Table of Contents
Creative Brief Executive Summary……………........………………………………….……2 Carbonated Beverages Overview….…………………………………………2 Mountain Dew Overview…….………………………………………………3 Kickstart Overview...…..…………………………………………………….5 Taste Test…………….………………………………………………………7
Focus Group Introduction….……………………………………………………………… 9 Moderator Questions…….……………………………………………….…10 Moderator Question Responses……………………………………..………11 Questionnaire………….………………………………………………….…13 Questionnaire Responses……………………………………………....……16 Positioning Statement #1……………………………………………………19 Positioning Statement #2……………………………………………………21 Positioning Statement #3……………………………………………………23 Implications…………………...…………………………………………….25
Creative Strategy…………...………………………………………………..26 Media Plan Advertising Problem………………………………………………………..27 Target Audience….…………………………………………………………27 Media Plan Narrative….……………………………………………………27 Objectives and Strategies…………………………………………………...29 Advertising Schedule……………………………………………………….30 YouTube Storyboard Script……………………………………………...…31
Creative Executions Campus Inserts……………………………………………………………..32 YouTube Storyboard……………………………………………………….35 New Media…………………………………………………………………36
Creative Brief
Executive Summary •
Carbonated beverages are non-alcoholic beverages with added carbonation.
•
Carbonated soft drinks have a 92.2% household penetration rate.
•
The industry had $44 billion in sales in 2012, a 1% decline from 2011.
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Projected sales through 2017 are $47 billion.
•
Men 18-24 are more likely than other gender and age groups to purchase regular soft drinks.
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47% of men 18-24 purchase low- or mid-calorie soft drinks.
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The Minges family greatly expanded the reach and appeal of Mountain Dew in the 1950s and brokered the sale of Mountain Dew to PepsiCo in 1964.
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Mountain Dew accounts for 20% of PepsiCo’s U.S. beverage sales.
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One of the main brand features of Mountain Dew is it large variety of flavor options.
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Mountain Dew is the only major brand that is a citrus beverage with high caffeine content.
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Mountain Dew’s advertising success comes from the celebrity status of their partners.
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Mountain Dew launched their newest product, Kickstart, on February 25, 2013.
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Kickstart is a morning beverage containing Mountain Dew, 5% juice, 100% of the USRDA of Vitamin C and 92mg of caffeine per 16 oz. can.
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Kickstart is available in 16 oz. cans, sold as single units, priced between $0.99 and $1.89, in Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch varieties.
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The target market for Kickstart is urban minority men ages 18-24 who frequently make early morning convenience store purchases.
•
In a blind taste test, Kickstart Orange Citrus was preferred for taste, sweetness and overall liking.
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Positioning Statements include: •
Kickstart is a carbonated beverage with a full day’s supply of vitamin C.
•
Consumers prefer the taste of Kickstart over the leading energy drink.
•
Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day.
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Creative Brief
1. Carbonated Beverages Definition Carbonated soft drinks are non-alcoholic beverages that have added carbonation, which is dissolved carbon dioxide that releases from the liquid, creating small bubbles. This includes segments such as regular or full-calorie carbonated drinks, diet carbonated drinks, seltzer water, tonic water, and club soda. Drinks that are not included in the category are sparkling waters, carbonated energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, or the sales of carbonated beverages through fountains and restaurants. Market Carbonated soft drinks have a 92.2% household penetration rate. In 2012, the industry had $44 billion in sales (a 1% decline) and projected sales through 2017 are $47 billion. Diet carbonated drinks have had a 2.8% decline from 2010-2012, while seltzer, tonic water, and club soda have had a 9.6% increase from 2010-2012. Sales are declining among all age groups. The recent 3% price increase across the industry is helping to avoid a decline in category dollars. This category faces criticism for its role in the obesity epidemic, and there continues to be more health awareness and government restrictions. Key Segments Carbonated beverages are segmented into three distinct categories. Regular or full-calorie carbonated drinks are the biggest sellers in the category with $28 billion in sales. Diet and calorie-reduced carbonated soft drinks have $15 billion dollars in sales, down 2.8% from 2010-2012. The last segment includes seltzer, tonic water, and club soda with $1 billion in sales, up 9.6% from 2010-2012. Regular soft drinks outperform all other categories, but unit sales continue to drop. Leading Companies There are three major carbonated soft drink companies in the industry who together have over 90% of the market share for the category. The Coca-Cola Company has a 38.4% share of the market with $16.9 billion in sales in 2012. PepsiCo has a 30.5% market share with $13.4 billion in sales in 2012. Dr. Pepper/Snapple has a 21.4% market share with $9.4 billion in sales in 2012. Users Younger men ages 18-24 are more likely than other gender and age groups to purchase regular soft drinks. Approximately 47% of men 18-24 purchase low- or mid-calorie soft drinks. Asian and Hispanic populations are more likely to purchase soft drinks. Women are less likely than men to report purchase of diet soft drinks. Non-Hispanic black consumers are most likely to purchase regular soft drinks against diet or mid-calorie. Consumers with children younger than 18 years old in the home are more likely to purchase soft drinks. A decline in soft drink purchases may be attributed to the decline in homes with children younger than 18: 29% in 2012, down from 33% in 2002. 2
