The client's wish list was aimed at a very specific demographic: get teens ages 13 to 17 in key markets in Wisconsin to increase their brand loyalty and consumption of Coca-Cola Classic.
The integrated marketing campaign, executed by Milwaukee-based Laughlin/Constable Public Relations between August and December 1996 for The Coca-Coca Bottling Company of Wisconsin for less than $500,000, wisely eschewed the conventional for the cool and delivered a variety of messages in tune with teens.
And the results were totally cool indeed: a 1997 PRSA Silver Anvil Award in the integrated communication - consumer communications category, for the "Unofficial State Drink" campaign, as well as a steady increase in Coke sales in the ensuing months and more teens who claimed Coca-Cola Classic as their favorite brand.
To begin with, Laughlin/Constable garnered insight from a previous campaign, initiated in 1989 by Coca-Cola of Wisconsin, that had carried the tag line "Wisconsin Proud." In 1995, the soft drink giant conducted focus groups with teens in the state and learned that they were unimpressed with the campaign's logo and tag line, and made little association between them and the soft drink. So the soft drink company turned over the project as well as its primary research on teens to the PR firm.
Laughlin/Constable's first step - talking to teens - would become its winning edge. Tapping into teens' preference for anything and everything alternative and unofficial, the firm's strategy revolved around creating traditional ads as backup support only; in the foreground, exciting PR events and programs would be featured.
The new tag line and theme became the "Unofficial State Drink" and the campaign's graphic elements included artwork featuring teens portraying state icons such as birds, rocks, fish and animals.
The firm took its creative and promotional cues from the teens themselves.
"The idea of having many winners [in a contest or promotion], not just one big winner, appealed to teens," said Anna Zeck, account supervisor. "They also told us what was hot for them. It is cool to like the Packers [football team]. And they told us they didn't like the authoritative pressure from advertising."
"Hanging out with their friends, music and sports were most important to them," added Julie Tarney, president, public relations at Laughlin Constable.
The firm's strategists were off and running. Campaign events included radio spots and musical performances, to tap into teens' interest in music; a contest related to the Green Bay Packers, to capture their interest through sports; and a prize in the form of a party, to capitalize on their love of hanging out.
Targeting Teens
The firm decided to launch the campaign Aug. 1, which coincided with the first day of the Wisconsin State Fair - an event that historically had attracted more than 150,000 teens.
Prior to the launch at the fair, Laughlin Constable created radio spots on the most popular teen radio stations in the key markets and promoted the "unofficial state drink" campaign on Friday nights, a time when teens tune in in large numbers. The "Coca-Cola Unofficial Radio Hours" ran from July through December.
The premise of the radio spots was based on a "pirate" radio station, dubbed EKOC (Coke spelled backwards).
The radio spots appeared to be breaking into regular programming. Laughlin/ Constable also met with the disc jockeys from the top stations and got them behind the promotion.
At the state fair, the PR firm created a display that tied into the EKOC pirate radio station theme, and was designed to look like a basement rec room.
The display featured music, a comedy performance by a group of teen performers and a sweepstakes. The game asked teens to identify state icons located on the fairgrounds, and gave away T-shirts and Cokes.
Laughlin/Constable was able to track the participation of at least 5,000 teens, said Zeck, based on those who registered for a contest, though many more teens stopped by the display.
From September through November, the PR firm ran "Unofficial Packer Backer Parties."
Teens entered to win a party, for 50, of their friends, that included a mini-football field set up in their backyards, including bleacher seats, an Astroturf field, goal posts and a large-screen TV set that the winner would keep after viewing the game. The parties were thrown on the night of a particularly high-profile Packer game, thus ensuring coverage from local media.
Similarly, to drive interest in getting teens to enter the contest to become the next "Unofficial State Creature," four remote radio broadcasts were held near schools, malls and shopping centers, in the 3:30 p.m. time frame, "when kids were coming out of school," said Zeck.
The campaign will continue this year with a few modifications. (Laughlin Constable Public Relations, 414/272-2400)