Cornetto Report by Alana Deighan

CORNETTO PERFECT PAIRS FASH20032: Promotion and Context Full Word Count: 5,219 words ALANA DEIGHAN : 1,099 words CHLOE WICKS : 1,008 words KRISTEN GUTHRIE : 1,076 words NATASHA SAXTON : 959 words SHANNON PETER : 1,050 words

CONTENTS 5

TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT

METHODOLOGY

WHO ARE WE TALKING TO? THE NEW MILLENIALS CONSUMER PROFILES

CORNETTO: PAST AND PRESENT THE PROBLEM THE FIRST CHOICE ICE CREAM WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

THE CONCEPT THE ICE CREAM OF FRIENDSHIP CORNETTO PERFECT PAIRS WHEN TO TARGET TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE WHAT’S THAT SMELL? COOL VENDING SPREAD THE WORD #CORNETTOPERFECTPAIRS

CONCLUSION

TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT CONTEXT DIVIDER

“ICE CREAM IS

DISPELLING IT’S JUNK FOOD REPUTATION & BREAKING CATEGORY

CONVENTIONS” (STYLUS 2012: ONLINE)

The Ice Cream industry currently stands at £1,086 million in the UK and is forecasted to see a 12.4% rise in value sales by 2017 (Mintel Report 2012: online). Predominantly seen as an affordable treat it is an indulgence that has managed to stay popular in spite of the current economic downturn (Mintel Report 2012: online) “Ice cream is dispelling its junk food reputation and breaking category conventions” (Stylus 2012: online). The strength of the market has allowed for more financial and creative investment leading to exciting new innovations in this market. “Several cold confectionary experiences are bringing the imaginative and ethereal world of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory… a little closer to reality.” (Stylus 2012: Online) Flavours are venturing beyond the ordinary: Heston Blumenthal’s bacon and egg, Ferran Adria’s parmesan ice cream. And it doesn’t get much stranger than taking a lick from Baby Gaga, The Ice Creamists’ unusual frozen dessert created from women’s breast milk, “served with

TEXT: SHANNON PETER : 471

“THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER A

FULL SENSORYAND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE” (LINDSTROM 2010: FOREWARD)

Fig. 1: Snog Covent Garden

an optional shot of calpol or bonjela” (BBC 2011: online). Elizabeth Fenner, from the University of Missouri, has developed ice cream capable of changing flavor whilst it is eaten (Basi 2011: online). It is obvious that ice cream consumption is becoming a full sensorial experience, and although those examples are perhaps at the more farfetched end of the scale, the idea of experience has also been executed by brands a little more mainstream. It is almost impossible to have missed frozen yogurts recent rise to freezer fame, with 1 in 5 of 16-24 year olds having bought the dessert at least once (Mintel Report 2012: online). It’s popularity can be attributed to it’s supposed health benefits: Snog, a frozen yogurt vendor, which received investment by Cornetto’s parent company, Unilever, (Stoddell 2012: online) uses the fat free nature of it’s product as a key selling point. However it can also be argued that, especially in the case of Snog, it is the creativity and innovation portrayed by the brand that makes it so appealing. “Snog always advocates the best in interior design, graphic design, product design, art, music and fashion to create an exciting consumer experience” (Snog 2013: online).

TEXT: SHANNON PETER : 471

With new key players such as frozen yogurt entering this evolving market, traditional ice creams need to up their game to remain relevant. But how? Taking cue from success stories such as Snog (full case study Appendix K) re-evaluating the consumer experience is the best place to start. It is vital to engage the consumer before, during and after the purchase, throughout an experiential retail strategy. And this is where Cornetto comes in. In the past, they have produced iconic consumer communications. The most memorable of which is perhaps the ‘Just One Cornetto’ series of advertisements that ran for a decade from the 1980s, featuring an operatic gondolier singing a jingle, which, in 2012, was voted “the catchiest advertising jingle ever” (Stockley, 2012: online). More recently, they have introduced their ‘Enjoy the ride, love the ending’ (Cornetto 2013: online) slogan to represent the different stages of eating a Cornetto.

able to deliver a full sensory and emotional experience” (Lindstrom 2010: foreward). This will extend consumer engagement and create longer lasting memories of the Cornetto experience that can lead to brand advocacy, loyalty and popularity – the things at the top of every brand’s Christmas list. Throughout this report, we aim to firstly detect the weaknesses of the Cornetto brand to provide us with clear aims and objectives. We will then identify the target consumer groups, map their ice cream consumption process and come up with a solid concept that will engage the consumer at all stages of the purchase process, through a range of tangible and digital executions.

However, advertising tends to target the consumer only pre-purchase. “Distinctive brands require something more. They have to be

TEXT: SHANNON PETER : 471

METHODOLOGY DIVIDER

SO THIS IS HOW WE GAINED OUR INSIGHTS...

