The little engine that could, just did.

f a l l 2 0 10
The little engine that could, just did.
Rocky Mountaineer, a small train company who thinks and acts
like a global leader, is BCAMA’s 2010 Marketer of the Year.
At the 2010
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contents
5
7
8
10
11
Message from the President
Message from the Editor
VISION 2010 What we learned at
this year’s conference
Message from the Director
of Marketer of the Year
BCAMA Marketer of the Year
Rocky Mountaineer: the little marketing
engine that could
15
16
Meet the judges BCAMA Marketer of
the Year 2010 judging panel
If social media is so important,
why do so many initiatives suck?
Social media tools and strategies that
optimize your investment
18
19
Top 10 random recent poll findings
Ipsos Reid recent findings and statistics
Fostering brand loyalty The loyalty
effect on profit performance
21
Case study: The sweet sound of
success GGRP’s award-winning direct mail record player
Rocky Mountaineer, BCAMA's Marketer of the Year.
23
Case study: Reaching recession-
conscious consumers Phantom Screens
2010 brand campaign
29
Case study: Marquis wine cellars
delivers Demystifying the wine experience
by bringing it online
31
Building your brand one story
at a time How storytelling can bring
life to your brand
33
Q&A with a BCAMA Member Alexa
Freudigmann shares insights on her
marketing career and BCAMA
34
Sponsorship and branding meet
Basetwo Media creates brand awareness
through sponsorship
marketline
fall 2010 | 3
The BC Chapter of the American
Marketing Association has
been this province’s leading
marketing source since 1955.
As one of the most highly
regarded chapters in North
America, BCAMA has consistently ranked among the
top 10 professional chapters
for overall performance,
and has won the prestigious
international “Chapter of the
Year Award” in 1995, 1996
and 1997, “Best in Class” in
2004, and the “Membership
Merit Award” in 2007.
board of directors
President
Darrell Hadden
604.682.5500 Ext 113
President Elect
Steve Kim
604.630.7943
Past President
Georgia Dahle
604.759.4370
Marketer Of The Year
Sarah Clayton
604.341.4559
Marketline
Christine Jakovcic
604.248.1066
Speaker Series Special
Programs
Ryan Mckee
604.669.9283
Treasurer
Pauline Craggs
604.468.5227
Special Interest Groups
(SIGs)
Michelle Coates
604.351.8648
VP, Communications
Lionel Matecha
604.682.5500 Ext 108
Sponsorship
Treena Innes
778.885.5750
VP, Operations
Kerry Plowman
604.671.0393
Director at Large
Michelle Coates
604.351.8648
VP, Programming and Events
Claire Booth
604.551.6553
The following board roles
are currently vacant:
Communications
Membership
Social Media & Brand
VISION Conference
Volunteers
To apply, visit bcama.com.
become a member
To become a member of
the BCAMA, please call our
Office at: 604.983.6AMA.
sponsorship info
To inquire about sponsorship
opportunities contact:
Executive Director, Cindy
Haapanen at StrategyLINK@
shaw.ca or 604.322.6464
Annual Sponsorship Director,
Treena Innes at tkm1313@
shaw.ca or 778.885.5750
event info
To make reservations for a
BCAMA event or to obtain
information regarding upcoming
events, call the BCAMA
Office at 604.983.6AMA or
visit our website at bcama.com.
Breakfast Speaker Series
Trina Mousseau
604.687.0544 Ext 248
Collegiate Relations
Alicia Fruhm
778.846.7699
bcama office
special thanks
Suite 604
750 West Pender St.
Vancouver, BC
V6C 2T7
Special thanks goes out
to the marketline team:
Cindy Haapanen, Dennis
Isaacson, Michi Miserre
and ProofingQueen Sharon
McInnis and all the contributors
who were instrumental in the
making of this issue.
Kimberly Davidson
Tel: 604.983.6262
or 604.876.0410
Fax: 604.682.1312
[email protected]
publishing
Opinions expressed are not
necessarily endorsed by the
BCAMA, its officers or staff.
marketline is published by the
BC Chapter of the American
Marketing Association.
Copyright 2010 by the BC
Chapter of the American
Marketing Association.
marketline welcomes input
from all BCAMA members. If
you have any suggestions or
contributions, or would like to
advertise or sponsor an issue,
please contact marketline
Editor Christine Jakovcic at:
marketlinemagazine@ymail.
com or call 604.248.1066.
Printed in Canada
It is a great honour to become the President of the
British Columbia American Marketing Association.
This year we will provide our marketing community
with valuable programming and events that we’re
confident will be inspiring, educational and leading
edge. Events will include:
• the 40th annual Marketer of theYear Gala, celebrating
Rocky Mountaineer as the 2010 winner
• the Senior Executive Program for qualified
industry leaders
• our Breakfast Series Events, featuring innovative
topics and leading-edge speakers
• evening Special Interest Group sessions (SIGs)
• PURE Networking gatherings that offer attendees the opportunity
to network, socialize and share business strategies
• our famous VISION conference with a day of
provocative and informative speakers
Our theme for this year will be to “Build a community
of marketers in the Greater Vancouver area” – we
will be announcing a variety of initiatives to accomplish
this during the year.
The past year – working through the worst
recession most of us had ever experienced, and
then the wonderful opportunity to host the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – was both
challenging and exciting. This year, I feel we are all
Message from
the President
more optimistic for the economy and our important
employment prospects.
As we will all be looking to our BCAMA values
when making decisions during the year, I wanted to
review them here:
• To provide great educational and networking
opportunities for the BC marketing community
• To be a fun, engaging and educational place to
be involved with
• To treat others as you would like to be treated
None of our past successes – or our future
plans – would be possible without the strong
leadership and guidance provided by our Board
of Directors, our enthusiastic volunteers and our
generous sponsors. I would also like to personally
thank Georgia Dahle, our previous President, for
her leadership and dedication to the BCAMA. She
has dramatically improved this organization, making
my job far easier.
Darrell Hadden
2010/2011 BCAMA President
In addition to his role with BCAMA, Darrell is also
the President of Graphically Speaking, a full-service
Vancouver web design and development company offering
Everything for the Web.
Executive Director
Cindy Haapanen
604.322.6464
Creative
Maya Lange
604.484.3254
I’m not reading this publication right now. So
if you want to reach me, and over 1.2 million other
Greater Vancouverites, try The Vancouver Sun and
The Province.
Creative
Evelyn Lee
604.484.3260
– Amir
(Marketing expert – Kitsilano)
From left to right: Trina Mousseau, Lionel Matecha,
Cindy Haapanen, Claire Booth, Steve Kim, Treena
Innes, Georgia Dahle, Sarah Clayton, Ryan McKee,
Christine Jakovcic, Kerry Plowman, Maya Lange.
Missing: Darrell Hadden, Pauline Craggs, Katherine
Koyko, Alicia Fruhm, Samantha Shah, Rebecca Irani,
Eric Buchegger, Michelle Coates.
4 | fall 2010
marketline
Source: NADbank 2009. Total Weekly Readers, in print and online.
vancouversun.com I theprovInce.com
to advertise, please call 604-605-2478
marketline
fall 2010 | 5
GROW
with a website from Graphically Speaking
YOU will get:
• Web design tailored to your
business and brand
• A measurable return on your
web investment
• Expert advice from Certified
Internet Strategists*
• A full-service team of 40 web
development specialists
Marquis Wine Cellars www.marquis-wines.com
experiences and customer engagement in simple yet
memorable means such as sound, video and storytelling.
The winner of the BCAMA 2010 Marketer of
the Year award is a great example of a company that
is focusing all its efforts on creating an unforgettable
experience to keep bringing customers back again
and again. Join us for the ride on page 11 to find out
how. This edition also features articles by Kenneth
Wong and Bill Baker that help us understand the
theory behind creating brand loyalty. And Kerry
Munro shares insights about why some obvious
brand loyalty initiatives such as social media have
failed in the eyes of the C-suite. As
always, we bring it all together with
some real-life success stories contributed
by talented agencies and enterprises
around the province.
I hope this issue is helpful to you as you think
about how to create lasting relationships with the
customers who matter most to you.
Even as we start to see hints of more optimism in the
market, it’s still a slightly uncomfortable transition
time for businesses and brands everywhere. New
and lapsed customers are considering our brands
again, but there is no real way to know how long it
will take for that optimism to translate into revenue.
However, one thing is certain: the value of customers
who have remained loyal to us during difficult times
has increased dramatically. These customers have
kept all of us in business over the past two years and
this Fall edition of marketline is dedicated to them.
We will focus on improving customer experiences so
they will continue to support and advocate for our
brands in the long term.
