Busy Signals: Brands put Internet, cell phone campaigns on speed-dial

Media keeps migrating to smaller and smaller screens as marketers step up their Internet and mobile-phone promotions.

Sixty-one percent of marketers have earmarked up to 10% of their 2005 marketing budgets for interactive programs (including Internet and text messaging), per PROMO's January survey of marketing execs. Most marketers (55%) spent less than 5% of their 2004 marketing budgets on interactive efforts.

Cutting-edge campaigns feel like exclusive, private conversations between consumers and brands—often with intriguing messages or inside jokes.

Revving up Response

Pontiac challenged camera phone users to catch a G6 for a chance at $1 million

General Motors' Pontiac just finished a phone-photo sweepstakes that had consumers on the prowl for a G6 sedan. Entrants to the Catch a G6 sweeps snapped a photo of a G6 with their camera phones, then sent it to win@catchaG6.com for a chance to win $1 million. Pontiac staged cars in 15 cities and hosted radio live remote broadcasts at auto shows and other events to give photo bugs access to the G6. Vigilante, New York, and Digitas, Boston, were among the agencies that handled for GM.

Players could also e-mail a G6 image, but Pontiac targeted camera-phone owners (there are an estimated 215 million worldwide) in an effort to reach younger, tech-savvy drivers. Pontiac felt this format better suits that audience than its past promos, including the giveaway of hundreds of G6s on Oprah and online voting for the NCAA's top weekly football and basketball performers through its Game Changing Performance partnership with the NCAA, which awards scholarship dollars to universities, said spokesman Rick Crooks.

"Our objective was to utilize nontraditional media as a promotional tool," said Pontiac brand manager Mary Kubitskey. "Picture phones are becoming common-place, especially among the young, educated and affluent, although they're not heavily used in marketing. We attempted to tap into the culture by using traditional advertising to boost this more nontraditional means of promotion."

Potential Mercedes M-Class owners can get info directly from a DISH Network channel

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz USA this month gives a sneak preview of its 2006 M-Class SUV to the 10 million TV subscribers of EchoStar Communications Corp.'s DISH Network satellite TV. An online demo can be viewed at Turnermediagroup.com/mercedes.

A 30-second TV spot includes a pop-up message that lets viewers use their TV remotes to link to an interactive environment to preview an expanded version of the TV spot "Test Track," access a photo gallery and order brochures. Those requesting information will get a direct mail invite about an upcoming 35-city ride-and-drive road rally. DISH Network and Denver-based Turner Media Group created the campaign with an assist from OpenTV Corp., San Francisco.

"Mercedes-Benz is taking advantage of emerging platforms to reach the right people with the right messages," said Mercedes VP-marketing Michelle Cervantez in a statement.

Then there's the underwear. Unilever recruited student "ambassadors" for its AXE personal-care brand by cruising laundromats near college campuses and tossing a black thong printed with the come-on "Do you have what it takes to be the next AXE Ambassador?" into the dryers of likely candidates. A URL on the thongs let wannabe ambassadors submit their resumes online. Those hired get a stipend for throwing AXE parties, giving out samples and building buzz for the brand. GMR Marketing, New Berlin, WI, handles.

Calling All Ads

Jane readers snapped photos of an Armani ad and got information in return

Print publishers, too, are making their ads interactive. For example, teenage girls, who cherish the texting and photo snapping capabilities of their cell phones, will soon be able to leaf through an issue of ELLEgirl Magazine, take a photo of an ad for a pair of must-have shoes and with a few keystrokes send it off to Mobot, a provider of mobile visual search technology, which responds via text with store locations.

Through the technology, dubbed "mobotized," readers can also purchase products, get free samples or discounts or product information. They can participate in games, like scavenger hunts, and sweepstakes, all sponsored by the brands in the ads. The 12-month partnership is in the soft-launch phase with an initial ad coming in the May issue that tells readers about the new technology. A sweepstakes awarding a trip to London encourages readers to register online to get search capability. A roll out is expected with the August or September issue.

"Print has always taken a look at making the medium more interactive," said Deborah Burns, VP-publisher of ELLEgirl. "Everything before this was cumbersome and difficult. What appealed to us was this interactive technology had found a way to take something ubiquitous, the cell phone, and make the magazine come to life in a new way."

ELLEgirl, a Hachette Filipacchi publication, has 500,000 subscribers and 1.4 million readers—average age 17—per issue.

Other titles testing the technology include Vibe, Vibe Vixon and Fairchild Publications' Jane, which pulled a 1%-plus response rate from readers when it mobotized last September.

The ads used promotions and giveaways to trigger action: Calvin Klein gave away jean jackets; Maybelline gave away mascara; Oakley offered an autographed poster of snowboarder Bleiler; and Samsung dangled a cell phone.

"The advertiser does not need to alter their ad in anyway," said Lauren Bigelow, VP-product management and marketing for Mobot, Lexington, MA. "The picture can launch a thousand different options. That's the beauty of the whole thing."

The technology goes beyond print ads. For example, consumers could snap a photo of a CD cover to get ring tones or music samples via cell phone.

