Company: Nationwide
Agency: Fleishman Hillard
Timeframe: Ongoing
As more Baby Boomers slide into retirement, information on planning and saving for this milestone phase of life has dominated the airwaves and the print media. The messaging
has deluged consumers to the extent that it's difficult to differentiate one firm's investment options from another. To cut through the clutter, Nationwide, the insurance and
investment company, sought to set itself apart from its interchangeable competitors by creating a program that would provide relevant and personalized financial service
information to future retirees. Nationwide also wanted to position itself as an industry leader in this area as well as an ardent consumer advocate.
Teaming up with Fleishman Hillard, Nationwide's preliminary planning consisted of research--and a lot of market testing.
"We tested the campaign in April 2004 in 12 markets," says Steven Schreibman, vice president of advertising and brand management for Nationwide. "It proved itself to be an
amazing way to generate awareness of Nationwide."
Pooling their resources, Fleishman and Nationwide conducted a poll to find out how consumers use the Internet for financial planning and retirement advice, and whether they're
satisfied with these resources. The outcome of the poll: Although nearly half of Americans use the Internet for online financial planning, 44% believe the information they're
reading is subpar.
Strategic Alignment
To quantify its findings, Nationwide also aligned itself with Boston College's Center for Retirement Research, which specializes in the study of retirement issues, to create
the National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI). The NRRI established a measurement of retirement risk in the U.S. and concluded that 43% of American households are in danger of not
being able to maintain their current standard of living in retirement.
The research was critical to the campaign because it led Nationwide and Fleishman Hillard to strategize the following:
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Promote and brand the NRRI with media and key opinion leaders to position it as the most trusted and referenced ongoing body of work gauging U.S. retirement readiness;
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Create RetirAbility CheckTM, an interactive online resource that provides consumers a personalized R-Score showing how their retirement readiness measures up;
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Make Nationwide stand out from the pack by capitalizing on the Super Bowl news cycle to generate buzz around ads in advance of the game and to maintain coverage following
the event; and
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Leverage celebrity talent, such as Fabio and Kevin Federline, as spokespeople to demonstrate the "Life Comes at You Fast" message, highlighting each of the two men's
unexpected transformations. The point would be that now is the time to focus on insurance and financial planning services.
The overall budget for the initiative was $700,000.
An Integrated Juggernaut
Outreach for the program was executed in two phases: first, around the National Retirement Risk Index launch in June 2006, and second, the launch of RetirAbility Check in
October 2006.
During this period, Nationwide launched its first-ever blogger campaign, which included outreach to top personal finance bloggers and specifically designed ads for a prominent
blog network. A launch event was held around this time involving a select group of policy leaders and pundits on retirement issues. Here, the director of the Center for Retirement
Research presented NRRI findings and discussed its ramifications.
Another important component of the campaign was the launch of the integrated outreach program to support Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" advertising campaign. In
particular, the tagline, "Life Comes at You Fast" was an effective overall theme. "As a phrase, it has proven itself to be a powerful branding tool for Nationwide," says
Schreibman. "We just learned that empirically during the last round of research we did." From the early years in 2004, the campaign grew to include 24 markets in 2005, expanding
to 30 to 35 markets in 2006 and then exploding to 45 markets with national advertising in 2007.
Would You Like Fries With That?
The "Life Comes at You Fast" theme, which underscores life's multiple fluctuations and how you should always be prepared when it comes to financial matters, such as planning
for retirement, was critical in selecting iconic romance novel cover boy Fabio in 2006 and, a year later, erstwhile dancer turned erstwhile Britney Spears spouse Kevin Federline
in 2007 for 30-second Nationwide commercial spots airing during the Super Bowl. So why were these two disparate--and somewhat controversial--celebrities chosen as spokespersons
for this campaign? Easy: They're both topical, especially Kevin Federline, whose ex-wife's continuing front-page exploits--and peccadilloes--make him ubiquitous tabloid
fodder.
"The whole idea behind 'Life Comes at You Fast' is that your life can change at any minute and everybody's does--it's like a human truth," explains Schreibman. "Kevin Federline
[and his ongoing battle with Britney Spears] is a very topical story. He was going through a divorce, and people were saying, 'Oh he's going to be kicked out on the street and
he's going to be a poor dancer again.' We used and exaggerated his story as a cautionary tale as this dude was once high on the hog but now he has to fend for himself. So the
commercial took a fun, over-the-top approach by showing Kevin as a rap star surrounded by women and bling. Then, it cuts to a shot of him working in a fast food restaurant."
A Whopper Of A Hit
The reaction to the Federline commercial was overwhelming. "It's still getting buzz to this day," says Schreibman. "It's been viewed a million times on the Internet and about
800,000 times on the Nationwide Web site alone."
Yet, underneath the flippancy, there's a method to the madness. Not only did the commercials help distinguish Nationwide from other companies running multiple spots during the
Super Bowl, they strengthened the power of the brand and the campaign's message in the public mind-set.
