The Challenge
At its core, the challenge was simple; to understand how Sparkling Ice’s® core users perceived and connected with the brand personally. What was their emotional connection to the brand and how did the brand personality manifest itself? Once their current relationship and perceptions were uncovered, the challenge became developing positioning platforms and relevant messaging that built on the core experience to bring in new users.
Our Customized Approach
To better understand the brand essence and drivers among Sparkling Ice® core users, a number of in-depth in-home interviews and shop-a-longs were conducted within desired target segments.
To help understand the language and relevance of the positioning territories and to build the creative brief, six focus groups were conducted with consumers who were either users or aware non-triers of Sparkling Ice
From all the previous work, a creative brief was created which resulted in two campaign directions. Further testing was needed to identify how consumers connected to the experience, emotion, and tone of the campaigns, understanding uniqueness and fit to the Sparkling Ice® brand. Four in person focus groups were conducted with the general population to provide the information needed.
All the messaging created for both campaigns was seen as fun, vibrant and unique.
One campaign was clearly superior than the other, however, the work identified parts of the campaign that needed work to fully communicate the intended message.
Our Tools
In-Person Qualitative
Key Insights
- Shopping for water is habitual, with most consumers picking up what they know without even considering other options.
- Convenience stores present a unique opportunity for beverages in general, especially among younger consumers.
- The “Be Not Bland” campaign conveyed a feeling of fun and whimsy and was very well received. There were a few areas of opportunity in the work, but those were easily adjusted moving forward.
- Visual imagery showcasing the use of fresh fruit, bold flavors and healthy content of the drink resonated with consumers.
The Results
The “Be Not Bland” campaign was launched in January of 2017 with print, TV and digital as part of a $37mm marketing campaign. The campaign’s fun yet quirky attitude as well as the tag line all worked to bring the personality and emotional benefits to consumers.
