This One is a Real Cutie

Cuties, a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin, knows that things can go ugly without the right marketing support. That's why when Cuties hit stores in November, it did so with a $7 million integrated marketing plan that included ads, promotions and events that positioned its product as a healthy snack option, especially for children, in a fun, playful way.

Print ads read "Root for the fruit" and show a healthy Cuties mandarin orange chasing away a slice of pizza. T-shirts bearing the ad were also created, as were branded adhesive bandages, custom ice packs that say "Cuties. They're so cool," temporary tattoos and iPod covers that say "Root for the li'l guy."

These items were distributed at American Youth Soccer Organization games, Radio Disney events and other kid-friendly happenings. Members of the press also received these items, as well as Cuties branded lip balm, shoelaces and a USB port shaped like a business card. And, more than 3.5 million first through fifth grade students were exposed to the brand through custom-designed lesson plans, book covers and reward stickers.

As the rollout of the product continues through May (when mandarin orange season ends), other promotions including a Valentine's Day effort will hit markets.

"Cuties are a fast-growing citrus brand," says Dominic Engels, vice president of marketing for Cuties, in a statement. "Increasing our marketing support throughout the season will continue to grow the category, especially in today's market where we know consumers are looking for quality, health benefits and convenience."

OrangeSoda Uses Promo Products to Make Things Pop

Small- and medium-size businesses have a lot of online marketing agencies from which to choose. Still, agency OrangeSoda feels it has the best search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click offerings. The problem is how to stand out from the pack. A strong brand name like OrangeSoda helps, but to really drive the point home they decided to give away, well, logoed orange soda cans and bottles to prospective clients, partners and investors.

They also distributed standard promotional giveaways like pens and note pads. But the actual soda works best because it ties directly back to the company’s overall branding and positioning., says Jay Bean, CEO and co-founder of OrangeSoda.

Bean says he didn’t lose a great deal of sleep over deciding which item would be best to use for his marketing efforts. “The choice to give away orange soda as a promotional item was actually pretty simple since it’s in our name. But, more than that, we wanted to give something away that’s nontraditional and would help us stand out like our product and services do.”

Well aware of the pun involved, he says, “It’s also a part of our culture and brand since we try to put some fizz into the online marketing we provide for thousands of clients.”

While many online agencies lean on the Web for their marketing efforts, OrangeSoda has proven its faith in offline tactics. It also runs local billboard ads in Utah that prod drivers to first ask, “What the heck is SEO?” and “What does OrangeSoda have to do with it?” When it comes to promotional products, apparently a lot.

A Sharp Approach to Baseball

There's a pretty good chance that if you went to a Major League Baseball game this year after the All-Star break, you were exposed to a Sharp Aquos high-definition television. Sharp Electronics, which spent its second year as the official HDTV of MLB, ran a complete lineup of fan activities and promotions throughout the second half-season. Much like the Philadelphia Phillies, Sharp ended the season with a serious playoff push. "The Sharp Aquos Instant Replay Roadshow" appeared at every postseason game. The effort, which debuted during the All-Star Game, allows consumers to be the umpire by watching replays on Aquos displays to make the call on controversial plays. "The Sharp Aquos Experience Mobile Tour," meanwhile, used a 53-foot double-expanded trailer to create the ultimate showcase for its products at postseason games. "At all of our activation points, Sharp gives away promotional items emblazoned with a specially designed logo that features both of our brands and the MLB silhouetted batter," says Judah Zeigler, associate vice president for the retail and marketing group at Sharp.

At the in-stadium kiosks during the post-season, Sharp gave away branded cinch sacks, soft baseballs and playing cards. "Because we give away items that can be used over and over, like the cinch sack and playing cards, we're able to keep Sharp's association with MLB in the mind of the consumer, not just at the point at which they're interacting with our brand at a special event, but for days, weeks or even months afterwards," says Zeigler. More than 5,500 retailers participated in MLB-themed Sharp promotions.

The Athlete's Foot Gives Its Brand a Kick

Hoping to add a little spring to its step, The Athlete's Foot began a rebranding effort earlier this year. The venerable athletic shoe and sportswear retailer has opted to move away from its name (which is also an itchy fungus) and toward the acronym, "TAF." To help consumers become familiar with its altered name and new logo, the company offered a free drawstring backpack as a gift-with-purchase during the back-to-school shopping season. Consumers who spent more than $75 received one of 11,000 free backpacks. "If the branded item makes sense to the overall strategy, then it can help build a brand," says Darius Billings, director of retail brand marketing and merchandising for NexCen Franchise Management, parent company to The Athlete's Foot. "For TAF, we have committed to a strategy of serving the everyday athletes of the world – the student athletes, the before-breakfast athletes, the after-work athletes and the weekend athletes. To do this, we need the TAF brand to speak their language and live in their world. A TAF coffee mug isn't necessarily going to do this, but the drawstring bag can, because it is an important element of the everyday athlete." It was a perfect fit because it jives with TAF customers' athletic routines, says Billings. "For the student athlete, it's their second bag, the first being their book bag," he says. "The drawstring bag is something that travels with them to practice, to competitions and to games. For after-work athletes, it replaces the briefcases at 5 p.m. And so the brand, which aims to serve the everyday athlete, is also a part of the everyday athlete's life." The bag helps the brand raise awareness in an organic way. A simple gift-with-purchase "may not seem like much, but next time you're near a weekend soccer tournament, a 10K run, or a pickup basketball game, look around." Billings says. "The drawstring bag is everywhere. It only makes sense that TAF should be a part of that space."