Creative Brief
Trends Customers are more influenced by preference than price and are motivated by flavor as well. In particular, Black and Hispanic consumers look for name brands. Recently, carbonated soft drinks have become a treat, consumed in social settings and events, rather than a household staple. Forty-five percent of women 18-24 consume soft drinks when socializing with friends, family and acquaintances. Fifty- three percent of consumers drink soft drinks at lunch and 52% say they have soft drinks with dinner. Approximately 29% of consumers drink soft drinks at work while 55% report consuming soft drinks out of the home, either running errands, shopping or while driving. 2. Mountain Dew Brand Description The original formula for Mountain Dew was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. At the time, Mountain Dew was a slang term for moonshine. Herman Minges, co-owner of a North Carolina Pepsi franchiser that became a Mountain Dew licensee in 1955, greatly expanded the regional reach and appeal of the product. R.B. Minges brokered the sale of Mountain Dew to the Pepsi-Cola Co. in 1964. Mountain Dew accounts for 20% of PepsiCo’s U.S. beverage sales. Original Mountain Dew is a citrus beverage with high caffeine content. Mountain Dew is available in a variety of flavors and calorie options including regular, diet, caffeine free, caffeine free diet, Code Red, diet Code Red, Throwback, Livewire, Voltage, and Whiteout. Brand Overview Mountain Dew was repackaged in August 2012 in newly designed 16oz cold-activated recyclable cans with a promotion for The Dark Knight Rises. These cans are also available in a six-pack. Promotional 24oz cans were also made in time for the premier of The Dark Knight Rises. The PepsiCo Party Pack, available in January 2013, contains Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Following the success of Code Red in 2001, over 30 subsequent flavors bearing the "Mountain Dew/Mtn Dew" name have been introduced. The Mountain Dew brand focuses on connecting with young, hip consumers, adapting to the interests of its target audience, and encouraging the Mountain Dew community to “Dew” more. Mountain Dew sponsors the X Games, an international extreme sports contest tour, angler Gerald Swindler, skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., and their own Dew tour, feature beach, city and mountain competitions. Pricing and Availability Single 12oz cans of Mountain Dew range from $0.75-1.00. Single 16oz bottles sell for $1.00-1.49. Multiples range from $2.00-8.00 by size and location. Mountain Dew is available at grocery stores and convenience stores, along with other retail outlets that sell 3
Creative Brief
bottled beverages, such as restaurants and warehouse stores. Mountain Dew is also available in frozen and fountain options at some convenience and gas stores. At convenience stores and gas stations, Mountain Dew is available in single 12 oz. cans, single 12 oz. plastic bottles, 1 liter bottles, 24 oz. cans, and in some locations, in single glass bottles. In grocery stores and larger retail outlets, Mountain Dew is available in 1.5 liter bottles, 2 liter bottles, 6 pack of 24 oz bottles, 8 pack of 12 oz. bottles, 12 pack of 12 oz. cans, 15 pack of 12 oz. bottles, and 20 pack of 12 oz. cans. Evaluation of Current Advertising Mountain Dew has a strong social media presence with official pages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. They engage customers with contests, giveaways, photos, and links to celebrities with whom they partner. The recent “This is How We Dew” campaign features celebrity Mountain Dew sponsors, referred to as “family members.” One Mountain Dew television commercial features hip-hop star Lil Wayne and street skateboarder Paul Rodriguez aimed at young minorities in urban areas like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Another commercial features country music star Jason Aldean, which is used in the Great Plains and the southeast to continue its brand loyalty in that area. Additional sponsorships include The Dark Knight Rises, Halo 4 and Complex Media, which promotes Mountain Dew’s production company, Green Label. The commercials, social media posts, and sponsorships combine to create the Mountain Dew message and personality: Mountain Dew is a high-energy, youth oriented, exhilarating brand and product. Targeted to its key demographic, teenagers and 20-39 year olds, Mountain Dew uses the tagline “Do the Dew” to highlight the fun, excitement and adventure of the brand. Mountain Dew celebrates individuality and encourages users to embrace the excitement that life offers in their own unique style. To “Do the Dew”, then, is not merely a brand or product, but a way of life that consumers and the company embrace together. Mountain Dew has maintained a unique position in the soda category for its taste and caffeine content. They continue being unique by encouraging user-generated content, letting fans choose flavors and names for their products, and by creating their own extreme sporting events, such as Dew Downtown. Mountain Dew has long promoted taking every opportunity to its extreme, which has given them a niche in the marketplace that the increasing number of energy drinks has not threatened. Mountain Dew’s success is based largely on the failures of the products that tried to compete with them, namely Jolt and MelloYello. Beyond that, their success comes from extremely targeted marketing, unique marketing concepts, and sponsorship of major events and products.