To attract customers and, more importantly, retain
them, brands are need to find new ways to bring
the brand experience to life – beyond functional
product benefits. With consumer choices continuing
to multiply exponentially, it is important that we as
brands know who we are and who we are seeking to
attract. We need to share our products and services
in relevant and meaningful ways that connect emotionally
and even psychologically with customers, to keep
them for the long term. Every brand has to find the
right message and media to fit their specific strategies
to then differentiate themselves so they can capture
– and then keep – the admiration and loyalty of their
target customers. In this edition, we feature some
great examples of how companies are enhancing
Message from
the Editor
After 11 ½ years with Procter & Gamble, Christine
Jakovcic is currently BCAMA Director and Editor of
marketline magazine, and Director of Brand Management
and Revenue Strategy at LIJA, a boutique fashion house
specializing in women’s golf, tennis and active apparel.
Learn more at LIJAstyle.com. Contact Christine at
[email protected] or 604.248.1066.
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Web Strategy
Interactive Design
Content Management
Information Architecture
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Ecommerce Systems
Database Development
Search Engine Optimization
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association www.realcedar.org
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*Certified Internet Marketing Business Strategists as designated
by the International Internet Marketing Association
P E E K
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Breckenridge, not
Grizzly Mountain
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604-488-0282 ~ [email protected]
www.proofingqueen.com
VISION 2010:
What We Learned
by tuija seipell
Adapt or die. Marketing is change. Get used to
chaos. Create an experience. Tell stories. Give me
something to talk about. Pay attention to goodness.
Dig deeper. Observe closely what consumers actually
do. Be surprising. Don’t give me average.
These statements stood out on the imaginary
word cloud I created after BCAMA’s VISION 2010
conference in May. The theme of the VISION 2010
was “Reset” – the permanent changes in consumer
behaviour, attitudes and business practices that have
made adaptation a prerequisite for success, and
indeed for survival.
The presentations outlined how successful
companies capitalize on change in general, and
explored the role that innovation and creativity can
play in helping brands gain momentum in preparation
for an upturn. Jeff Hayzlett and Jeremy Gutsche
8 | fall 2010
marketline
both showed that a radically changed environment
is, indeed, also an unprecedented opportunity.
Jeremy Gutsche, founder of Trendhunter.com
and author of Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark
Innovation During Times of Change, kicked off the
day with an energetic recap of his book. Take-home
thoughts: Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Relentlessly obsess about your story. Innovation
starts with observing your customer. We must dig
much deeper than we are used to. REALLY observing
customers in their zone: Interact with them, watch
them choose, observe them use it.
Max Lenderman, Director of OuterActive at
Crispin Porter + Bogusky and author of Brand
New World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs
are Reshaping Business, gave fascinating examples
of creative and adaptive marketing around the
world. Take-home thoughts: The importance of
experience, as illustrated by the Nokia theatre-ona-truck shows. They educate poor consumers in
India about cellphones by staging a Bollywood-style
show that translates a TV advertising spot into
30-minute theatre. Lenderman also talked about
authenticity and how difficult it is to create it when
everything can be knocked off. His cure: create spaces
online and offline where people can experience and
talk about the product. Goodness is also important.
“We have a duty to do good,” he says. “It is dangerous
to forget it.”
Joe Mele, Managing Director of Media and Marketing for Razorfish, spoke
on the topic “Evolve: Reshaping Your Marketing for Today’s Digital Needs”.
Take-home thoughts: The CMO is no longer the lead ad guy – he is now the
growth champion, and not just brand steward but the business steward. Media
is about creating experiences. Observe the behaviours: how differently a kid, mom
and grandma use a cellphone. Creating experiences means we need to understand
ALL media and all platforms. Digital media is inherently geeky, so we must have
developers in our creative departments.
Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chief Marketing Officer of Eastman Kodak Company at the
time of his entertaining Vision presentation, surprised everyone the following day
by announcing that he was leaving Kodak. He’s been on an extended tour for his
book, The Mirror Test, ever since. Take-home thoughts: Change or die, demonstrated
by how the predominantly consumer-focused film company transformed itself
into the new Kodak that is 70% digital and 60% B to B while shifting the perception
from old and stale to young and innovative. Social media played a crucial role
in the turnaround. “When our soul and our science come together, we create
emotional technology that makes it easier to make, manage and move images and
information, so we can all strengthen our relationships.” Engagement is the ROI.
“Kodak has always understood that people don’t want cameras to take pictures,
they want them to capture moments, to create memories that are shared.”
Ron Galloway, director of the documentary Why Wal-Mart Works and Why
That Makes Some People Crazy, was unable to present live, but videotaped his
presentation, which was titled Rebooting Wal-Mart in an Age of Transition.
Take-home thoughts: Wal-Mart makes itself more relevant to our lives by studying
emerging social trends and positioning itself as a social provider, a “do gooder.”
Terry O’Reilly, the host and producer of The Age
of Persuasion and author of The Age of Persuasion:
How Marketing Ate Our Culture spoke directly to the
VISION theme. Take-home thoughts: Value and price
evaluation now cover everything, not just traditional
“value” products or services.Value is only communicated
with stories. All stories must be authentic and honest.
In a recession, if you cut corners, you spend loyalty,
which is tough to earn back. Focus on the relationship
not the transaction. People want to be understood,
not targeted.
Tuija Seipell (tuijaseipell.com) writes globally, online
and off, about business, retail, trends, design, branding,
consumer behaviour and tourism. She is senior writer
at thecoolhunter.net, and partner at customer experience
consulting firm Creative Insights Inc. (tedtopping.com).
Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @tuijaseipell.
BCAMA’s VISION 2010 conference attracted a number of talented
personalities and inspired creative ideas at every turn.
For information on VISION 2011, contact Claire Booth,
pictured above left.
marketline
fall 2010 | 9
It’s during adversity that great brands rise to the top.
Today, Rocky Mountaineer can check off two items
from their ‘bucket list’: beating the world recession
and snagging the coveted BCAMA Marketer of the
Year award. We can’t wait to see what they do next!
All of the challenges that consumers and businesses
have experienced over the last couple of years almost
seem like a distant memory. The tourism industry
was particularly hard hit with H1N1, currency pressures,
new security and passport regulations, and the 2009
economy diving into a recession. For many in the
industry, it was their demise, but Rocky Mountaineer
saw this as their golden opportunity
to re-engineer their brand and their
business, and to fight for what was
rightfully theirs.
In the hospitality business, what
would be the best way to get the
world’s attention? Well, you start
by polishing the silver tea set and
then you invite influential writers and editors, The
Bachelorette TV show, and Olympic VIPs to be your
guests. Genius! Particularly when you win the support
of the media and the likes of ABC News, BBC
Television and Lonely Planet – and National
Geographic, who named Rocky Mountaineer
Message from
the director
of marketer
of the year
“One of the world’s greatest trips”. Talk about an
exhilarating ride that continues to pick up momentum!
From the moment the BCAMA team found out
that Rocky Mountaineer was this year’s Marketer of
the Year, we could hardly wait to work on the coolest
gala event in 40 years. Over the last few months, we
have worked alongside the team at Rocky Mountaineer
to help them bring to life what they do so well –
entertain and showcase our beautiful province to
guests from all over the world. We are excited for you
to experience this delightful Little Marketing Engine
That Could.
Many thanks to the dedicated team of volunteers
at the BCAMA, our generous sponsors and the team
at Rocky Mountaineer, who have all worked hard to
pull together this marquee event.
BCAMA Marketer of the Year:
The Little Marketing Engine That Could
Sarah Clayton is the Director of Marketer of the Year.
She divides her time between creating designer marketing
strategies for her clients at www.blupeacock.ca and
being the Director of Marketing and Communications
at Regent College.
After thoughtful consideration on the part of our judges, the
BCAMA is very proud to announce that the 2010 Marketer
of the Year is Rocky Mountaineer. This year, the BCAMA
had an extraordinarily high number of very strong submissions
for Marketer of the Year for 2010. Our talented panel of
judges was tasked with narrowing the field down to four
well-deserving finalists and then down to one winner, based
on careful examination of all business plans and results
driven by marketing.
The story of Rocky Mountaineer is a great example of
how investing in marketing in the face of challenge and
adversity can make a big difference to the bottom line. In
2009, while many companies were right-sizing and cost-cutting,
Rocky Mountaineer chose to follow a different track to
reinvent and rebrand. The strategy paid off and Rocky
Mountaineer has emerged all shiny and new at higher
levels of awareness and revenue. The team at Rocky
Mountaineer shared their story with us.
Rocky Mountaineer was already facing challenges in
tourism with the H1N1 flu outbreak, a soaring
Canadian dollar, the drop in the British pound and
Australian dollar and other foreign currencies, and the
new US passport regulations, but then the economy
hit bottom in 2009.
