Projects Not Campaigns (354 words)

SECONDARY RESEARCH - projects not campaigns - what does this tell us? how have we learnt? 

Publicis and Contagious spoke at Cannes 2011 about the ‘Five Per Cent Club’ – a notion that brands should invest 5% of their money into risky projects and developments, with Contagious magazine then publishing an interesting article titled ‘Projects Not Campaigns’ which draws light on the fact that typically projects are more successful than campaigns, as people like to feel as if they are helping or contributing towards a cause. According to Contagious, this is a recent trend, possibly started by the fact that people of the 21^st Century are more aware and more critical of marketing methods used; often to the point of product rejection. At the Debussy, Altmann said that brands need to ‘stay involved in real life’. (http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=30935) An inspirational example used by Paul Kemp-Robertson from Contagious was that of the Argentinean beer-brand Norte, who created ‘The Best Excuse Ever’ project, where every bottle top bought of Norte beer meant a minute of good-deeds which included maintaining schools, repairing buildings and cleaning lakes around the cities.

As a new brand, this is of particular use; being able to use their key findings to help develop the identity and progression of glo. Being inspired by a project rather than a campaign means longer brand life, and also a longer consumer loyalty to the brand; a campaign is disposable, but a project is durable, allowing the consumer of the brand to follow what they are doing and to feel a part of it all. From this, we have learnt that if we want to be successful as a brand, we need to offer the 21^st Century consumer something out of the norm, and away from typical advertising campaigns; especially because Dove was a key player in revolutionary advertising, straying away from the constraints of the size zero fad that has been prominent in many beauty and health related products.

Research that big brands are following the ‘projects not campaigns’ idea, including Pepsi Refresh, indicate that giving something back to the consumers, be it personally, technologically or in a community, is the way forward in terms of keeping the brand authentic and the customer loyal.