The Case
Almost every day was an emergency in the spring of 1999 for the account team at Patrice Tanaka & Co. Much of staffers' time was spent racing around New York in taxicabs,
guarding packages cradled in ice as their recipients counted the minutes and anxiously awaited their arrival. Heart transplants? No. Ice cream.
When Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream teamed up with luxury chocolatier Godiva to create six flavors of Godiva ice cream, PT&Co. was called in to handle the product launch. The
challenge was to build consumers' appetites for the new brand in an already-crowded category. Heavy-hitters such as Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's dominated the gourmet
shelves on the supermarket scene. And this was new turf for Godiva, which until then had relied on higher-end distribution channels such as boutique shops, department stores and
its Web site.
Product promotion proved doubly difficult when manufacturing delays impeded the agency's ability to get the dessert into the hands of influential long-lead media. Reporters'
deadlines for summer issues and seasonal ice-cream roundup stories were in February and March, and the product was not widely available until April.
Strategy...With Nuts
PT&Co. sought to position Godiva ice cream as "ultra premium" with the statement, "Made with Godiva's legendary and proprietary chocolate mixed in" (whereas most brands use
cocoa powder in lieu of chocolate solids). The plan was to leverage Godiva's existing brand loyalty and the U.S. trend in indulgent desserts. Trendsetters and influentials would
be tapped for third-party endorsement of the new product.
Cool Execution
Step one involved a media audit of food and lifestyle editors to determine their interest in being among the first to receive ice cream samples. Personalized calls gave
PT&Co. staffers an excuse to determine editorial deadlines for summer issues, and also helped create a buzz in anticipation of the product launch. Upon availability, agency
staffers delivered product samples and press kits to interested reporters (in person - not by messenger). Select media also received gold-toned spoons with their samples, along
with the message, "Introducing Godiva ice cream...the new gold standard in ice cream indulgence."
When the product became widely available in late spring, PT&Co. leveraged the Mother's Day holiday to reach two key target audiences - moms with children and expectant
mothers. A co-op satellite media tour positioned Godiva ice cream as an affordable gift idea for kids who wanted to pamper their moms, and as a panacea for pregnant women with
chocolate cravings. At the same time, the agency launched a consumer write-in promotion, recognizing moms who had to work on Mother's Day. Winning essayists received "an extra
helping of indulgence" in the form of free ice cream.
With summer around the corner, PT&Co. also shot a b-roll package, featuring manufacturing footage and consumer reactions. A satellite feed coinciding with Memorial Day
offered TV stations a lighthearted segment for anchors and meteorologists. For July 4, Godiva announced its "I Deserve a Heavenly Indulgence" essay contest." Grand prize winners
received a year's supply of heavenly indulgences, positioning Godiva ice cream in line with other luxuries such as a chauffeur service, massages and catered meals.
Bigwig Endorsements
Another key ingredient in the campaign sundae: influentials. In April, Godiva ice cream was served as the exclusive dessert at party hosted by music legend Quincy Jones.
Each guest's menu was tied with a gold-toned spoon and the product message. To gain visibility for the product packaging, PT&Co. arranged for ice cream to be served from a
sundae buffet station.
The ice cream made a second appearance at a networking reception of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) at the Peter Kump's NY Cooking School.
Here, roughly 100 food writers, TV/radio personalities, cooking school operators, restaurateurs, chefs, caterers and retailers previewed the product.
Sweet Taste of Success
Although Godiva ice cream hit the shelves later than expected, the product secured delectable media coverage, with impressions totaling 165.3 million (524 print and 210
broadcast hits).
More importantly, the brand garnered a 7% dollar share of the super-premium ice cream category during the launch period, outperforming both Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's in
pint velocities. By July 1999, total product sales had exceeded $10 million, surpassing Dreyer's sales projections by more than 67%. Dreyer's had projected sales to reach one
million gallons by the end of 2001. Product sales hit that mark in July 1999.
Do it Right, or Eat It
Personalization is key when you're working with a high-end product - particularly one that's perishable, says PT& Co. VP Nancy Rosenblum. During the "Moms Working on
Mother's Day" promotion, agency staffers contacted news desks in major markets by phone. "We said, if your newscaster is a mom who has to work on Mother's Day and you want an ice
cream delivery on that day for her, call us," Rosenblum says. "It was great. We had newscasters eating the ice cream at their desks [on camera]. Fortunately, when you work for
Godiva, you make a lot of friends."
Nancy Rosenblum
Patrice Tanaka & Co.
212/229-0500
[email protected]
A Taste of PT&Co.
HQ: New York
Founded: 1990
Revenues (1999): $4 million+
Staff: 40
Staff on Dreyer's account: 5-6
Campaign span: Jan.- July 1999
Budget: Would not disclose