campaign SMA - objectives

The objective was to use the Progress campaign to build meaningful SMA brand awareness and relationships with:

  • Potential users (pre-pregnants, 1st time pregnant and pre-use first time mums).
  • Existing infant milk formula users.
  • Influencers (mother in law factor, health care professionals).

Competitive brands had broader product ranges, and could support superior levels of advertising.
SMA’s advertising was becoming invisible against increasing levels of background noise.

Consumer press advertising, for all brands in the market, adhered to the very predictable mother and baby titles published for an anxious, information seeking, target group.

This route limited target coverage to around 30% in any given month, and demanded a bolder advertising strategy.

campaign SMA - strategy

The strategy was designed to expand our communication to the mums, via the influencers, on a positive basis.

Brand communication by stealth, with the advertising acting as a conversation catalyst on SMA's behalf, and generating word of mouth, prompting key influencers to act as additional conduits for the Progress (and SMA) message, focusing and reinforcing the SMA branding.

The media strategy demanded a wider media mix to a client conditioned to using a unique, and affordable, press category.

Television to deliver

  • The high levels of multi target cover to begin building Progress and SMA brand awareness and recognition.
  • The desired emotional response necessary to begin multi target relationships.

Press to provide support

  • On a information basis, to address respective targets' individual questions.
  • On a rational level, reassurance of behaviour (actual and intended).

campaign SMA - result

Advertising awareness, spontaneous and prompted, increased from 8% to 13% and 33% and 44% respectively:

  • Awareness levels higher than for Cow & Gate, despite their longer investment in extensive tv and press advertising across all products.
  • Prompted brand awareness up to 96%.
  • Brand salience levels improved amongst potential and existing users and the influencer groups. Post campaign lead over Cow & Gate established.
  • Influencer involvement confirmed via peer group endorsement and subsequent ranking of brand choice criteria.
  • The campaign strategy has been employed successfully to date with sales share increasing from 40% to present day levels in excess of 50%.

Press ad