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Creative Brief
Issues/Insights/Strengths/Weaknesses Issues/Insights Mountain Dew must create more opportunities and occasions for consumption: enjoy an original Mountain Dew when visiting friends, a Diet Dew as an afternoon break or a taste of times gone by with a Throwback while watching television. Mountain Dew should emphasize the variety of calorie options and promote the energy boosting and fun qualities of the products; Mountain Dew is a must-have to brighten mundane tasks. Sales rise with “natural ingredients”- Mountain Dew should continue to push Throwback and offer more products made with real sugar. Strengths Mountain Dew has the financial backing of the second largest soft drink company, PepsiCo. Mountain Dew has a unique position in the market as a carbonated, citrus beverage with high caffeine content. Mountain Dew fans are generally very brand loyal, rarely going outside the Mountain Dew line for beverage options. Mountain Dew has a unique presence in extreme sports, and partners with high profile celebrities. Mountain Dew offers seasonal flavors, limited-edition options, and crowd source ideas for flavors and engages consumers during the ideation and development processes. Weaknesses Mountain Dew sales continue to increase, potentially at the expense of sales of Pepsi and other beverages distributed by PepsiCo., contributing to the cannibalization of the company. Recent media coverage attributing the nation’s obesity problem at least partially to carbonated soft drinks makes Mountain Dew vulnerable to declining sales. Energy drinks, such as Monster, Rock Star and Red Bull offer carbonated beverage varieties with high caffeine content but zero sugar. Both Monster and Red Bull have a greater online presence, more fans, more interaction, and more frequent posts than Mountain Dew. With the vast number of celebrities who partner with Mountain Dew, any number of publicity or public relations crises can occur which have the potential to alienate customers and decrease sales. For example, Mountain Dew faced criticism for two different campaigns, one with rapper Lil Wayne and another with rapper Tyler the Creator. The brand cut ties with Lil Wayne in May 2013 following a controversy about lyrics referencing civil rights martyr Emmett Till. 3. Kickstart Brand Description Kickstart, Mountain Dew’s newest product launched February 25, 2013, is available in two flavors, Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch. It is a lightly carbonated, mid-calorie, fruitflavored morning beverage containing Mountain Dew. Kickstart contains 5% real fruit juice, a full day’s supply of Vitamin C and 19g of sugar per 16 oz. serving. Kickstart has 5
Creative Brief
92 mg of caffeine per 16 oz. serving. Kickstart has more caffeine than Mountain Dew, which contains 72 mg per 16 oz. serving and more caffeine than Coca-Cola classic, which contains 58 mg per 20 oz. serving. Kickstart has less caffeine than the average brewed coffee, which contains from 136 to 329 mg per 16 oz. serving. The caffeine content gives Kickstart an ideal position for a morning or afternoon pick-me up. In contrast to other energy drinks, Kickstart contains juice and Vitamin C. Kickstart does not contain taurine like many energy drinks, which has received some negative press about possible side effects. Brand Overview Kickstart is currently available in two varieties, Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch, and comes in 16 oz. single cans. Shelving varies by store and can be near other energy drinks, such as AMP and Red Bull, next to Mountain Dew, or on end caps and stand-alone displays. Pricing Kickstart is available in convenience stores and gas stations as well as grocery stores. The suggested retail price of a single unit Kickstart is $1.50, but promotions and sales during the launch brought the price as low as $0.98 and some retailers sell it for as much as $1.99. During the product launch, Safeway stores offered a Kickstart for $1.00 with the purchase of a deli sandwich. The regular price at Safeway is $1.99, but Club Card members can still purchase Kickstart for $0.99. Conoco stations sell Kickstart for $1.79. Fry’s and Target offer Kickstart for $1.00 as a temporary promotional price. Current Advertising The current advertising consists of one television commercial that targets minority males 18-24 years old in an urban area. The brand personality relates to the urban art scene of an inner city setting. There are also 2 radio ads with both male and female voices, young, hip and exciting, enjoying their first taste of Kickstart. Kickstart’s brand message is that of a refreshing way to start your day, with “just the right amount of kick.” Kickstart currently does not have a social media presence of its own, but has been featured on the official Mountain Dew pages on Facebook and Twitter. The limited traditional and social media campaigns have been enhanced by the nation-wide taste test, with official Kickstart trucks travelling the country. Mountain Dew also promoted Kickstart before its launch, offering free samples to fans who requested one. Issues/Insights/Strengths/Weaknesses Issues/Insights Kickstart should promote its energy boosting and fun qualities as well as the calorie count in comparison with other carbonated beverages and energy drinks. By emphasizing the 6
Creative Brief
