DSEA Narrows In On Branding Campaign Test Location, Budgets, Messaging
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance's paid media initiative is taking shape, according to a memo DSEA released to the industry Dec. 12
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The Dietary Supplement Education Alliance's paid media initiative is taking shape, according to a memo DSEA released to the industry Dec. 12. The organization announced in October its intention to launch a campaign aimed at building a positive brand relationship between the supplement industry and consumers (1 (Also see "DSEA Reveals Plans For Paid Media Campaign To Brand Supplement Sector" - Pink Sheet, 6 Nov, 2006.), p. 4). While DSEA foresees a national campaign, the organization first plans to roll out a regional effort in early 2007 to test the concept and determine what resources will be needed for the national campaign. According to the memo, the organization has now identified five possible locations for the preliminary campaign: Houston, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Orlando, and Tampa. However, the "emphasis," DSEA notes, is on Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa. The selection of the five cities is the fruit of collaborative work between DSEA and several consulting firms, including Los Angeles-based creative advertising firm Walker & Company. The five cities were selected based on store penetration index and store count as well as population makeup, demographic profile and number of available media outlets. The working group also explored the demographic and psychographic profiles of the target consumers, and possible strategies and messaging for the test campaign. The group recently presented DSEA with a document of its data, the memo says. The document identified three "potential budgets for the test market component," dependent on campaign location or locations selected, DSEA says. The three "levels" identified by the working group are $1.5 mil., $3 mil. and $5 mil. The "campaign will be a clear consumer ad campaign as to why a person should take" dietary supplements, DSEA says. The theme, while admittedly ambitious, "will be every bit as compelling as the famous 'Got Milk' campaign," according to the group. International Dairy Foods Association VP-Marketing Tom Nagle said in March the success of the "Got Milk?" campaign, and more specifically the spin-off campaign focusing on weight-loss, is due to its ability to resonate emotionally with consumers and connect to their values (2 (Also see "Market In A “Healthy” Structure/Function Context, Not A Diseased One – Exec" - Pink Sheet, 6 Mar, 2006.), p. 10). The ads are able to make the consumer follow a "'communication pathway' that links the rational reasons for doing something to the emotions and values that make it personally relevant and spur someone to act," Harris Interactive, the market research firm used on the milk weight-loss campaign, explains. DSEA is also considering implementing a cause-related program as part of the campaign, according to the memo. While the details are undisclosed, this could entail donating a percentage of sales to a specific cause over a specified period of time. "Cause marketing has become a very important part of the current packaged good marketing environment, and we are planning on adding this to the theme message (i.e. we vitamin people are givers not takers)," DSEA writes. The increasing role of corporate social responsibility in the creation of brand loyalty was highlighted in the Natural Marketing Institute's "Top 10 Health & Wellness Trends for 2006," which was released in April (3 'The Tan Sheet' April 10, 2006, In Brief). "The campaign has a feel good attitude with a cause to support and more importantly a 'call to action' for the viewer," DSEA concludes. The next step for the group is to develop storyboards and final concepts, the release notes. The group requests industry assistance in suggesting celebrities to assist with the effort, the identification of positive governmental or academic statements on dietary supplement usage, and several other areas. "The DSEA is very pleased to be helping with this project but wish to clearly convey the message that this is an industry initiative that includes all associations, trade groups and interested parties," the group notes in the release. - Katia Fowler |