Major league tie-in

Majoring with MLB, A Wise Move

New York Mets and Boston Red Sox fans were treated to more than just a riveting run at the Major League Baseball World Series title. They were also given the chance take batting practice at Shea Stadium and Fenway Park, respectively, and win baseball-themed prizes thanks to Wise Potato Chips.

The East Coast potato chip brand deployed “The Snack Squad” to two of its top markets from June 24 to July 13 to hand out 25,000 Wise-branded “Snack and Score” game pieces. Wise, which is the official potato chip and Cheez Doodle of the two teams, hit surrounding neighborhoods to promote its popular snack brand.

“Wise is a great street brand, and our business is primarily done in delis and bodegas,” says Amy Erlich, account director at Source Communications which handled the promotion. “It is important to take it to the streets and have fun at the same time.”

Game piece recipients had the chance to win an HP computer, go to an away game compliments of Amtrak, win game tickets as well as logoed shirts and mouse pads. The promotional products “raise brand awareness,” Erlich says. “The shirts looked like rock concert T-shirts. The image on the front was of David Ortiz and Jose Reyes. They’re cool shirts.”

Wise has given away the game pieces for three years. This year was the debut of The Snack Squad. Radio ads as well as subway and platform signs supported the promotion. Wise also has signage in both stadiums.

“The association with Reyes, Ortiz and Wise is impactful,” Erlich says.

Flavorful Restaurant Celebration

IHOP’s Most Valuable Pancake Butters up Baseball Fans

For half a century, the International House of Pancakes has been stacking them tall or stacking them short. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the popular breakfast chain has hit the road. From May to September, “IHOP’s Discover America Road Tour” will hit 61 Minor League Baseball games in 27 cities across 8,500 miles. The trip will not only promote IHOP’s golden anniversary, but also its nine new pancake flavors.

The Most Valuable Pancake (MVP) mascot will entertain the crowd at each game and hand out collector’s cards and T-shirts. All baseball fans receive the cards when entering the stadiums; they include information about the new “Discover America Pancakes” and a buy-one-get-one-free offer.

Fans get the chance to win a T-shirt, which bears the chain’s 50th anniversary logo on the front and the cities the tour visited on the back, by interacting with the MVP and participating in games. “The promotional aspects, particularly the baseball cards, help generate additional awareness before and during the games,” says Jennifer Pendergrass, communications manager at IHOP.

Consumers can also participate online at IHOP.com. Here, they can enter the “Discover America Sweepstakes” and vote for their favorite new pancake flavor and answer state-themed trivia questions for a chance to win prizes. Grand-prize winners get a trip to Chicago, New York or Los Angeles. Other prizes include a $50 IHOP gift card redeemable at any of the 1,300-plus participating IHOP locations and baseball memorabilia contributed by the minor league ball clubs. The contest ends September 7.

Team sponsorship - The Skinny on the St. Paul Saints

On any given night, the clean-up hitter on minor league baseball’s St. Paul Saints likely wouldn’t be called skinny. Muscular maybe or occasionally a tad overweight, but from August 3 thru 9, all of the players were dubbed the “Skinny Saints.” This was part of a unique naming rights deal that the Skinny Water (asi/90296) brand struck with the team.

Visitors to the ballpark that week found that it was renamed “Skinny Water Field.” Here, the Skinny Water flag flew next to the American flag, and logos adorned the field. Behind home plate, the beverage’s tagline “0 calories 0 sugar 0 guilt” was emblazoned.
The roughly 10,000 fans that watched the team daily were handed free samples of Skinny Water as well as mementos such as rally towels and water bottles. “We are looking for promotional opportunities that not only give us an opportunity to promote the brand, but let them experience it and taste it in an environment beyond just handing them a sample,” says Michael Salaman, chairman of Skinny Nutritional. “Minor league baseball is a great environment to have them experience Skinny Water.”

The enhanced water brand, which includes multi-vitamins, antioxidants and an energy boost, is working to expand its distribution across the country. The Saints were chosen because distribution “is really starting to take off in the St. Paul/Minneapolis market,” says Salaman.

The samples, promotional products and naming rights “introduce the product to a large number of people and support our retail partners,” Salaman says. Now that’s phat.