The company took stock and chose a deliberate
path to recovery. Rather than the deep discounting
route chosen by many of their competitors in the
tourism industry, they opted to amend deposit terms
with key partners to increase cash flow, and invested
heavily in their brand and product.
before
The story begins in a recession...
And in that recession is a small train company who thinks and acts like a true
global leader. This small train company, in the face of the most difficult economic
crisis since the Great Depression, implemented an aggressive strategic plan that
guided them through an industry devastated by the recession and positioned
them for solid growth.
after
marketline
fall 2010 | 11
“We are thrilled and very honoured to be considered
for this very prestigious award amongst the other
nominees”, says Hubert Wat, Vice President, Marketing
for Rocky Mountaineer. “Our sincere thanks to the
BCAMA for this wonderful recognition. We are
extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish
in the face of the economic crisis. This award is an
affirmation to the entire organization’s belief and
commitment to stand by and deliver on our brand
promise and to our determination to not only survive,
but to successfully strive for and be in a position for
future growth.”
They worked from the ground up, starting with
extensive research studies and using them as launching
Bachelorette Jillian Harris
pads to re-engineer the way Rocky Mountaineer
went to market. They relaunched the Rocky
Mountaineer brand from top to bottom, from the
logo to the actual train design. A complete overhaul
of their brand architecture was done and, along the
way, the research provided valuable insights into
testing new products. They also kept busy by
redesigning and relaunching their website and their
online booking system.
When the industry was discounting and hunkering
down, Rocky Mountaineer expanded distribution
and presence in Germany, a huge untapped market,
and started distribution meetings with potential
partners in China, India and Mexico.
12 | fall 2010
marketline
A comprehensive direct-to-consumer campaign was launched to reduce their
reliance on the trade (tour operators and wholesalers) to drive their business.
Integrated campaigns were launched for the first time in the key markets of
Australia, USA and Canada.
With new branding, a new focus on their direct business, new product
innovations, new distribution plans and a bold mindset to take the recession head
on, Rocky Mountaineer went after other opportunities such as securing the filming
of an episode of The Bachelorette onboard and developed the foundation for
operating an Olympics train between Vancouver and Whistler without actually
being a sponsor.
Standing Out
Starting with the brand personality, Rocky Mountaineer chose to differentiate
themselves from other premium trains. They positioned themselves to be inclusive
versus being exclusive, friendly and welcoming versus regal and stuffy, and social
cars versus private cars. Their creative played off this personality. They wanted
their brand to be premium but fun. They felt it was perfectly fine to have a
headline or copy put a smile on consumers’ faces. None of the other trains could
brag about Rocky Mountaineer’s four Ss: Scenery, Service, Socialization and
Savoury/Sweets. The Orient Express and the Royal Scotsman have white glove
service but their scenery isn’t as thrilling as Canada’s and their routes are often
through industrial areas in Europe. Glacier Express in Switzerland goes through
the Alps but they offer little or no service onboard, except for a commentary via
headphones. They don’t even have onboard attendants except for a train manager.
Rocky Mountaineer made sure their campaign focused on selling their four Ss.
Their print campaign stood out with punchy headlines like “It’s enough to
make atheists reconsider” or “Mountaineering with fine wine and superb cuisine,
instead of Sherpas, ropes and carabiners”. The media placement was also creative
and relevant. Travellers were reached via in-flight magazines on Qantas, British
Airways, WestJet, Luftansa, Delta, American Airlines, United, etc. Media placement
in Australia hit travellers at the airport before their summer holidays in December
and January and greeted them when they got back to plan their fall holidays. And
outside and inside airports in Australia, travellers were greeted by out-of-home
media with the messages, ‘Quick change your flight’ or ‘Go trainabout’.
They also continued to invest heavily into travel media, securing influential
writers and editors onboard at a time when global media were cutting editorial
staff and travel budgets left and right. In addition to communicating to millions
and millions of consumers with credible third-party endorsements through the
media, the exposure resulted in a long list of awards and accolades including the
World Travel Awards (the Academy Awards of the travel industry) ‘World’s
Leading Travel Experience by Train’ and the ABC News ‘Top 10 Trains in the
World’. And the Society of American Travel Writers, the largest travel writers’
association in the world, ranked Rocky Mountaineer #1 in their ‘Best 10 Train
Experiences in the World’.
All these efforts paid off with revenue up 9.1% over the 12-month span and
direct revenue up 17.3% year over year. The strategy and execution in 2009
reinvented their business and solidified the company’s growth.
This truly is a remarkable story about a very determined company succeeding – in an
often turbulent and volatile industry, and the middle of a recession – in providing
a premium travel experience.
Results
The results speak for themselves:
Brand Awareness:
• Overall brand awareness is up by 4%.
• In the test market in LA, brand awareness was up a whopping 20% to 36%
following the integrated campaign.
Key Promotions:
• Olympic Train – the number of independent US travellers was up by 7%
comparing pre-Olympic and post-Olympic periods. Media value of the
special Olympic train was estimated to be in excess of $70 million. (Fun fact:
the British Counsel General was on the Olympic train and later booked four
seats on the Rocky Mountaineer this past summer for his parents and
in-laws, who were visiting from the UK.)
• The Bachelorette – made the train relevant to a very broad demographic. The
show generated over 100 million impressions via the broadcast, media coverage
and online presence. Rocky Mountaineer was featured on numerous programs,
including Entertainment Tonight. Over 1,800 brochure requests were made
within 24 hours of the show. Site visits were up 721% from the US and 194%
from Canada, totalling 42,496 unique visitors in two days!
• BC Residents Special Offer – an integrated campaign tying in Global TV
News, Claire Newell, the Vancouver Sun and Province, and online advertising
resulted in a best-ever $721K in revenue for their Whistler route, surpassing
the highest year by 199%. A volume-based offer (book four or more for the
best value) was introduced and average guests per booking rose from 2.4 to 3.8.
• Los Angeles Promotion – a similar execution to the BC Residents program.
Brand awareness increased from 16% to 36%. Call volume from Southern
California up 240%. Total revenue up 216%. Average revenue per guest up
58%. ROI was 19% over the four-week period, which is incredible for such a
short promotion. Amazingly, in the post-promotional period, bookings are up
228% from Southern California (compared to Florida at 13%, Texas at 46%
and Ohio at 23%), confirming that the promotion made a huge impact in
California.
And Rocky Mountaineer Vacations was not satisfied
with merely “getting through” 2009. They proactively
planned for the future – in midst of driving critical
sales, they undertook a complete rebranding initiative,
relaunched their website, introduced new products,
and implemented an internal communication program.
During this time, they continued to receive more and
more accolades and recognition from the travel
industry.
And so this is the story of the little train that braved
the economic storm and came out on top. It was a long
and hard fought journey – full of drama (global recession)
and romance (The Bachelorette) with a very happy
ending (12-month revenue up 9.1% and direct revenue
up by over 17.3% year over year).
before
Online:
• Website bookings doubled year over year, and with the digital media
campaign in place, site visits were up by 142%.
Summary
In an economic downturn, discretionary expenditures like travel are one of the first
items to be cut from the household budget, and the challenge is multiplied when the
product is premium travel. For Rocky Mountaineer to deliver such extraordinary
results while maintaining their brand equity and pricing integrity is a case study in
successful strategy.
The company responded to environmental changes by focusing on what they could
best control and influence: the short-haul travel market, the direct sales channel,
building their brand, and getting the most efficiency out of every marketing dollar.
All of their actions were deliberate and well planned. They also did qualitative and
quantitative research and tested the feedback, and then implemented the resulting
strategies, tactics and products – all within the year.
after
Join BCAMA and Rocky Mountaineer on Thursday,
October 7, 2010 at the BCAMA Marketer of the Year
Award Dinner for an evening of storytelling and
merrymaking, where you’ll hear the tale from start
to finish.
marketline
fall 2010 | 13
Meet The Judges Of The
2010 Marketer Of The Year
paul cubbon
steve mossop
Sauder School of Business, UBC
Ipsos Reid
A marketing professor in the Sauder School of
Business MBA and undergraduate programs, Paul
specializes in branded communication, both offline
and online. He is also passionate about helping
non-marketing specialists better understand how
marketing principles can help their organizations
become more customer-centric and successful.
