What do you do when you’re a venerable old brand, being bombarded with stiff competition from just about every front? That’s what Kraft Foods is faced with as they continually have to remind consumers about their legendary Maxwell House brand, in the face of Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald’s, all trying to out-coffee the market?
You go retail. That’s how Kraft put together a great promotion for Maxwell House over Thanksgiving weekend. To launch their new reformulated java (now with 100% Arabica beans, whatever that means), they paid tolls on some of America’s busiest highways, as well as set up kiosks in high-profile malls around the country for free sampling. And best of all, they did it over a weekend where they were bound to generate some buzz and media coverage.
Radio often finds itself in a similar situation. We are perceived and re-positioned as “old media,” up against everything from satellite radio to iPods. Yet, radio has the power within its own geographies to hit the streets and do grassroots listener campaigns. Just as the big-name politicians know, as they run around the corn fields and diners throughout Iowa, you get to make some big-time impressions by just pressing the flesh.
Of course, Maxwell House ads are running on TV, but in the midst of all those other commercials, this retail approach is another great example of how smart street marketing leads to great word of mouth. Drink up.
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