"It's more than just putting the commercial on and letting it air during the game," explains Richard Ferraro, senior account executive for Fleishman. "The Super Bowl has this
built-in press cycle and our objective was to maximize the return on investment of a 30-second Super Bowl ad. We saw this as an opportunity to remind people of the 'Life Comes at
You Fast' message more so than just getting Kevin Federline's face in magazines."
To guarantee deeper coverage in top-tier media outlets, both Fabio and Federline offered exclusives to "Good Morning America," USA Today, the Wall Street Journal
and "Extra." Also, a full-scale viral campaign, which included a canned Federline Q&A to advertising and celebrity blogs, was executed. To build buzz prior to the game,
behind-the-scenes footage was posted on YouTube. B-roll footage on the making of the commercial was distributed to local stations across the country, also before the Super Bowl.
Plus, the team publicized Nationwide's innovative Times Square billboard program, which featured user-generated content demonstrating consumers' real Life Comes at You Fast
moments, such as childbirth, weddings, etc. (And yes, they did run on a real billboard in Times Square.)
The ROI was far-reaching and extensive. Highlights were the following:
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Research from the NRRI was used in major presentations by Nationwide leaders on the changing face of retirement to stakeholders at key events;
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Media coverage of NRRI generated 36 million impressions, which included Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, CNN.com, Marketwatch and Investment
News.
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270,000 visits to RetirAbility Check on Nationwide.com by December 21, 2006;
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Media coverage of RetirAbility Check garnered 15 million impressions, which included a cover story in Kiplinger's Personal Finance;
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"Life Comes At You Fast" Super Bowl spots yielded 22.8 million impressions;
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Thousands of visits to Nationwide.com, over 150,000 YouTube views and nearly 1,500 blog hits;
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According to Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the Nationwide commercial featuring Kevin Federline finished first in 2007 Super Bowl advertising, with 26% of all blog discussions on
Super Bowl ads as of January 24, 2007; and,
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Thousands of entries aired on the Life Comes at You Fast interactive Times Square billboard in four months with features in Time and Fast Company on the user-
generated approach.
For Schreibman, the challenge of the campaign has been in keeping the message fresh. It was also an important lesson learned.
"That's also the fun part. We try to be unexpected and bold. We also try to be very smart with the money we spend and to get a lot of leverage so it's not just putting the
billboard on Times Square; it's working with PR to generate stories about it so we can get more submissions," he notes. "We try to take very calculated chances. There are a lot of
'Life Comes at You Fast' moments that can come everywhere, and we continue to see that with the public." PRN
CONTACTS:
Steven Schreibman, [email protected]; Richard Ferraro, [email protected]
How to Maximize ROI of Your Super Bowl Buy
The Super Bowl is the only time of the year that advertisers can take advantage of a built-in press cycle. With the help of PR, the ad can go from 30 seconds of glory to a pop
culture phenomenon, and the advertiser is at the center. Here are some tips to help you score big in the Ad Bowl:
1. Integration is Key: The Super Bowl is watched by millions of viewers, but an equally large number of people do not watch. A fully integrated communications plan, combined
with exceptional media relations before, during and after game day, help to ensure the ad's buzz reaches the millions who don't watch the game--and briefs the millions who do.
2. Early Bird Gets the Coverage: In order to create maximum buzz around your ad and capitalize on the nearly month-long press cycle of Super Bowl ads, announce the ad to the
media before the game. Offering exclusive 'sneak-peeks' to the media helps your ad break through the clutter and go from a mention in a Super Bowl ad review to a feature
story.
3. Take Center Stage: While celebrities and notables help build buzz, company executives of brands help make the connection between an ad and a corporate story. Having a
company spokesperson helps inform the media on the rationale of an ad and its relevance to the company--and, in turn, to millions of consumers.
4. Celebrity Appeal: Choosing a celebrity who is recognizable and timely helps build buzz and gain media attention. With the built-in press cycle of the Super Bowl, celebrities
themselves can gain a reputation boost. Just be wary of paparazzi leaking photos of the commercial before your launch and be sure to message-train your celebrity!
5. Prepare for the Unexpected: While advertisers are able to rack up media impressions, ads are often scrutinized by outside groups who take offense and try to ride their own
press waves. Be prepared to respond with official company statements, and don't overreact. Often, this can lead to additional coverage and build anticipation for an ad.
6. Go Digital: Using online media relations can build buzz in offline media, as well as drive traffic to a company Web site. Blogs and video posting sites are ideal places to
post teaser videos and build anticipation. Posting extra videos, ringtones and the commercial itself on a company Web site will result in additional visitors as well as virtual
keepsakes to keep them coming back throughout the year.
7. Make the Connection: Ensuring your commercial has a close tie to the overall company message will reinforce the brand in consumers' minds and also help connect broader
advertising and marketing campaigns throughout the year.