Prior to moving into education, Paul worked in the
marketing industry, including three years in advertising,
working for J. Walter Thompson, and 10 years with Unilever, where he undertook
major international assignments in innovation and brand portfolio management.
brent cuthbertson
Mr. Lube Canada
Brent, who is is the Vice President of Marketing
at Mr. Lube Canada, is a recognized marketing
visionary and executive with over 15 years of experience in wireless telecommunications, insurance and
financial services with organizations including Bank
of Montreal, Richmond Savings, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Bell Mobility, and
American Express. Brent completed the Business
Executive Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of
Western Ontario and has been recognized as one of BC’s “Top 40 under 40”.
It’s enough to make atheists reconsider.
Join us onboard Canada’s award winning Rocky Mountaineer train.
It is one of the most extraordinary journeys you will ever take.
Discover the stunning landscapes of British Columbia and the
majestic scenery of UNESCO World Heritage sites of Banff and
Jasper, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. All while you relax
and enjoy our renowned service and gourmet cuisine.
georgia dahle
Chair, 2010 Marketer of the Year Judging
Georgia is the BCAMA Past President, having
completed three years as Director of Marketer of
the Year and also Director of Vision throughout
her tenure on the Board. She is a marketing and
communications professional with 10 years of
experience in communications, event planning and
marketing. She holds the position of Director,
Corporate Communications for Mr. Lube Canada, the
leader in the quick lube category for preventative automotive maintenance. In her
role at Mr. Lube, Georgia manages the areas of internal and external communications
as well as the Mr. Lube Foundation, sponsorship and community giving.
To explore our spectacular travel experiences,
visit rockymountaineer.com
BCAMA’s 2010 Marketer of the Year
RK_BCAMA2011_Marketline_Ad_v6.indd 1
14 | fall 2010
marketline
Steve is President of Market
Research Canada West within
Ipsos Reid. He has been in the
research industry for 20 years
and with Ipsos Reid since 1995.
Steve spearheads the efforts of
60 client service staff in offices
in Vancouver, Calgary and
Seattle, including specialized practice areas of
Lottery & Gaming, Energy, Retail and Travel. He is
responsible for marketing, client service, staffing and
administration of a business unit with annual billings
of $20M and for the Custom Panel Business, which
specializes in building custom interactive online
communities of client customers, employees and
stakeholders for clients in many countries around
the world.
cynthia dyson
BC Hydro
Cynthia’s job is to convince you
to save energy. As Director of
Marketing & Brand Strategy at
BC Hydro, she is accountable
for leading marketing communications strategies across the
BC Hydro and Power Smart
brands. Cynthia is a “veteran”
BC Hydro employee, having spent close to 20 years
in various communications leadership capacities in
the organization – from corporate and employee
communications, to community relations, to
environmental and sustainability communications,
and spearheading BC Hydro's efforts to become one
of the first adopters of triple bottom line reporting in
Canada. She is a past instructor of the Langara
College Public Relations program.
10-08-25 9:52 AM
marketline
fall 2010 | 15
If Social Media Is So Important,
Why Do So Many Initiatives Suck?
This is a new channel that has tremendous potential. Unlocking that potential
requires effort and investment, albeit not a lot just to get started. It just needs to
be the right investment with the right strategic intent.
Facebook = Free Advertising
by kerry munro
You decided a while
ago to ‘get social’. You
(or your team) read
the trade mags, attended a conference or two, and
even watched as some brands hit it big. You drank
the champagne and decided it was time...time to get
a Facebook page or a YouTube video. You too were
going to get millions of fans (now ‘likers’) and strike
marketing gold.
However, somewhere along the path, something
went wrong. It didn’t happen. There was no buzz.
There weren’t a lot of fans. Sales didn’t seem to spike.
You’re not alone.
Why is it that so much attention has been placed
upon social media as the next great marketing frontier,
and yet so many marketers have failed to tackle the
basic tenets required to demonstrate success to the
CEO or CFO?
Our work with brands that now count their business
contribution from social media in the tens and hundreds
of millions of dollars typically demonstrates a similar
set of attributes and approaches.
The Money Follows the Money
In today’s economic times, it’s tough enough to convince
the finance gods to spend any money, let alone
spending resources on an initiative that in their eyes
remains unproven. ROI is the mantra at the boardroom
table…yet how can there be a ‘return’ if there’s no
‘investment’ to establish a return against?
Top brands recognize that, in tough economic
times, brand investment consistently demonstrates
a disproportionate return in share gain and profit
– against those who underinvested. A presence in
social media is no different.
To anyone who has not yet spent any money on Facebook advertising, this may
seem counterintuitive. Yet smart brands realize that with over 500 million users
globally (and almost 20 million users in Canada), finding the right opportunity to
integrate your core messages into this community – or even extending it outside
with the use of the much-talked about “Like” button – will allow you to build a
constituent base that augments or replaces your existing customer contact database
as a core marketing vehicle.
Once that base is established, your ability to directly or indirectly re-market
to them provides a business incentive called ‘earned media’. Earned media is the
digital halo effect, allowing you to amplify your marketing spend and reconnect
with this community with more targeted conversations, messages and offers – for
which you will be rewarded by their spreading your message through their social graph.
In leveraging the power of earned media, your social advertising spending can
become more efficient. Imagine if you could achieve a 10% efficiency with each
successive spend in marketing dollars: wouldn’t this help start the ROI conversation
with your CFO?
Amortize Your People Investment with Technology
People are a finite resource. They can’t work 7 x 24 x 365. With the proliferation
of more and more social platforms, their ability to stay on top of building and
communicating with a base of customers becomes more complex and challenging.
Technology becomes the link that connects your entire team – marketing, PR,
agency and advertising – with the community with whom they are attempting to
build loyalty and sales against.
Leaders who are looking to generate short-term efficiencies coupled with mid-term
growth must look to technology solutions as the answer to cost-effectively building
the volume and quality of conversations with their community. Without it, they
will either burn out their digital resources or sub-optimize their ability to carry
on a two-way conversation with their community. After all, what’s the point of
building a community if you don’t (or can’t) carry on a dialogue?
Risky Business Isn’t Just an Old Tom Cruise Movie
Organizations are risk adverse. Everyone has heard about the challenges top
brands like Nestlé, Coca-Cola and others have had during their social media
tenures, and they are well organized and have invested in the space. So how does
one mitigate the risk of an employee posting inappropriate content? Two words –
governance and workflow.
Most organizations have underequipped their team
with the tools to efficiently and cost-effectively carry
on a two-way dialogue with their current and prospective
customers. Approvals for posts are handled through
email (if at all), which reduces the recency and frequency
that makes social media effective. Individuals are
forced to post at ineffective times or at off normal
hours, which increases risk of an error.
If you’re in a heavily regulated sector, like financial
services, you have the added burden of retaining all
communications for a number of years.This introduces
complexity and business risk, which makes social
media less attractive to senior management.
a small number of business objectives that not only provide a current measure
of success (ROI) but also allow you to refocus your initiatives based upon what’s
working or not working to increase (and ultimately measure) business performance
over time.
Success isn’t defined by an infinite number of metrics. It’s defined by a smaller
set of key drivers (earned media, community health, purchase intent – to name
just a few) that are measured over time to establish the appropriate ROI measures
for your business and allow you as a business leader to invest in areas that are
driving improved performance, and making changes to those areas that are not.
Of course, nothing guarantees success in any channel, but taking a more
focused approach to participating in this medium will increase your potential to
stand out from your competitors while simultaneously increasing share and profits.
Drive for Show, Putt for Dough
Kerry Munro is a digital leader who builtYahoo Canada into one of the top-performing
business units worldwide, and the largest digital business in Canada. Now COO at
Syncapse Corp., he and his team of 140 social technology experts have supported the
largest brands and agencies in cost-effectively establishing and growing their social
media presence and value. Syncapse’s suite of technology solutions, which have touched
over 50 million consumers, allow brands to enhance their business performance by
more efficiently and profitably building, managing and measuring their social media
interactions. To download their recent white paper on the Value of a Facebook Fan,
go to www.syncapse.com and follow the link.
To those who still feel that they need to produce
that one big campaign that gains millions of fans,
builds personal notoriety and drives profit through
the roof, I say ‘go for it’, although in my experience,
long-term success will be fleeting.
To those who want to create a channel that
demonstrates success early on and builds upon that
success over time, I’d advocate the need to focus on
small business
BIG
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BUSINESS
Are you missing the opportunity to speak to 98
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*Small business is defined by the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue as 50 or fewer employees
16 | fall 2010
marketline
marketline
fall 2010 | 17
Top 10 Random Recent Poll Findings
Fostering Brand Loyalty
Complementary Sales
by kenneth wong
It is estimated that a 1% change in loyalty can increase
your profitability by anywhere from 7% to 19%!
Everyone wants to build a base of loyal customers.
