ARF David Ogilvy Awards 2010

Summary
Wendy's, the restaurant chain, was facing a range of challenges following the onset of the financial crisis. Consumers were either opting to eat at home or demanding lower prices when dining out. As such, Wendy's sought to differentiate itself by launching innovative new products and connecting with the younger target audience who were the key customers in this sector. Weekly research with core demographics covering marketing, advertising and actual visits showed that while cost was a major factor, quality and taste were what distinguished Wendy's from its rivals. This research informed an integrated campaign across TV, online and cinema, coupled with mobile and social networks. Overall, store visits rose by 9.7%, with brand and product perceptions also improving.

Summary
Microsoft was launching a new version of its Windows Phone in Canada, where it was up against dominant rivals like the iPhone and BlackBerry and newer entrants to the market, such as handsets using Google's Android operating system. Based on the shape of the competitive landscape and the low levels of familiarity with Windows Phones among consumers, it was decided that marketing which centred on the brand may not lead to success. Rather, it was decided to promote the new device by championing the MuchMusic application that was available to owners of the Windows Phone, a tool that greatly appealed to its target audience. An email campaign tied to Windows Live, which offered services like Hotmail and Instant Messenger on the go, was also sent to 14 million people. The results of these efforts surpassed all of the company's initial targets.

Summary
This case recounts the research and establishment of PBS KIDS Sprout, an educational TV, Video-on-Demand and online channel for pre-school children. Focus group research with mothers led to Sprout’s original brand positioning and its first consumer brand campaign, "we share." Since the campaign launched, distribution of Sprout’s linear and VOD services has increased 33%. In November 2009, Sprout passed 700 million total transactions for its Video on Demand format. Unique visits to SproutOnline.com increased 200%.

Summary
This campaign, both the Grand Winner and a gold winner in the B2B category at the ARF David Ogilvy Awards, promoted use of the U.S. Postal Service - rather than UPS or FedEx - to send packages. Research suggested use of the two rival firms was "habitual" among U.S. businesses, but that the service's "Flat Rates Boxes" were potentially attractive to new customers. USPS spent $30m on a multi-channel campaign highlighting the benefits of these boxes, adding $119m in incremental sales.

Summary
Hispanic consumers had been moving away from Reynolds aluminum foil, the premium brand leader, in favour of cheaper private label alternatives, believing there was little difference between them. The strategic challenge was to further strengthen the posistion of Reynold's foil as a brand leader by convincing consumers that there is enough of a difference between foils to warrant buying the more expensive brand. In-store and in-home research showed that consumers were frustrated with the tendency of lower-quality foils to tear, but blamed themselves. Reynold's resulting advertising campaign included humorous television and print executions that urged consumers to "Piénsalo bien" or "Think it over" before buying private label brands that could fail when it mattered most.

Summary
COVERGIRL targeted consumers worried about aging through a product launch, backed with insights from a "holistic" research strategy. The campaign won gold in the health and personal care category at the ARF David Ogilvy Awards. Previously, COVERGIRL had been seen as a youth-oriented company. The campaign secured the backing of U.S. talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, and ran across TV, print and online channels; following the campaign, the product became the number one new mass foundation in terms of dollar share.

Summary
This case describes a campaign by Walmart to coincide with the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Month (first introduced in 1988 to recognise Hispanics' contribution to the United States). The ojective, via a focused program of involvement, was to improve brand perceptions and increase sales amongst Hispanic consumers. Extensive research uncovered education as a key value in this group, leading Walmart to donate to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and launch a bespoke Spanish-language website, all part of a wider integrated campaign. All objectives were achieved and exceeded, with a noteworthy improvement in overall brand perception leading to an extension of the campaign during 2009.

Summary
Wrigley's rolled out its latest gum brand, called 5, at a time when sales were declining among the category's core target audience of teenagers. In response, it aimed to build a brand that would resonate with this group of consumers and keep their attention. More specifically, the company sought to tap in to the youthful desire for rebellion and self-expression, and embarked on a co-creation drive as part of the research, marketing and launch processes. Based on the insight that teens were "experience junkies" who valued new experiences above all else, everything from the creative executives to the packaging for 5 aimed to take a distinctive, intriguing tone. This served to drive considerable word of mouth online and quickly raised awareness.

Summary
Sprint sought to develop a communication strategy specifically targeting Small Business Owners (SBOs). The company's goal was to create a community for small business owners to exchange ideas and gain knowledge from business experts. Following extensive research, the solution was BusinessOnMain.com.com, a branded online destination focused exclusively on the needs of small business owners. Purchase intent for Sprint among SBOs significantly increased, rising 59.3 percent after three or more visits to the site. In addition, unaided brand awareness rose 87.1 percent.

Summary
"Alone", a BBDO campaign for chairty CommunityOfVeterans.org, highlighted the mental health problems faced by combat veterans, and won gold at the ARF David Ogilvy Awards. Focus groups with army personnel informed the research process. The campaign itself included TV spots, print, radio, outdoor and online ads.