Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Dawn Dishes it Out: A Case Study in PR


On May 4, 2005 Proctor and Gamble staged a wash-a-thon of record-breaking proportions at Irwindale Speedway in Los Angeles in order to prove that a single bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid can clean 10,000 dishes. Then, daredevil Kaptain Robbie Knievil jumped over the stacked dishes in a death-defying motorcycle jump.

Proctor and Gamble staged this event as a promotional stunt to generate awareness and hype around Dawn’s long lasting benefits. Despite the small size of the bottle, the wash-a-thon set out to prove that Dawn dishwashing detergent packs more bang for the buck compared to bargain brand counterpart.

Proctor and Gamble allotted the campaign a budget of $500,000 and employed the tactics of a public relations firm that designed the following plan.
Strategies:
1)Infuse the low-interest dishwashing liquid category with excitement

2)Create memorable, larger-than-life visuals reinforcing that "a little Dawn goes a long way"

3)Appeal to Hispanic consumers via location and spokesperson/host

Target Audiences:
•Primary: Middle income, working women with children
•Secondary: Hispanic consumers who are value seekers

Tactics:
The agency created a bi-lingual umbrella theme: Dawn Goes the Distance (Dawn Supera la Distancia) and developed a four-pronged integrated marketing effort:

•Hold a massive eating/washing event that will prove just one 25-oz. Dawn bottle can wash over 10,000 dishes, lending credibility to Dawn’s long-lasting claims.

•Market and hold the event in a Hispanic targeted area. (Los Angeles, home to the majority of U.S. Hispanics) and Hispanic celebrity host to emotionally connect with target

•“Wow" visual for media coverage and advertising shoot with stunt jump

•Celebrity spokesperson (Knievil) to communicate Brand value message and generate attention.

Results:
Did the campaign work? The answer is, yes. Two years later, you are still reading about here. And the numbers don’t lie, either:

•The program achieved its goals and exceeded expectations. 13,350 dishes were scrubbed clean with just one bottle of Dawn, when the original goal was 10,000 proving Dawn as powerful and effective detergent.

•Coverage saturated the media including 575 Hispanic and general television hits. ESPN and CNN both covered the story

•The finances and profitability of dawn increased in part, due to the campaign. Dawn detergent sales increased by eight percent and competitor dollar and volume share fell despite their own versions of heavy promotion.

Ultimately, the “Dawn Goes the Distance” campaign proved a success. The tactics implemented fulfilled the original goals outlined by Proctor and Gamble and increased product profitability…And in case you’re wondering….Knievil cleared the jump

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