The economics of loyalty make it compelling to do
so: not only is it estimated as four to eight times less
expensive to retain and service an account versus
acquire a new one, when you add in the potential for greater share of wallet and
referral sales, it is estimated that a 1% change in loyalty can increase your
profitability by anywhere from 7% to 19%!
But it is one thing to “talk” the loyalty game and another to “walk the talk”.
Too many firms believe they merely need to find a reward media – a loyalty card
to acquire points, or a “club” program to offer members lower prices – and
greater loyalty (and profitability) will naturally ensue. Not so!
Businesses need to take specific action to get the full benefits of loyalty
management. Richard Reicheld, in his seminal book on loyalty management,
The Loyalty Effect, identifies five sources of increased profit performance, few
of which are “automatic”:
1. Ongoing purchase of original order
2. Sales of complementary products (share of wallet)
3. Lower cost of servicing the account
4. Referral sales
5. Price premium due to customer switching costs
Ongoing Purchase
The notion here is that when you win an account, you have a natural cost advantage
relative to challengers. This is because, simply put, no one ever switched suppliers
for an offer that is only “just as good”; the challenger has to spend more to win
the business. This means that incumbent suppliers have a “natural cost advantage”
relative to the challenger.
But the big question is how will you spend that cost advantage? One option
is to contractually lock in the customer by providing a major inducement for
first-time buyers. To do this, start by calculating the discounted value of the stream
of sales. This will give you a clearer idea of the “lifetime value of the account” and
thus a sense of how much you might be willing to spend to win the account. In
almost every case, the amount is far greater than if spending levels are based on a
single sale or transaction.
A second approach is to offer ongoing benefits tied to the amount of money
you would save relative to the spending required to win each of those sales
independently. These programs can take the form of occasional freebies or
discounts. Challengers are thus in a perpetual state of playing catch-up to your
last offer.
18 | fall 2010
marketline
The goal here is to change from selling your products
to more customers to selling more products to the
customers you already have. This is an especially
good approach for retailers whose market size is
largely driven by geography.
Like ongoing purchases, there are cost savings
for those who effectively pursue share of wallet.
First-time sales involve taking the customer through
all stages of awareness, including trial and adoption.
By contrast, since the customer is already aware of
you and has already tried your products or services,
the sales cycle needed to create loyalty is shorter.
In addition, it is estimated that buyers who source
“multiple components of integrated solutions” (i.e.,
parts of a multi-product or multi-service bundle) are
anywhere from four to 17 times more loyal than
those who buy only one thing from a supplier. This
is due to buyer savings in procurement and payment,
coupled with greater security. The components work
together well and case servicing is easier (i.e., one
call, versus suppliers passing the buck).
However, customers do not come to these realizations
on their own. Businesses need to educate the buyer
about these advantages and, sometimes, they need to
educate their own salesforce in how to make the business
case for this kind of purchasing. Occasionally this can
be bypassed by simply offering the kinds of discounts
that insurance and telecommunications firms offer
customers when they subscribe to multiple services.
Lower Cost of Servicing Accounts
The two sections above suggest some cost savings
that accrue from managing loyalty. However, further
savings can be found if we re-engineer our customer
relationship with loyal accounts. By that, I mean that
rather than assume we must do the same (expensive)
courting behavior for all customers, we “ask” our
loyal accounts whether they would prefer a more
direct line of communication and sale.
The thinking is simple: if I (the supplier) can
avoid a cost of selling to you (the customer), then I
do not have to provide for that cost in setting my
price – I save, you save, we all save! This is a powerful
means of insulating accounts from challengers, since
every challenger must go through the entire courtship
and spend accordingly.
marketline
fall 2010 | 19
We can also reduce cost of servicing by closely monitoring account activity. This
enables us to better refine our spending schedules to those times when we know
the buyer will be in the market.
Referral Sales
Referral sales happen as a result of customers talking about us with their colleagues
and friends. In some cases, that dialogue happens naturally because of something
unexpected but highly appreciated by loyal customers. However, we can also
promote this by offering concrete rewards to accounts who pass on bona fide leads.
Customer Switching Costs
Think of how angry you would need to be with your bank or credit union before
you would move your account. Why? Because of the assorted pains you would
need to go through: getting new cheques, informing direct depositors and suppliers, and
the like. These are tangible switching costs that make you a little more “sticky”.
However effective this may be, customers will resent the handcuffs placed on
them by such devices – unless they offer a tangible customer benefit. In other
words, the best way to create switching costs is by providing something that
buyers find helpful on a day-to-day basis. Even if the competition offers such
services, customers won’t want to learn new behaviours for something that is
only just as good as what they already receive.
Putting It All Together
The rewards from loyalty can be substantial.
However, these rewards are not equally available to
every business and they do not happen naturally.
Someone needs to think through the full range of
customer interactions to see where customer loyalty
can be leveraged to enhance the customer’s experience
in doing business with us and, as a result, maximize
the economic benefits to both. Loyalty needs to be a
win-win proposition; otherwise, all we create is a
“high maintenance” relationship.
Kenneth Wong is Comm '77 Fellow in Marketing
at Queen's School of Business and Vice-President,
Knowledge Development at Level 5 Consulting.
To contact, Kenneth Wong please email him at
[email protected].”
Case Study: The Sweet
Sound of Success
by geoff dawson
Campaign Title
GGRP Sound Cardboard Record Player
Relevant Dates
The Bible
Local.
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Each week Business in Vancouver delivers
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Stay informed. Call or visit www.biv.com
for your print and online subscription.
Please contact Christine McNalley at 416-408-2300 x462
www.mediaincanada.com
20 | fall 2010
ST.xxxxx.MIC_HA.indd 1
marketline
604.688.2398
17/09/10 4:43 PM
March 2010 – May 2010
Companies
Agency – Grey Vancouver
Client – GGRP Sound
Individual Team Members
Grey Vancouver:
Geoff Dawson, Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Andrew McKinley, Art Director
Dennis Isaacson, Production Director
Genevieve Louden, Account Director
GGRP:
Meg Griffiths, Sound Design/Recording Studio
Dyna Graphics: Rick Selinger, Production
Vinyl Record Guru: David Read, President
Grey Vancouver was only one of two Canadian
agencies to win gold at this year's Cannes Lions
International Advertising Festival.
www.biv.com
marketline
fall 2010 | 21
Introduction
Griffiths, Gibson & Ramsay Productions (GGRP)
Sound is a premier sound house based in Vancouver.
Despite a strong reputation and a history of awardwinning work, GGRP Sound was suffering from the
perception that they’d gotten ‘long in the tooth’.
Challenge
The challenge was to prove that GGRP Sound still
stands for creativity in sound, and that they remain
current and relevant. We also wanted to deliver on
the promise that, for those who truly love sound, both
its quality and its creative expression, GGRP Sound
is the obvious choice. To meet this objective, our direct
campaign targeted creative directors at existing and
potential clients across Canada and in the US.
Solution
Grey Vancouver hit on the idea of vinyl, as it fit
GGRP Sound perfectly. Vinyl has a proud history:
it’s the #1 choice for audiophiles and it’s the most
creative and expressive medium for sound. From
there, the concept took life. We created an album jacket from a piece of cardboard,
which also became the record player, and the 45 rpm vinyl record was played
using a pencil instead of a needle. The vibrations, which go through the pencil,
are naturally amplified by the cardboard, and tell the history and emergence
of GGRP Sound through a children’s story entitled “A Town That Found Its
Sound.” On its own, the record and player said all it needed to say: GGRP stands for
creativity in sound. It was so simple and unexpected that it immediately stood out.
Results
Direct response was over 90%, which far exceeded the original target of 30%. In
less than a month, the record and player became an Internet phenomenon, and
was mentioned on over 500 blogs, including the Gizmodo, Wall Street Journal and
Wired blogs. YouTube views of the promotional video increased by over 20,000 in
under a week. Traffic to the GGRP Sound site grew exponentially, moving from
50 visits per week to more than 70,000. In addition, the player’s success at awards
shows (including wins at The One Show, Marketing magazine awards, and a Gold at
Cannes) further heightened the profile of GGRP directly within its core target.
Geoff Dawson plays an integral role in the creative department at Grey Vancouver as
Associate Creative Director and Copywriter, providing strategic and creative solutions.
If you're interested in working with Grey Vancouver, please contact Maya Lange,VP/
Group Account Director at [email protected] To find out more about
GGRP, please contact Meg Griffiths at [email protected].