refreshing taste and real fruit juice, Kickstart can gain market share of morning juice and energy drink consumers. Kickstart must be conscience in its advertising message to gain new users, rather than cannibalizing the Mountain Dew brand. Strengths Kickstart contains an average amount of caffeine as compared to carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and coffee; contains 5% fruit juice and is only 80 calories per 16 oz. can. Kickstart also contains a full day’s supply of Vitamin C, as well as Vitamins B3, B5 and B6. Kickstart does not contain taurine, common in energy drinks, which has received negative publicity for possible side effects. Kickstart provides an alternative morning beverage for the already brand loyal Mountain Dew consumers. The idea for Kickstart came from Mountain Dew loyalist, looking for a new morning beverage, who started mixing Mountain Dew with juice. Mountain Dew loyalists may be inclined to give up their typical morning beverage for a new Mountain Dew product. Kickstart has the benefit of Mountain Dew as a parent company, with a large following and brand loyal consumers. In a taste test, Kickstart was preferred over a leading energy drink. Weaknesses Kickstart is available in only two flavors and one size. Kickstart is more expensive than a 16 oz. bottled soft drink. Kickstart has only been in the market for a few months, and with the limited advertising, that has left Kickstart with very little consumer awareness. Kickstart currently has limited retail availability. Kickstart could take sales away from Mountain Dew and other PepsiCo products. Kickstart has a limited social media presence. Social media plays a big role in brand awareness, consumer loyalty, and word-of-mouth advertising. The biggest competitors for Kickstart are energy drinks, and the biggest energy drink companies, Red Bull and Monster, both have large social media presence, brand awareness, and consumer loyalty. Kickstart is currently only available in cans, not bottles, making them difficult to reseal or travel well once opened. The juice content is not high enough to attract consumers looking for a healthy alternative to juice. The carbonated beverage market is declining and projections indicate it will continue to decline for the next few years. 4. Taste Test A taste test was conducted on Tuesday, September 18, 2013 with 10 participants, two women and eight men, between 18 and 25 years old. Participants were given four separate glasses of chilled beverages, marked A, B, C and D. After tasting the first beverage, participants filled out the questionnaire, ranking products on a 1-4 Likert scale where 1 is like very much and 4 is dislike very much. They had some water and repeated the tasting and questionnaire for the remaining three products. At the beginning of the taste test, the first five participants tried Kickstart Orange Citrus. The second five 7
Creative Brief
participants tried Kickstart Fruit Punch for a more comprehensive overview. All data is compiled into one set of results below. Participants preferred Kickstart Fruit Punch for color/appearance, equally preferred Kickstart Orange Citrus and Starbucks Iced Frappuccino for taste, and preferred Starbucks Iced Frappuccino for amount of carbonation and appropriateness as a morning beverage. Participants preferred Kickstart Orange Citrus for sweetness and overall liking. Individual results for the two Kickstart flavors were very different, and overall participants preferred Kickstart Orange Citrus to Kickstart Fruit Punch. Participants did not find either variety of Kickstart to be appropriate as a morning beverage. Sunny Delight
Like amount of carbonation Appropriate for morning beverage Color/appearance Sweetness Taste Overall Liking
Starbucks Monster
Kickstart Orange
Kickstart Fruit Punch
1.7
1.5
1.7
2.0
2.6
1.6
1.2
3.2
3.2
3.4
2.0 2.3 2.0 1.9
2.4 2.2 1.8 1.7
2.5 2.0 2.0 2.3
2.0 1.4 1.8 1.6
1.8 2.6 2.4 2.8
Participants indicated they consume between zero and five morning beverages per week, averaging 1.5 morning beverages consumed per week. Participants usually consume coffee, juice, Red Bull, tea and milk as morning beverages and pay about $2.00 for a morning beverage. 5. Positioning Statements Three positioning statement alternatives include: •
Kickstart is a carbonated beverage with a full day’s supply of vitamin C.
•
Consumers prefer the taste of Kickstart over the leading energy drink.
•
Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day
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Focus Group Introduction A focus group was conducted on November 5, 2013 at 10:35am at Northern Arizona University in room 310 of the Communication Building. Among the focus group participants were three males and four females. The study lasted forty-five minutes. Kristin Rowan and Marlee Miller acted as moderators and Dana Salpietra, Tommy Hopper, and Erica Russell took notes and monitored the audio recording. The group members who were taking notes communicated with the moderators using mobile technology.
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Focus Group Moderator Questions 1. Other than water, what do you drink first thing in the morning? Why? 2. What do you like best about carbonated beverages? Least? 3. What factors determine which carbonated beverage you buy? Why? (ie: price, caffeine, calories, taste, brand) 4. What do you like best about energy drinks? Least? 5. What factors determine which energy drinks you buy? Why? (i.e.: price, caffeine, calories, taste, brand)
6. What time of day are you most likely to consume an energy drink? Why? 7. What characteristics do you expect in an energy drink? (vitamins, juice, caffeine)
(At this point, participants will taste Kickstart)
8. After tasting Kickstart, what is your initial reaction to the product? What do you like best? Least? 9. How likely are you to replace your typical morning beverage with Kickstart? 10. If you replaced one of your morning beverages with Kickstart, which one would you replace?
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Focus Group Moderator Question Responses:
Other than water, what do you drink first thing in the morning? Why? The majority of participants agreed they consumed coffee, though milk and hot tea were also choices.
