing boxes now required by marketing law).
This format change made the idea irresistible to everyone involved in the buying process – from the client to the factory manager, the company accountants to the trade, the consumers to their social networks. It’s just so clever.
So while the pack might be missing a square of chocolate, when it came to selling this idea clearly the agency didn’t miss a thing.
Gary Brooks is creative director at WDMP
Find out what Gary Brooks at @curiousWDMP reckons to the latest Milka ‘Dare to be Tender’ campaign http://t.co/pomsqt7Y2V #directmarketing
Review: Gary Brooks on…Milka http://t.co/0oofSm83O0
RT @DM_editor: Find out what Gary Brooks at @curiousWDMP reckons to the latest Milka ‘Dare to be Tender’ campaign http://t.co/pomsqt7Y2V #d…
RT @DM_editor: Find out what Gary Brooks at @curiousWDMP reckons to the latest Milka ‘Dare to be Tender’ campaign http://t.co/pomsqt7Y2V #d…