Case Study: Phantom Screens Reaches
Recession-Conscious Consumers
by rob dawson
Campaign Title
Phantom Screens 2010 Brand Campaign
Relevant Dates
April – June 2010
Companies
Agency – Concerto Marketing Group
Client – Phantom Screens
Individual Team Members
Ron Somers, VP Sales & Marketing
Jeret Unger, Marketing Communications Manager
Rob Dawson, VP Partner
Craig Redmond, VP Creative Director
Courtney Johnston, Client Service Associate
Alexis Kernaghan, Art Director
Clay Olsen, Research Director
Campaign Partners
Taylor Made Media, JMB Post, Engine Digital,
Sprout Creative, HGTV
Introduction
The global economic recession had hit the home
improvement industry hard in 2008 and 2009.
Consumer spending was down and consumer
confidence at a decades-long low. Phantom Screens,
the category leader in the retractable screen industry
in North America, had weathered the storm and,
heading into 2010, was ready to explore market
opportunities again.
Challenge
However, with over three-quarters of its sales in the
US, Phantom was uncertain how American consumers
would respond to its awareness-building efforts.
After over 10 years of brand building with Concerto,
and consistent growth, Phantom had taken a
one-year hiatus from national advertising in 2009
because of the recession.
The sales and marketing team was unsure of the
true economic climate or how receptive beleaguered
homeowners would be to their home improvement
message. They also needed tangible results to measure
the success of that message when it was taken to market.
This innovative cardboard record player, which was sent to creative agencies across North America, told the story of GGRP, a Vancouver sound studio.
22 | fall 2010
marketline
marketline
fall 2010 | 23
Solution
Holding true to its focus on certainty, the team at Concerto knew that any
brand-building efforts in 2010 had to be measurable and consumer-validated.
With consumers’ mindsets forever altered because of the recession, it was critically
important to understand their needs at a deep level in order for Phantom’s
message to resonate.
A basic television ad would simply not deliver the measurable ROI required.
Concerto’s planners developed an integrated campaign strategy that would employ
national television and online advertising in content-relevant media. The objective
was to intrigue consumers and drive them to a newly developed microsite. Once
there, consumers could engage with and experience the product in an interactive
and customizable environment.
Concerto developed two creative strategies: a bold, bullish and emotive message,
and a more cautious, familiar and rational approach. Qualitative research was
conducted in Los Angeles and Seattle to test consumer confidence and response
to each approach. The campaign team discovered that the American homeowner
was nowhere near as optimistic as previously thought. The recession had hit them
at a deep emotional level, and few homeowners were unaffected. Any message of
optimism had to be supported by strong and pragmatic product proof. A refined
creative strategy was developed from these insights – one that delivered, with
sophistication and simplicity, a balance between emotional triggers and rational
product benefits.
Concurrent with the creative development, Phantom and Concerto collaborated
to forge a new partnership with HGTV in the US and Canada. The resulting
media campaign delivered on the integrated strategy with both traditional advertising
and product-placement advertorial. Engaging online ads, including a home page
takeover of HGTV’s high-traffic website, demonstrated product benefits while
driving traffic to the new Phantom Screens microsite.
“We are very pleased with the integrated campaign Concerto developed for us
this year”, said Ron Somers, VP Sales & Marketing at Phantom. “Despite a trying
economy, we are confident in the direction we took because it was backed by the
certainty of consumer insight along the way.”
identified the message that would garner the strongest
reception, and implemented real-time analytics so
everyone involved could measure results. A collaboration
of several media, online and production partners
ensured the campaign was executed efficiently and
with certainty.
Rob Dawson is a founding partner of Concerto Marketing
Group (www.concertomarketing.com), a full-service
research, strategy and brand development firm. An
accomplished strategy consultant with over 20 years’
experience, his specialty is customer-centric marketing.
Concerto employs innovative insights and strategic
intelligence to effectively position brands with certainty.
Thank You to Our Marketer of the Year Sponsors
Results
The resulting multimedia campaign proved highly successful in building awareness
and encouraging consumer engagement. The campaign delivered over 122
million impressions with the intended target audience – affluent homeowners
across North America. Online interactions, measured real-time through analytics,
showed website traffic increased by 310% over the course of the campaign. Over
100,000 highly engaged, unique visitors spent several minutes online interacting
with Phantom’s products. Traffic was driven from the major urban centres of North
America and Phantom’s key sunbelt markets. One of the more popular microsite
pages was “where to purchase”, which indicated a strong intent to learn more.
Through this process, Concerto provided certainty on the consumer’s mindset,
Video Production. Simplified.
TV creative balances emotional triggers and rational benefits.
24 | fall 2010
marketline
HGTV online
ads and home
page takeover
drives traffic.
marketline
fall 2010 | 25
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www.clarksav.com
Marketer Wish List #3 I wish I had a research partner that could handle
all aspects of my research, not just one component.
What makes Ipsos unique from other research firms in Canada is that we focus on five
areas of research to help organizations manage and grow their business.
• Advertising Research
• Loyalty Research
• Marketing Research
• Media Research
• Public Opinion Research
Contact us: 778.373.5000 • www.ipsos.ca
Congratulations to Rocky Mountaineer, 2010 Marketer of the Year.
PROUD SUPPORTER OF
26 | fall 2010
marketline
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marketline
fall 2010 | 27
Once upon a time, there was a group of people who
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Case Study: Marquis Wine
Cellars Delivers
Bite the
BULL
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28 | fall 2010
marketline
by lionel matecha
Campaign Title
Marquis Wine Cellars Online Store
Relevant Dates
May 2008 – November 2009
Companies
Web Developer – Graphically Speaking
Client – Marquis Wine Cellars
Individual Team Members
Dale Slattery, VP Creative/Account Director
Lyle Grant, Designer
Moneca Looui, Project Manager
Introduction
Marquis Wine Cellars, a Vancouver-based specialty
wine shop, wanted to demystify the wine experience
for their customers by creating a site that allowed
customers to learn about wine, and to offer customers
the ability to shop from the comfort of their homes.
So they partnered with Graphically Speaking, who
developed a unique design and the functionality to
meet Marquis’ spec ific objectives. Graphically
Speaking has a reputation for developing customized
solutions to help organizations get the best value
from their online sales and marketing initiatives – and
that’s exactly what Marquis Wine Cellars wanted.
The combined effect of ‘bricks and clicks’
storefronts creates a much larger footprint
for Marquis.
marketline
fall 2010 | 29
Challenge
Result
Although wine can be incredibly complex, the industry has historically made it
too intimidating for the average consumer. Marquis Wine Cellars wanted to make
wine buying approachable and fun, and wanted to establish a strong foundation
as the number one wine store in British Columbia.
To be successful, wine retailers must meet the needs of many different groups
of wine consumers, from traditionalists and enthusiasts to image seekers and
savvy shoppers. There must also be a diverse offering of wine prices, regional
sources and varieties. How can a company increase its reach in the retail market
in an economical way while providing a consistent, unique and friendly shopping
experience?
The website (marquis-wines.com) has become a
feature asset in the company’s inventory of sales and
marketing tools.The broader market exposure provided
by the website is a springboard for increased sales,
better margins and stronger brand recognition.
Website traffic and e-news subscriptions continue
to grow since the launch of the e-commerce website,
and there is now a more effective channel for
communicating exclusive offers and rewards to new
and returning customers. The combined effect of
‘bricks and clicks’ storefronts creates a much larger
footprint for Marquis Wine Cellars in the retail wine
market and increases the company’s ability to become
the leading wine retailer in BC.
Lionel Matecha is an Account Director at Graphically
Speaking, one of Western Canada’s leading web
development companies. He is a Certified Internet
Marketing Business Strategist and an active supporter
of the BCAMA. Lionel can be reached by email at
[email protected] or by phone at
604.682.5500, extension 108.
Solution
Develop a comprehensive online store where customers throughout British Columbia
can easily experience the value of Marquis Wine Cellars’ product offerings. The
full wine shopping environment allows BC customers to shop for wines, gifts and
merchandise, and to have purchases delivered to their door.
Online shoppers are encouraged to search for wines based upon a wide selection
of criteria and personal preferences.The online shopping cart provides a comprehensive
tool to organize an extensive menu of products.
Informative e-newsletters and active social network tools will provide stronger
customer engagement and clear messages about wine and about related products
and services. Through this increased dialogue with consumers, Marquis Wine
Cellars will learn more about customer preferences and thus can provide more
appropriate wine recommendations and suggestions.
Marquis Wine Cellars is passionate about customer
engagement through social media channels. The
ongoing dialogue encourages repeat business and
increased market awareness.
Strong graphics are used as visual cues to help visitors explore the online wine
store via distinct pathways. Wine shoppers can also browse the site to discover
staff picks, new arrivals and exclusive wines. These pathways and suggestions are
excellent funnels for directing visitors to products that benefit both the consumer
and Marquis Wine Cellars.