What do you like best about carbonated beverages? Least? Participants agreed that the carbonation and taste were features they liked best. Participants agreed that the high calorie content of carbonated beverages was the feature they liked least.
What factors determine which carbonated beverage you buy? Why? (ie: price, caffeine, calories, taste, brand) Answers included price, taste, and caffeine content.
What do you like best about energy drinks? Least? Participants commented that the caffeine content, sugar content, zero sugar options and taste are what they liked best. Participants commented that the smell, high calorie content, plant extracts, artificial dyes, & flavors are what they liked least.
What factors determine which energy drinks you buy? Why? (ie: price, caffeine, calories, taste, brand) Participants agreed that caffeine content, price, and brand were some of the most important factors that determined which energy drinks they buy.
What time of day are you most likely to consume an energy drink? Why? Participants responded equally that they are most likely to consume energy drinks in the afternoon and late night.
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Focus Group What characteristics do you expect in an energy drink? (vitamins, juice, caffeine) Characteristics most participants expected include: Bitter after-taste Distinct smell High calorie High sugar Odd color Tuarine/ginseng
After tasting Kickstart, what is your initial reaction to the product? What do you like best? Least? Participants commented on what they liked best and liked least about Kickstart, and gave their initial reaction: Better than most other energy drinks Good mixer Healthier No bitter after-taste Too sweet
How likely are you to replace your typical morning beverage with Kickstart? Participants mostly agreed that they would not be likely to replace their typical morning beverage with Kickstart unless it was proven to be healthier than what they currently drink.
If you replaced one of your morning beverages with Kickstart, which one would you replace? Most participants agreed they would not replace any morning beverage with Kickstart. However, they mentioned they would be more likely to replace other energy drinks with Kickstart as a mixer with alcoholic beverages. Â Â
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Focus Group Energy Drink Questionnaire Answer questions 1-16 using this scale: 1= completely agree, 2= agree, 3 = somewhat disagree, 4 = completely disagree 1. The best thing about energy drinks is the taste. 1 2 3 4 2. The best thing about energy drinks is the price. 1 2 3 4 3. The best thing about energy drinks is convenience. 1 2 3 4 4. The best thing about energy drinks is the variety of flavors. 1 2 3 4 5. I like energy drinks that contain added vitamins and nutrients best. 1 2 3 4 6. I like energy drinks that have the most caffeine best. 1 2 3 4 7. I am likely to replace my usual morning drink with an energy drink. 1 2 3 4 8. I drink energy drinks only in the morning. 1 2 3 4 9. I drink energy drinks in the afternoon only. 1 2 3 4 10. I drink energy drinks in the evening only. 1 2 3 4 11. I generally drink energy drinks at any time of day when I need an extra boost. 1 2 2 4 12. All energy drink brands taste about the same to me. 1 2 3 4 13. In terms of taste, I think Monster Energy is best. 1 2 3 4 N/A 14. In terms of taste, I think Red Bull is best 1 2 3 4
N/A
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Focus Group 15. In terms of taste, I think Rockstar is best 1 2 3 4
N/A
16. In terms of taste, I think Hype is best 1 2 3 4
N/A
17. Rank the following in order of importance when purchasing energy drinks. 1=most important 5=least important _____Amount of Caffeine _____Convenience _____Health benefits _____Price _____Taste Answer the following questions with short answers: 1.
Other than water, I typically drink _____________ first thing in the morning.
2.
If I don’t have my typical morning beverage (above), I usually drink __________.
3.
When I need an afternoon/evening pick-me-up, I typically drink _____________.
4.
I typically purchase about ______ energy drinks per week.
5.
The last brand of energy drink I purchased was ________________________.
6.
I typically purchase soft drinks and energy drinks from ___________.
7.
I paid about _________ for the last energy drink that I purchased.
8.
If the brand of energy drink I buy were not available, I would buy ________.
9.
The most important thing I look for in an energy drink is ________________.
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Focus Group Demographics 1.
Age
18-21___
22-25____
26-29 ____
30-33___
34-36____
37-40__
41-44____
45-47____
48-50___
51+____
2.
Sex
Male_____
3.
Your Yearly Individual Income Under $5,000____
Female _____
$5,000-15,000___
$15,001 - $25,000___
$25,001-$35,000 ___ $35,001-$45,000___ $45,001+______ 4.
Education (highest level achieved)
5.
high school _____
some college ______
college grad_____
graduate degree_____
Number of children under age 18 living in the home At least 1____
2 or more_____
3 or more_____
Psychographics 1.
My favorite type of music is____________________________
2.
The last movie I saw was________________________________
3.
My favorite hobby is_____________________________________
4.
My favorite outdoor activity is_________________________
5.
I exercise ______________ times per week.
6.
How often are you engaged online? __________________
7.
