BEHIND THE STRATEGY THAT LAUNCHED THE DEWALT® TOUGHSYSTEM® MUSIC
DEWALT®, a global leader in the world of tools, was ready to launch their new ToughSystem® Music. To help promote this launch, DEWALT® challenged us to create an integrated campaign that would generate sales and interest in the product. In this 4-part series, we’ll examine the specific strategies and tactics used to help promote and launch the new DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music player. In part 2, we discuss how we developed a strategy to create a self-perpetuating cycle of engagement.
Part 2: Perpetual Synergy Machine
Synergy. Once you get past the fact that it has become one of the prime players in buzzword BINGO, you understand that it really is the golden goose for marketing agencies and brands seeking success. Synergy envelopes your audience, maximizes your ad dollars, and compounds the effectiveness of each individual tactic. This is the holy grail of advertising, and one we were set on achieving for DEWALT®.
To better understand the strategy, let’s first take a look at what we mean by synergy. In its simplest form, synergy is when one piece of marketing feeds into another piece. The transition is both relevant and seamless, expanding on the experience and building upon the idea or product benefit. When you see a commercial that sends you to a website that then drives you to sign up to receive more information, that’s synergy. The commercial introduced you to the idea, the website built upon that idea, and the whole thing culminated in the payoff of a sign up.
This simplified example gives you a short glimpse into our thought process as we create our strategies. There are many ways to ask someone to sign up for information, but our favorite way is to provide them with an experience that creates a connection and builds a comfort level with the brand. The DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music launch is a perfect example of synergy in action.
For the DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music launch, our objective was to convince pros that the ToughSystem® Music would provide 3D quality sound for the job site. One tactic would’ve been to create a landing page and Facebook post, but that would’ve limited the campaign to basically visiting the landing page and Facebook page. The experience would’ve been one note (no pun intended); we were looking for harmony. To this end, we ultimately pitched a strategy involving:
- DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music landing page
- Custom proprietary song
- Media including SEM, display/retargeting, mobile, FBX, and YouTube
- Social including promoted Facebook and Twitter posts
- Gamification campaign and sweepstakes
Considering DEWALT® already has an active and engaged social media following, including social media as a marketing tactic was a no brainer. A landing page was also key for not only communicating the benefits of the product, but also for acting as a connection point for several of our tactics and platforms. This included a free download of the custom song, Facebook and Twitter links, product video, newsletter signup, and link to a dedicated product page.
One of the first pieces of our marketing tapestry was the custom proprietary song, “When the Whistle Blows”. As discussed in part 1, The Alternate Routes were contracted to write and record a promotional song for the DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music launch. This was an important element in the overall strategy as it gave us a voice for the launch as a whole, as well as an incentive for people to visit the landing page and sign up to receive a free download.
The next step was to build a media strategy that was hyper-focused. Through display and retargeting ads, we were able to remain top of mind with those who had already expressed an interest in the product, thus leveraging the landing page even further. Our SEM strategy brought search into the plan, allowing us to again place ToughSystem® Music front and center with those interested in a job site music player. YouTube pre-roll ads featuring “When the Whistle Blows” were also employed. In total, the media campaign resulted in thousands of impressions and several other measurable results.
The role of Facebook and Twitter cannot be understated within our strategy, and we thank the DEWALT® fans on each platform for their role in its success. Employing Facebook ads, promoted posts, and the Facebook carousel ad unit, it was very easy for us to connect DEWALT® users and interested parties with the DEWALT® ToughSystem® Music. Social played a huge part in the overall success of the launch, generating thousands of clicks to the landing page. As of January 18, 2016, the landing page had over 85,000 unique visits, collecting almost one thousand emails, and driving over 500 song downloads.
Last, but certainly not least, is the gamification portion of our strategy. The inclusion of gamification was a huge boon for this project. Gamification relies on a landing page where users sign up to enter a sweepstakes or contest. The gamification page features real-time social media feeds that use a campaign-specific hashtag, from the brand(s) hosting the sweepstakes. Contestants earn additional entries into the contest for every post and tweet they like or share. This program incentivizes participation, which then turns participants into brand advocates.
For the ToughSystem® Music launch, gamification gave us yet another avenue to extend the experience, connect the audience with relevant social feeds, and offer a chance at fantastic prize packages. The sweepstakes was promoted throughout social media, creating an almost self-perpetuating cycle of sharing, not to mention free “press”.
As you can see, this multi-layered approach didn’t just surround the audience, it gave them a way to extend their participation at every turn. From start to finish (actually, thanks to the social components there may not actually be a finish), a user clicking on a retargeting or FBX ad, or searching for a job site music player, would be given the opportunity to download a free song, learn about the product, make a purchase, and enter a free sweepstakes. They were also able to follow DEWALT® on social media and become engaged fans of the brand. That’s the power of synergy and why it’s used so often that it has become a buzzword.