30 | fall 2010
marketline
Building Your Brand One Story at a Time
by bill baker
Storytelling is, was and
always will be the most
familiar and effective
way we communicate.
Think about all the
stories you tell and hear
every day through
interactions with colleagues, the media, friends and
family. Stories are the way we most readily communicate
with each other, and there is a reason for that.
Through stories, we are able to persuade people,
providing context to the messages we want to
promote. Through stories, we are able to influence
people, conveying vision and getting them to see
what we see. Through stories, we are able to connect
with people on a deeply human level, sharing a part
of ourselves with them. Storytelling works because it
is already in our nature, and marketers can use this
timeless power of storytelling to the benefit of their
brands, their business and their people.
I define storytelling as an authentic exchange of
meaning between people, and I would add the term
“for a purpose”. For storytelling, as we practice it, is
strategic: always done to create impact and to
achieve a desired result.
In my experience, Strategic Storytelling is best
executed in three phases. First, the leaders of a
company or organization need to work together to
find, uncover and extract the story of their brand,
collectively defining what drives it ideologically, what
differentiates it competitively and how it comes to
life experientially. Second, once the brand story is
defined, the leaders need to share that story with the
very people who are responsible for acting on it, and
engage every single employee in that brand story
and compel each employee to see themselves in it.
Third, the brand story must come to life in the
marketplace, and specifically in the hearts and minds
of the consumers the company or organization wants
to attract and do business with. There are different
ways to go through the first two phases outlined
above, but I’m focusing on this third phase for this
article and offering up three ways that you, as
marketers, can help your brand come to life – one
story at a time.
One: Make certain your brand story
lives internally first.
For a brand story to come to life externally in the marketplace, it must first come
to life internally among the very people responsible for it. Every employee – from
the receptionist all the way up to the CEO – must not only hear the brand story,
but also embrace it as their own and understand the role they play in enacting it.
A well-crafted and well-told brand story gives staff an idea of not only what the
company doing, but also why, and not just what the company is working on, but
also what it’s working towards. A brand story brought to life internally connect
employees to the higher purpose driving your efforts and, in the process, to each
other. When this happens, your employees will work tirelessly to bring that brand
story to life in the marketplace.
One way to do this is the make sure your brand story incorporates genuinely
human, “sticky” language that people can mentally and emotionally grab onto.
Too many organizations get mired down with corporate speak, using the same
tired words in a formal corporate values or mission statement. While the motivation
behind these efforts is admirable, the results often fall short because they are not
articulated in real language that people can relate to. Employees hear the mission
statement, but don’t remember it because it feels corporate, not human. As simple
as this might sound, the goal of internal strategic language must be to get people
talking differently so they’re thinking differently and, ultimately, acting differently.
For example, TELUS uses natural language throughout – from its “the future
is friendly” tagline to its accessible corporate values, such as “We embrace change
and initiate opportunity”. LifeScan Canada, the makers of OneTouch blood glucose
monitors, has developed a wonderfully human rallying cry with its simple mantra
“We Measure What Matters”. And Coastal Jazz has helped its team, partners and
performers recognize its place in the cultural landscape of Vancouver by defining
itself as “The Soundtrack of the City”.
Two: Start the dialogue, but don’t try to be the sole
owner of it.
Strategic Storytelling must be viewed as a dialogue between people – an exchange
of meaning versus a one-way download of information. As a brand, we want
people to interact with us about things they feel are important, but we also want
them to interact with each other. Your brand should be the spark, the catalyst that
gets the dialogue going. And it should be a part of that dialogue once it starts.
Even better, as the ownership of that dialogue transfers from you to your customers,
is when the dialogue continues around your brand.
In his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Seth Godin talks a lot about this,
and describes tribes as people coming together around a shared passion, interest
or purpose. In modern times, leaders of these tribes – which can be brands – are
able to leverage their power and energy to create impact in the marketplace. He
adds, “Great leaders create movements by empowering the tribe to communicate.
They establish the foundation for people to make connections, as opposed to
commanding people to follow.” To foster this communication with and around
marketline
fall 2010 | 31
your brand, you need to give people the tools and
platforms to do so.
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has
done this brilliantly with its “Locals Know” campaign.
Beyond the mass advertising that casts a wide net
and draws visitors in, the engine behind this campaign
is social media, which connects people not only to
the brand, but also to each other. Localsknow.ca has
become an online portal to destination “gems”
across Canada and local experts sharing those
stories. These independent members of the “tribe”
contribute content and build buzz because they are
passionate about their special spots within Canada
and they want to share that passion with others.
CTC fuels this passion through Twitter, Flickr,
YouTube and Facebook. The results have been
simply outstanding, as evidenced by CTC’s
continuation of this campaign for well over a year.
Three: Imagine how it should
happen, prepare for it to happen,
then step back and let it happen.
The thing about brands and storytelling is that their
power ultimately lies with the people you are trying
to connect with and influence. A brand story can be
shaped and guided, and you can prepare and set the
stage for it. However, at some point, you have to
relinquish control. You have to step back and have
the faith that things are going to go the way they
should go.
It’s like a river, which is just a gentle creek in late
winter, peacefully making its way through the world.
But when the spring rains come and the snow starts
melting, that river starts to pick up momentum. You
can prepare for the onslaught by building up the banks,
digging trenches and constructing a dam. However,
when that river does start flowing full force, it’s going
to flow the way it wants to flow. Hopefully, it will be
controlled as you envisioned it, but likely it won’t, or
at least not entirely. It may have more momentum
and energy than you ever imagined.When this happens,
you could freak out and frantically pile up sandbags
in a futile attempt to control it, or you could look at
all that energy and think, “This is bigger than we
thought it would be. Awesome!”
“I want to live as a river flows, carried by
the surprise of its own unfolding.” – John
O’Donohue, Irish poet and author
32 | fall 2010
marketline
Q&A with Alexa Freudigmann,
BCAMA Member
Alexa Freudigmann, Group Client Director, Inventa
sits down with marketline to share a peek into her
marketing career and how the BCAMA fits in.
What does Inventa do?
VANOC did an incredible job of this with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
They had a vision of how they wanted the Games to be, and they imagined the
story they wanted told during and after the Games. And despite seemingly
unending criticism and public scrutiny, they stuck to that vision and held true to
that story. More importantly, they created the infrastructure, the environment and
the mood for that story to be able to happen. And when it did, it happened in a
big, big way. Still, they never panicked. Instead, they just rolled with it, trusting
that their preparations (e.g., lots of public places, in addition to official venues,
where people could experience the Games), the training (e.g., the pride and the
“bend over backwards to help” approach of the volunteers) and the procedures
(e.g., working with the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch to manage store
hours to reduce public drunkenness) would hold – even though that river of
energy flowing through Vancouver was greater than anything John Furlong or his
team had ever imagined. When the Games started, it felt like VANOC didn’t try
to control absolutely everything, and instead switched into intuitive monitoring
and calm responsiveness, evidenced by the way they dealt with the tragic death of
the Georgian luger, the mechanical failure in the Opening Ceremony, and the
crowds around the Olympic Flame.
VANOC allowed this incredible story to unfold the way that it wanted to
unfold. They recognized that once it got going, it more or less had a power all its
own. But through it all, they had vision, they had conviction, and they had faith.
And the result is a story that we are all still telling to this day, and will probably
tell for years to come, always with a twinkle in our eyes, quiet pride in our voice
and a warm glow in our hearts. And so it grows.
Bill Baker is the founder and principal of BB&Co Strategic Storytelling, a boutique
strategic consultancy with clients across North America, Europe and other parts of the
world. BB&Co works with organizations of all shapes and sizes, including GE, Relais
& Châteaux, Coca-Cola, NBC Universal, TELUS and the Canadian Centre for
Ethics in Sport. Bill is a regular presence on the public speaking circuit and teaches
Leadership Through Storytelling to several Fortune 500 companies.
Inventa, is an experiential and sales promotion agency,
and we’re currently in our 14th year. You have
certainly seen our work – whether it is an on-pack
promotion with Kellogg’s cereal, or the Coca-Cola
Open Happiness Pavilion at the Vancouver 2010
Olympics, or our Nintendo teams sampling the latest
software titles. Everything we do is focused on creating
and delivering relevant, impactful experiences that
influence perception and inspire people to take action.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love the concept development process: taking a client’s ‘ask’ and building out all
the relevant touchpoints to deliver an experience the consumer will take with
them and act on. I am certainly no artist, but concept development allows me to
tap into my creative side, and deliver the magic of an execution in words. I leave
the pretty pictures to the experts in our creative department!
What is your favourite Inventa campaign from the
past year?
We have so many great clients in our Vancouver office, so it’s hard to choose.