The websites I use and interact with most often are: _______________________
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Focus Group Questionnaire Responses: Answer questions 1-16 using this scale: 1= completely agree, 2= agree, 3 = somewhat disagree, 4 = completely disagree 18. The best thing about energy drinks is the taste. (2.29) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.29 reflects that consumers slightly agreed that the best thing about energy drinks is the taste. 19. The best thing about energy drinks is the price. (2.43) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.43 shows that the respondents were neutral in agreeing that the price is the best thing about energy drinks. 20. The best thing about energy drinks is convenience. (2.57) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.57 implies that the consumers were neutral in agreeing that the best thing about energy drinks is the convenience. 21. The best thing about energy drinks is the variety of flavors. (2.86) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.86 reflects that consumers slightly disagreed that the best thing about energy drinks is the variety of flavors offered. 22. I like energy drinks that contain added vitamins and nutrients best. (2.43) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.43 implies that the respondents were neutral in agreeing that energy drinks containing vitamins and nutrients are best. 23. I like energy drinks that have the most caffeine best. (2.57) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.57 implies that respondents were neutral in agreeing that energy drinks containing the most caffeine are the best. 24. I am likely to replace my usual morning drink with an energy drink. (3.57) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 3.57 shows that consumers disagreed that they would replace their usual morning drink with an energy drink.
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Focus Group 25. I drink energy drinks only in the morning. (3.43) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 3.43 reflects that consumers disagreed that they only drink energy drinks in the morning. 26. I drink energy drinks in the afternoon only. (3.14) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 3.14 shows that respondents somewhat disagreed that they only consume energy drinks in the afternoon. 27. I drink energy drinks in the evening only. (2.71) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 2.71implies that the consumers slightly disagreed that they only drink energy drinks in the evening. 28. I generally drink energy drinks at any time of day when I need an extra boost. (2.86) 1 2 2 4 This mean score of 2.86 reflects that respondents slightly disagreed that they drink energy drinks at any time of day when they need a boost. 29. All energy drink brands taste about the same to me. (1.86) 1 2 3 4 This mean score of 1.86 shows that consumers agreed that all brands of energy drinks taste similar. 30. In terms of taste, I think Monster Energy is best. (3.20) 1 2 3 4 N/A This mean score of 3.20 implies that consumers somewhat disagreed that Monster Energy has the best taste. 31. In terms of taste, I think Red Bull is best. (2.40) 1 2 3 4 N/A This mean score of 2.40 reflects that respondents were neutral in believing that Red Bull is the best tasting energy drink. 32. In terms of taste, I think Rockstar is best. (2.50) 1 2 3 4 N/A This mean score of 2.50 indicates that consumers were neutral in believing that Rockstar is the best tasting energy drink.
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Focus Group 33. In terms of taste, I think Hype is best. (2.50) 1 2 3 4 N/A This mean score of 2.50 implies that respondents were neutral in believing that Hype is the best tasting energy drink. 34. Rank the following in order of importance when purchasing energy drinks. 1=most important 5=least important 2 3 5 3 1
Amount of Caffeine (2.00) Convenience (3.40) Health benefits (3.80) Price (3.40) Taste (1.80)
These rankings show that the taste (1.80) of an energy drink is most important during the purchasing process for the consumers followed by the amount of caffeine (2.00). It also shows that health benefits (3.80) are the least important to the participants.
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Focus Group
Kickstart is a carbonated beverage with a full day’s supply of vitamin C.
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Focus Group
Positioning Statement #1: Kickstart is a carbonated beverage with a full day’s supply of vitamin C. Focus Group Strengths •
The Vitamin C invokes thoughts of orange juice and mornings.
Focus Group Weaknesses • • •
The statement does not mention energy or caffeine. There is too much focus on health. “Carbonated beverage” is not appealing for a morning beverage.
Consensus Six out of seven participants agreed that focusing on health benefits for an energy drink is not effective, as people who buy energy drinks are not expecting them to be healthy. One participant stated that the added health benefits might encourage her to buy one energy drink over another.
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Focus Group
Consumers prefer the taste of Kickstart over the leading energy drink.
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Focus Group
Positioning Statement #2 Consumers prefer the taste of Kickstart over the leading energy drink. Focus Group Strengths • The focus group did not identify any strengths of this positioning statement. Focus Group Weaknesses • • • •
The comparison did not make sense, as participants did not consider Kickstart an energy drink. The statement is misleading Brand comparisons are overused Taste tests are biased
Consensus Seven out of seven participants agreed that taste was an important factor for beverages. However, results of a taste test can be biased, create skepticism, and are more likely to turn people off.
22
Focus Group
Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day.
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Focus Group
Positioning Statement #3 Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day. Focus Group Strengths • • • • •
The statement invokes an idea of mornings without explicitly saying it. The statement implies one can vitalize their day at any time. “Vitalize” puts a positive spin on starting your day; it’s uplifting. “Vitalize” is unique; no one else uses it. “Right amount” allows each consumer to personalize the statement.
Focus Group Weaknesses •
It’s not as edgy as most Mountain Dew statements or commercials
Consensus Seven out of seven participants agreed that vitalize is a unique word that has a positive connotation. Further, participants agreed the reference to caffeine is customizable. All participants agreed this statement would be effective in influencing consumers who purchase energy drinks.
