Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

How digital channels can help build a brand

Article • Oliver Feldwick, WARC Best Practice, April 2018

Explains how digital channels, when used well, can play a fundamental and complementary role in brand building.

How to run an effective rich media campaign

Article • Jaime Enrico Singson, WARC Best Practice, May 2017

This paper explores the key points for the running of a successful rich media campaign and provides examples of case studies that have succeeded in creating compelling rich media content.

The state of rich media

Article • Jaime Enrico Singson and Mike McNulty, WARC Best Practice, May 2017

This article explores the notion of what rich media is as well as delving into its formats, channels, providers and the challenges facing it.

How to maximize the return on investment from digital marketing

Article • Gian Fulgoni, WARC Best Practice, March 2016

This article explains how marketers can maximize the return on investment in digital marketing, a platform predicted to overtake TV in adspend in 2016.

How Denny’s fights a negative “diner” stereotype with multicultural initiatives

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference, November 2019

Denny’s, the quick-service restaurant chain, has committed to engaging multicultural consumers in powerful, authentic ways, helping overcome an uneven legacy in this area.

Marketer's Toolkit 2020: Building brands in the walled gardens (Industry)

Article • WARC Trends, November 2019

Part of WARC's Marketer’s Toolkit 2020, this chapter offers a deep dive into industry trends affecting marketing plans in 2020.

Canesten: Thrush, The Musical

Case Study • Amy Francis, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Thrush cream brand Canesten broke category conventions to make its name synonymous with thrush, getting women to recall and ask for the brand by name.

Babyshop: World Without Walls

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Children's retailer Babyshop used a multichannel approach to redefine its brand strategy during Ramadan in the Middle East.

Pantene: Blend-In

Case Study • James Barnett, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Hair care brand Pantene reinvented the approach of its Beautiful Lengths programme to build hair donation momentum and reduce barriers to donating hair in Israel.

Radio-Canada: Fighting Fake News in Real Time

Case Study • PHD Montreal, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Public broadcaster, Radio-Canada developed a multiplatform strategy to fight fake news to increase the number of users on its digital platforms and become the leading destination for credible and verified media coverage during elections in Quebec, Canada.

ZEE5: Using Google Search ads as a real-time news portal

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

India-based video-on-demand website ZEE5 brought together data, content and technology in a unique execution to raise awareness of its digital news offering.

The Economist: World Cup

Case Study • Adam Fulford, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

The Economist harnessed cultural relevance to gain reach and engagement among a broad audience during the World Cup.

Castrol: Influence the Influencer

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Chaojie Miao, Rocker Hu, Sienna Zhang, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Lubricant oil brand Castrol used WeChat to build a gamified educational campaign for mechanics to get them onside as influencers in China.

Sport Chek: Digital Window Shopping

Case Study • Touché!, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Canadian online retailer Sport Chek used cart data to create a mass retargeting campaign, backed by traditional and digital media, to drive sales on Black Friday.

Tourism Central Coast: From Couch to Coast

Case Study • Luke Brown, Angela Smith, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Tourism board Tourism Central Coast created an integrated campaign driven by data-insights, to change traveller perceptions of the Central Coast, in New South Wales, Australia.

TalkTalk: Econometrics optimisation

Case Study • Bini Yoheswaran, Simon Foster, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Telco TalkTalk built a data-led model to increase efficiency of its marketing spend, drive uptake of subscriptions and increase the value of existing customers.

Dove: The 24-Hour Magazine of Natural Beauties

Case Study • Ha Tran, Soumya Ranjan Panda, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Toiletries brand Dove created a content-led approach across platforms to change the beauty narrative and create disruptive awareness of its new Nourishing Secrets line, in Vietnam.

The United Nations: The People's Seat

Case Study • Emma Bowers, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

The United Nations launched The People's Seat campaign as a way to shift perceptions of the UN, deliver broad awareness of important issues such as climate change, and, importantly, inspire direct action from the global population.

Nike: All-Star Weekend – Better Than Broadcast

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Chaojie Miao, Matthew Nolan, Sienna Zhang, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

Sportswear brand Nike created a mini-programme within WeChat to appeal to basketball fans in China during the NBA's All-Star Weekend.

Oh Henry!: 4:25 Hunger Bar Launch

Case Study • Richard Fofana, Owen Garscadden, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Candy bar Oh Henry! reclaimed the number one spot in the candy bar market from rivals Snickers and Mars, and staked a claim to the untapped cannabis-induced 'munchies' space.

Lay's: Crunchy Sounds Challenge

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Jerry Perez, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Potato-chip brand Lay's used short-video platform Douyin and the sound of chips being eaten to drive e-commerce impulse purchase in China.

Cornetto: Unicornetto

Case Study • Apoorva Shetty, Mukhlis Sholihin, R.K Narayanan, Sarabpreet Bedi, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Best Use of Data, 2019

Ice-cream brand Cornetto ran a targeted mobile campaign to appeal to teens for the launch of its UniCornetto variant in Indonesia.

Lifebuoy: A mission to cut sick days by half

Case Study • Ha Tran, Thuy Tran, Soumya Ranjan Panda, Vu Nguyen, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Lifebuoy, the leading hygiene soap brand in Vietnam, boosted brand love and antibacterial soap sales with a health-awareness campaign aimed at teaching children and their parents the importance of good hygiene.

Standard Chartered Bank: The Algorithm Agent

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

Standard Chartered Bank, a banking brand, increased applications for its Simply Cash Visa Card in Hong Kong by launching an algorithm agent that provides personalised, targeted content based on the viewing habits of young consumers.

The Movember Foundation: Men, you're not talking, so try ticking

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

The Movember Foundation, a charity that aims to tackle the biggest health issues faced by men, got men in New Zealand to talk about their mental health by creating an online survey, the Mensus, which gave them tailored messages to send to friends based on their answers.

Digital media