However, summer is always a busy time for our client Nintendo of Canada, and
we’re just about to launch an amazing national tour with them. We took a bit of
a different approach this summer, opting to forego the usual big cities, and
instead we’re bringing the family fun to smaller communities with the Nintendo
Neighbourhood Tour. Working with Nintendo’s partner Loblaw’s, we’ve designed
and brought to life an amazing ‘Nintendo Neighbourhood’ where families can visit
Wii Street and DSi Drive to get a hands-on experience of the fun that Nintendo
has to offer.
But one of my favourite BC-based campaigns has to be the work we do with
Richmond Centre around Christmas. The campaign is called BELIEVE, and we
are entering into the third successful year. Our strategy for BELIEVE is simple:
begin a community-wide movement to BELIEVE, making Richmond Centre the
custodians of the belief in Santa Claus. BELIEVE isn’t just about children believing;
it’s about getting their parents to believe as well.
We have the real Santa and Mrs. Claus, directly from the North Pole, along with a
host of elves – each with their own bio and trading card – interacting one on one
with Richmond Centre customers. Every year we add in new elements to the
campaign, helping us deliver the magic of Christmas,
and this year promises to be a special one.
With BELIEVE, Richmond Centre has redefined
mall holiday marketing. Customers come from the
furthest reaches of the Lower Mainland and beyond
to experience Christmas at Richmond Centre. It is
so much fun to be a part of, especially when you see
the genuine awe and wonder from the children who
BELIEVE. Magic!
Why are you a member of the
BCAMA?
I’ve been a long-time attendee of BCAMA events,
but with so many of my key clients being members,
including BC Lottery Corporation and Richmond
Centre, it absolutely made sense to become a member.
I think it’s important to be a part of the local marketing
community. and the BCAMA is a premier BC
marketing association that offers many great events
where Vancouver marketers can connect. Also,
it’s nice to be affiliated with a well-respected
professional association like the BCAMA.
What BCAMA event is a “must
attend” for you?
The speaking lineup at VISION is always impressive
– and I leave every session with a few nuggets of
inspiration and insight to take back to my team!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about one of our
BCAMA members. If you would like to become a member
of the BCAMA or would like to submit a suggestion for a
future member profile for marketline, please contact Trina
Mousseau, Director of Membership, at 604.687.0544 ext 248.
marketline
fall 2010 | 33
Sponsorship and Branding meet
by treena innes
Will they make it past their first date? Jeff Pelletier,
owner of Basetwo Media Inc. thinks so.
Basetwo Media helps medium- to large-sized
businesses communicate using video. Sounds fairly
simple, right? Well, being fairly new to the marketplace,
albeit with five years of experience under their belt,
they were being told over and over again that the video
marketplace is saturated, so they knew they had to focus
heavily on their brand to make those sales.
With competition on every street corner, they
gave up the focus on price, and instead maintained a strong focus on their brand.
Basetwo thinks that by following this mantra, the rest will follow.
Basetwo Media’s message is professional, reliable, high quality, long term, flexible
and scalable, and they work hard to communicate this message and this promise.
Brand awareness is at the top of their list of needs, so they use BCAMA’s sponsorship
to make that impact. Basetwo says that using BCAMA as a strategic sponsorship
branding tool is a two-way street.
One way
Basetwo Media uses the BCAMA name and logo to
attract attention, and they promote BCAMA’s brand
on their own marketing plans as a strategic partner.
This showcases their credibility with new customers,
and stamps Basetwo with automatic marketing approval.
It gets them noticed. Smart!
Other way
Sponsoring BCAMA and showcasing their video
service live to their exact target market is a branding
strategy that can’t be beat, as they know that their
video work will speak for itself. Through their BCAMA
sponsorship, they are reaching decision makers, so by
the time the decision makers land their own meeting,
they’ll call Basetwo, having experienced the brand
quality already. Basetwo thinks that it’s impossible to
assign a dollar value to how this enhances their
brand reputation.
Who knew that becoming a corporate sponsor could
play such a significant role in brand awareness strategies?
Forget Sponsorship and Branding’s first date – I’m
thinking they may take it all the way to the altar!
Contact Treena Innes, Sponsorship Director, to talk
about how BCAMA can help your business can build
its brand throughout the year. Phone: 778.885.5750.
Email: [email protected].
Please think of our sponsors when you are choosing an industry supplier.
BCAMA values and relies on their generous support.
BCAMA Job Bank Sponsor
Smart, Savvy + Associates
Marketing recruitment specialists
Contact: Peter Reek 604.639.5446
www.smartsavvy.ca
Creative Design
Grey Vancouver
Contact: Tim Johnson 604.484.3250
www.greyvancouver.com
Design and Website Maintenance
Graphically Speaking Services Inc.
Contact: Darrell Hadden 604.682.5500
www.graphicallyspeaking.ca
Printing
Wayside Printers
Contact: Don Hanson 1.800.663.6432 www.waysideprinters.com
Online and Email Distribution Technology
Antarctica Digital
Contact: Blake Kadatz 604.685.6577 www.antarcticadigital.com
Display Graphics
The Portables
Contact: Jeff Dalgarno 604.232.3351
www.theportables.com
Audo-Visual
Clark’s Audio-Visual Services
Contact: James Downey 604.877.8558
www.clarksav.com
Radio
News 1130
Contact: Phil Evans 604-873-2599
www.news1130.com
Print & Online Media
Business in Vancouver
Contact: Regan Macdonald 604-608-5197
www.biv.com
Print & Online Media
Make it Business
Contact: Josh Chicher 604.612.2822
www.makeitbusiness.com
Brochure Creative Design
Blu Peacock
Contact: Sarah Clayton 604.341.4559
www.blupeacock.ca
Proofreading
ProofingQueen Editing
Contact: Sharon McInnis 604.488.0282
www.proofingqueen.com
Corporate & Volunteer Gifts
VanDop Gallery
Contact: Trudy VanDop 604.521.7887
www.vandopgallery.com
Speaker Series & VISION Conference Venue
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel
Contact: Ainslie Lam 604.893.7140
www.sheratonvancouver.com
Special Interest Group Series Venue
Earls V Restaurants - Yaletown
Contact: Amanda Haines 604.716.5196
www.earls.ca
Email Design
Bionic Amigo
Contact: Alvin Lee 604.603.1346
www.bionicamigo.com
Videography
Basetwo Media
Contact: Jeff Pelletier 604-681-4995 x20
www.basetwomedia.com
Photography
Phillip Chin Photography
Contact: Phillip Chin 604-874-2444
www.chinphoto.com
Board Recognition & Gifting
Pacific National Exhibition
Contact: Shelley Frost 604-252-3628
www.pne.ca
Restaurant & Catering
Two Chefs and a Table
Contact: Karl Gregg 778-233-1303
www.twochefsandatable.com
34 | fall 2010
marketline
Video Production. Simplified.
Mail Management
Datacore Resource Group Inc.
Contact: Karly Black 604.875.8520
www.datacore-resource.ca
Marketing Research
Ipsos Reid
Contact: Mary DeBonis 778.373-5000
www.ipsos.ca
Media
Vancouver Sun
Contact: Jamie Pitblado 604-605-2455
www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun
Scholarships
TELUS
Provides the TELUS Collegiate Scholarship awards
Contact: Sue Comeau
www.telus.com
marketline
fall 2010 | 35
expect
Wayside Printers - Expect WOW!
It’s a simple, yet dynamic phrase that has infiltrated every aspect of operations at Wayside Printers for close to 90 years. From
the outstanding print products to the growing workforce and the commitment to British Columbia, Wayside continues to provide
exceptional products and services that “WOW” customers … every time.
Expect Business Experience and Values
Operating since 1921, Wayside Printers is one of the Okanagan Valley’s most successful family-owned businesses – now
employing 56 people. Wayside’s commitment to high-quality products and customer service has positioned the company as a
print industry leader.
Expect Technology and Innovation
Wayside Printers has recently invested more than $4 million dollars on the latest digital, offset press, large format and finishing
technology. Wayside has also invested extensively in technology to drive Cross Media Publishing, the ultimate approach to
personalized communication that provides the ability to reach and interact with consumers across print and digital media channels.
Expect Environmental Stewardship
As a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified operation, Wayside has received the
endorsement of the print industry’s most stringent judge. We are investing in technology
to make every aspect of the process as environmentally-friendly as possible and to
SW-COC-002234
© 1996 Forest Stewardship
Council A.C.
make sure that clients have cost-effective green options for their print projects.
The mark of responsible forestry
1.800.663.6432
VANCOUVER
•
VERNON
www.waysideprinters.com
•
KAMLOOPS
•
KELOWNA