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Focus Group Implications
Positioning Statement #1 Kickstart is a carbonated beverage with a full day’s supply of vitamin C. Participants generally perceived this statement as ineffective. Participants suggested that emphasizing the carbonation would not be a good selling point for a morning beverage. One participant indicated that the added vitamins might convince her to choose this energy drink over another. Participants agreed that taste and price were more important. Positioning Statement #2 Consumers prefer the taste of Kickstart over the leading energy drink. The group deemed this statement as least effective. Participants indicated that it was pompous and biased and that taste tests could be rigged. Participants also suggested that Kickstart and energy drinks are incomparable, and that comparing Kickstart to orange juice might be better. Positioning Statement #3 Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day. Participants of the focus group found this statement the most effective among the three presented. Participants liked the use of the word “vitalize” as an uplifting and unique alternative. Participants agreed that stating the “right amount” of caffeine leaves the statement open to allow each consumer to personalize that “right amount”. Participants were concerned that the statement was not “edgy” enough. Optimized Positioning Statement Positioning Statement #3 Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day. After getting the consensus that this was the preferred positioning statement, participants were asked if they would change the statement in any way. All participants indicated that they liked the positioning statement as it was worded and did not offer any changes. After review of the focus group results, the optimized positioning statement will read, “Kickstart provides the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day.”
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Creative Strategy
Client: Mountain Dew Kickstart Communication Objective: To communicate to 70% of the target audience that Kickstart has just the right amount of caffeine to vitalize your day. Target Audience: Demographics: Primarily men ages 18-24, in urban areas. Women in the same age range are secondary. Education level, marital status, and income are not significant factors. Psychographics: These men are of the younger generations and are familiar with energy drinks. They regularly purchase beverages at gas stations & convenience stores. They enjoy online activities, video games, and extreme sports. They are more likely to follow the Major League Gaming, League of Legends and The X Games, among others. These men tend to watch television stations like G4 and Comedy Central. They are highly involved with new media and get most of their news, information, and advertising from online sources. Key Benefit: Kickstart has the caffeine content to energize you. Reasons Why: Kickstart contains 92mg of caffeine per 16 oz serving. This is more caffeine than soft drinks, including Mountain Dew, but less caffeine than the average cup of coffee. Tone Statement: • •
Energetic Edgy
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Media Plan Advertising Problem Kickstart is a new line extension from Mountain Dew, made by Pepsico. It is intended to compete with energy drinks (like Monster) as well as soda (like Coke or Pepsi). The current target audience for Mountain Dew is male under the age of 24. It is likely that this same target will be used for Kickstart. Because it is a new product, there is no brand awareness. Target Audience Demographics: Primarily men ages 18-24, in urban areas and of ethnic decent. Women in the same age range are secondary. Education level, marital status, and income are not significant factors. Psychographics: These men are of the younger generations and are familiar with energy drinks. They regularly purchase beverages at gas stations & convenience stores. They enjoy extreme sports, an active lifestyle, and being outdoors. They are more likely to follow the X Games, League of Legends and the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour, among others. These men tend to watch television shows like Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory and Nitro Circus. They are highly involved with new media and get most of their news, information, and advertising from online sources. Media Plan Narrative With a budget of $400,000, we were tasked with creating a media plan to introduce Mountain Dew’s new product, Kickstart, to its target audience of males under the age of 24, using social media and Arizona state colleges. Placing inserts into the school newspapers at Arizona State University (ASU), University of Arizona (U of A) and Northern Arizona University (NAU) will reach a majority of the target demographic in Arizona. Approximately $10,000 of the budget will be used for design, printing and placing four inserts per semester in each college newspaper. For the spring semester, the first insert will appear during the first week of classes at each school. For the second insert, dates will vary by campus and will appear before spring, as students are gearing up for a well-deserved break. The third will come during mid-terms, reminding students that Kickstart is a great pick-me-up during long study sessions. The fourth insert, scheduled for the week before finals on each campus, will highlight the online scholarship opportunity that will appear on Facebook. For the fall semester, the first insert will again run during the first week of classes, welcoming students back to campus. The second insert will appear during homecoming week on each campus, focusing on school spirit. The third will run the week prior to the Thanksgiving break, announcing the scholarship contest for the following spring, and the fourth will run before each school’s finals week. Social media is the fastest way to meet the target audience where they live, work and play. More people under 24 get their news from the Internet than anywhere else. As of 2012, Facebook had 1.2 million users. The largest demographic of social media users is 18-24 year olds, at 98%. YouTube receives 92 million views per month. A large part of the budget will go towards implementing and maintaining a social media presence. The top recommended social