Tuning In

Network TV execs are extending their on-air content with text messaging, Web logs and Internet-only video story lines. Fans of NBC crime drama Crossing Jordan

An actress poses as a "vicitim" in NBC's fictitous murder mystery extension on Nigelblog.com

can help one of the medical examiners, Nigel Townsend, solve the Beacon Hill murders on Nigelblog.com. An online diary posted by Crossing Jordan writers asks viewers to review fictitious police reports, crime-scene photos and autopsy results to help solve the case and vie for rewards. (Viewers also tune in to episodes on NBC to get clues.) A sweepstakes awards weekly prize packages worth $300. The grand-prize winner, announced on March 25, gets the prize package and a phone call from actor Steve Valentine, who plays Townsend on the show.

The blog "is just another way to engage people in the world of the show. It's like a big game of Clue," said executive producer Tim Kring. "We wanted to have somewhat of a cool factor."

The blog—and sweeps—helps build buzz for a mature show (now in its fourth season) by making fans part of the action. Since the blog appeared, NBC reported more than 269,300 page views on Nigelblog.com and expects that number to grow, officials said. Kring acknowledged NBC's difficulty generating new buzz about the show that is entering its fifth season. The answer? Let fans be a "part" of the show through an online experience, he said.

"It's a very competitive time," Kring said. "Everybody is trying to squeeze as much as they can out of this limited pie of viewers, which is getting sliced up into smaller and smaller [pieces]. "We're looking for any and all resources we can to entice new viewers. People love the whole idea of being inside the experience."

Food Network invited viewers to send text and online messages to their sweethearts

The Food Network tested Internet and text messaging during a March 13 two-hour special, The Food Network Caters Your Wedding, detailing the story of a couple who won a contest to have their wedding broadcast and catered. Viewers submitted love notes (online or via cell phone) to air during the show in a ticker on-screen. The campaign targeted 18- to 34-year-olds via GoldPocket Interactive, Los Angeles. The network fielded 8,593 messages (6,495 online, 2,098 via text message) and ran roughly 540 messages during the two-hour show. Texters were invited to sign up for the network's new SMS newsletter; 377 did.

"People have the misconception that the only thing we do is cooking shows," said Beth Higbee, VP-online at The Food Network. "We're trying to let people know there are other things going on."

The network also wants to help new advertisers integrate their messages online, she added.

One of the goals behind the initiative is to allow new advertisers to integrate online, Higbee said. "This is all a test," Higbee added. "It's research as well. We try a little bit of everything and see what sticks."

Gamers Get Fed

Now picture this: It's evening time, a group of young males are playing Everquest II, a huge online world where thousands of players come together for adventure. The epic storyline gives players the power to be the hero or villain by

Hungry Everquest II players can link directly to Pizza Hut's online ordering system

creating their own unique character. Players encounter hundreds of creatures as they travel across landscapes of rolling hills, barren deserts, dense forests and bustling cities. The players get hungry and want, what else? A pizza. Well, thanks to a test Pizza Hut is conducting with Everquest II, all the players need to do is type the command "/pizza" as they play and they are redirected to the online ordering section of Pizzahut.com where they can place a delivery order and then return to the game.

By building that new functionality into the game, Sony Online Entertainment, the maker of the game, demonstrated a deep understanding of the wants and needs of its target—predominately males ages 18-34 and Pizza Hut is capitalizing on that with a test phase that began in February.

This allows us "to explore the potential of a previously untapped customer demographic," said Pizza Hut spokesperson Patty Sullivan.

Sullivan described the response to the test so far as "favorable." Pizza Hut started its online ordering system in 2001.

Players "seem to like the convenience," she said.

Messaging at the start of the game alerts players to the pizza ordering option.

Eventually, Sony hopes to enhance the feature so players can charge the pizza to their subscription bill. There are about 350,000 subscribers. A monthly subscription costs $14.99.

"These players play at night and ordering pizza was just a natural fit," said Louis Figueroa, director of business development for Sony Online Entertainment, San Diego, CA. "It's a non-intrusive service that we offer to our player base."

A banner at Pizza Hut's home page touts the program and a promotion at Everquest2.station.sony.com reads: Hunger pains interrupting your game? Order Pizza Hut pizza while playing.

Calculating Calories

Consumers can track calories and cholesterol via McDonald's interactive Bag a McMeal

At another QSR, it's all about adding and subtracting.

In the wake of childhood obesity, the McDonald's Corp. is giving consumers nutritional facts behind its fast food meals via an interactive meal tracker. Consumers who visit the Bag a McMeal feature at App.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal can choose from eight menu topics—sandwiches, French fries, salads, Chicken McNuggets, salad dressing, breakfast, dessert/shakes and beverages—to create a meal that fits their personal nutritional needs. The interactive component was launched in 2002.

Consumers simply select a product online and add it to a bag to calculate the contents' total number of calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein. For example, a cheeseburger, medium fries and a small coke yields 810 calories, according to the meal tracker. Likewise, a meal consisting of a Big Mac, small fries with three ketchup packets and a hot fudge sundae would yield 590 calories, according to the site.

"It's just one of the many ways we help our customers make informed decisions," said Tara McLaren, manager-corp. communications for McDonald's. "We provided nutrition information on our trayliners, through in-store brochures and a toll-free number."

To further extend the brand, McDonald's recently launched a new balanced, active lifestyles campaign designed to inspire McDonald's customers to improve their overall well being, "it's what I eat and what I do...i'm lovin' it."

McDonald's "it's what I eat and what I do...i'm lovin' it" campaign includes new advertising initiatives with fresh packaging, TV ads, print ads, educational brochures and an updated Web with tips on how to maintain an active lifestyle.