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media sites are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Similar products, including Mountain Dew, have enjoyed a great deal of success with these platforms and have built a strong base of brand loyal consumers. An estimated $25,000 of the budget will go to a media consultant to build each social media page and maintain it with daily posts and pictures for one year. Social media platforms offer great success with contests and promotions. Mountain Dew saw a substantial response to the free Kickstart offer immediately prior to the launch of the product. Our social media plan includes a contest for consumers to submit pictures or videos of themselves, primarily on their respective college campuses, drinking Kickstart. Facebook and YouTube followers will vote for their favorites and the winner from each campus will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The contest will repeat every semester. The contest will help connect students with the product, building awareness and loyalty. $6,000 of the advertising budget is allotted to the scholarship contest. Paid advertisements on social media sites will allow Kickstart to deliver specials, coupons, and promotions directly to the targeted demographic. Facebook ads are flexible, allowing the company to choose a daily dollar amount and length of advertising run. Dollar amounts run from $5.00-$20.00 per day and can run continuously, or for any specified period. Selections for targeting the audience include geographical locations and interests. Advertising on Facebook during the first week of each academic semester, at $20.00 per day, targeting students at NAU, U of A, and ASU would cost $280 and yield an estimated 294-1190 likes. We recommend this as a minimum, but further recommend that Kickstart track the ROI on Facebook ads and increase the duration and frequency of ads up to $20,000 of the annual budget. YouTube video ads are pay-per-view (PPV) and are targeted by gender, age, geographic location, and interests. Video ads appear on full media sites and mobile devices and come with free YouTube analytics. Like Facebook, YouTube allows the user to select a daily budget. Most paid video ads on YouTube cost no more than $0.30 per view. We recommend that Kickstart focus the paid social media ads on YouTube, setting the daily dollar amount to $100, increasing to $500 per day in January and August, during homecoming, and during the scholarship contest. An estimated $50,000 of the annual budget will be used for YouTube PPV video ads. All of the social media strategies will be implemented year round, with increased posts, videos and promotions during key times of the academic year. Newspaper inserts at college campuses will run during the academic year only. The contest will begin in May and November with prizes awarded in August and January.
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Media Plan Objectives and Strategies 1. Utilize a minimum of a 12-month advertising plan. • •
Use traditional media Use non-traditional media
2. Utilize traditional media outlets at Arizona college campuses • •
Purchase four insertions per semester in college newspapers on each of the three college campuses: ASU, NAU and U of A Increase awareness of Kickstart on college campuses as well as announce scholarship opportunities through inserts in campus newspapers
3. Implement a “Kickstart your Education” scholarship contest at college campuses • • •
Implement a “Kickstart Your Day” photo contest with a $1,000 scholarship awarded at each college campus Utilize Instagram and Facebook to upload photo entries Utilize Facebook to allow users to vote for their favorite picture to win the scholarship
4. Utilize a 12-month advertising plan using non-traditional media. • •
Purchase PPV video ads aimed at target demographic on YouTube Purchase a banner ad on Facebook to promote Kickstart and engage consumers
5. Utilize social media to promote Kickstart on college campuses • • • •
Utilize Facebook to promote Kickstart with daily posts, photos, contests, and sales Utilize YouTube as a medium to show students drinking Kickstart, to run video commercials, and other promotional videos on the YouTube Kickstart channel Upload photos of Kickstart, product placements, video stills, and consumers on Instagram Promote the official Mountain Dew Kickstart Twitter account, using hashtags, favorites, re-tweets, and mentions
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Media Plan
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YouTube Story Board Script TV Script
Title: Gaming with Kickstart
Team A
Format: Contemporary & Lively
Advertiser: Mountain Dew Kickstart
Running Time: 30 Seconds
VIDEO
AUDIO
OPEN WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS ACTIVELY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES IN THEIR DORM ROOM LISTENING TO LOUD MUSIC.
Roommate 1: “Hey bro, let’s beat this boss!” Roommate 2: No comment Loud electronic music is playing (“Animals” by Martin Garrix) as the roommates play video games.
CLOSE UP ON COLLEGE STUDENT FALLING ASLEEP WHILE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES WITH HIS ROOMMATES
Music Cuts out. Roommate 1: “Hey!” Roommate 2: “Snoring”
CAMERA SHIFTS TO CLOSE UP OF ROOMMATES CLOCK INDICATING THAT IT’S LATE AT NIGHT
In the background Roommate 1: “It’s not even that late bro! Have a Kickstart.” “Animals” by Martin Garrix quietly starts progressing in background.
ROOMMATE THROWS KICKSTART THROUGH A RED SPIRALING VORTEX INDICATING THAT KICKSTART CONTAINS ENERGY
“Animals” by Martin Garrix is playing loudly.
ROOMMATE DRINKS KICKSTART AND IS SHOWN CELEBRATING A VICTORY IN THE VIDEO GAME CONVEYING THE MEANING OF “ENERGY IRL” ENDS WITH CLOSE UP OF BOTH KICKSTART FLAVORS AND SAYS, “KICKSTART YOUR SESH” IN AN AUTHORITATIVE DEEP VOICE
Roommate 2: “Boom! Get out of my house boss!” Roommate 1: “Now thats the real life energy you needed.” Narrator: “Kickstart your sesh”
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