The tables that follow outline the primary and secondary research we carried out which enabled us to create a new campaign for Cornetto to further increase sales and brand awareness amongst the target audience: The New Millennials.

METHODOLOGY

TEXT: NATASHA SAXTON : 37

RESEARCH AIM

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

METHOD

Focus Group What do our target consumers the ‘New Millennials” think about ice cream and the brand Cornetto? What is our target audiences buying habits when it comes to snack food and ice cream? What motivates them to buy? What stores stock Cornettos and what are there main competitors? How should we communicate to the consumer?

Interview of store owners and ice cream vendors

Overt observation. Short video interviews pre and post purchase.

ADVANTAGES

LIMITATIONS

RESEARCH AIM

Able to directly communicate with consumers

Requires a time commitment from participants

What is the current ice cream and snack industry like?

They are in a comfortable environment and allows for conversation as opposed to set questions therefore more qualitative data.

More time consuming to organize

Able to get an idea of peoples buying habits, which ice creams and snack are most popular. See the range of Cornetto products and flavors sold.

Ice cream sales can be very weather subjective so results of sales vary considerably.

Where does the brand cornetto sit within the competitive market? What are the emerging trends in sensory branding and point of sale?

Collection of results requires scribing

METHOD Mintel database

Internet websites and online articles

ADVANTAGES Clearly sums up how the UK ice cream and snack industry is performing giving future predications of growth and areas that are struggling

Only able to access the most up to date reports that Mintel have

Lots of information on offer that is easily accessible and easy to share amongst the group

Not all websites are reliable sources and not all the information will be valid or maybe out of date

Able to look at visuals

Ideas around sensory branding Books

Academic books are reliable sources. There are lots of books on offer

Real insight into the As the interviews are not consumers thought pre arranged people may process of what motivates be reluctant to take part them to want an ice cream or snack and their thoughts and feelings after purchase

Able to see visuals to support text

Insight into the success Opinions on the brand of other brands and what can be subjective – no they are doing differently real facts or figures to base judgments of First hand experience of observations on the purchase process for other brands

Fig. 2 : Primary Research Methodology, 2013 TABLE : NATASHA SAXTON

General overview so not much depth or focus

Books are not updated once published they cannot be changed which means information and statistics can become out of date quickly Often require reading a large amount of text before taking relevant information

Speaking to consumer directly in an environment that has not been set up so able to gain a true response into why they chose a certain snack Competitor Store Visits

LIMITATIONS

Fig. 3: Secondary Research Methodology, 2013 TABLE : NATASHA SAXTON

THE CONSUMER

“Today’s

teenagers use technology

to stay in touch with friends at all times” (Hanman, 2005: online)

Through the research we carried out, we gained insights that have helped us better apprehend how to engage and connect with our consumer. Cornetto’s current target market is the 16 – 24 year old age range, also known as The New Millennial.

TEXT : CHLOE WICKS : 352

We feel that as our consumers are very adaptive to new technology, using upcoming and current social platforms will be a great way to engage and excite them and create a buzz around our campaign. Their desire for connection reaches offline situations too and “encourages Millennials to participate in group activities such as travel and shopping” (Stylus 2013: online). After looking at this information we know that our consumer has a desire for connection, values friendship and is very social and this would be an element that we would try to include within our campaign.

The New Millennial’s are the current generation of teens; this consumer has grown up with the internet and has constantly been surrounded with technology throughout their lives. “Today’s teenagers use technology to stay in touch with friends at all times - turning their bedrooms into ‘connected cocoons’” (Hanman, 2005: online). Due to these reasons, throughout our project we will be keeping the internet and technology at the forefront of our campaign.

WE POLLED

50 PEOPLE

ASKING: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE OF

ICE CREAM?

Our secondary research helped us gain a better understanding of our general consumer, but in order to gain insights into how consumers feel about the Cornetto brand, we carried out primary research that included a focus group, overt observation and interviews. These methods pin pointed various problems and misconceived ideas about the brand that we are aiming to address with this campaign.

4 4

The following infographics represent some of our findings:

This consumer is also an avid social networker - 79% use social media platforms (Stylus 2013: online) and can quickly teach themselves how to use social sites. Around 53% of Millennials explore brands on social networking sites such as Facebook. (Stylus, 2013: online.) and they are much more likely to purchase a product if it has been recommended by a friend or peer, rather than experts. Many of these consumers are constantly talking about products they like or dislike on social networking platforms and this can be very influential to whether their friends would buy into a certain product or not. Due to this we will make sure that social media is an important part of our campaign and look into using new and interesting technology and apps.

TEXT : CHLOE WICKS : 422

3 3 2 2 Fig. 4: When & Where do you eat Ice Cream Infographic, 2013

Fig. 5: What is your First Choice of Ice Cream? Infographic, 2013

INFOGRAPHICS : CHLOE WICKS

WHO ARE WE TALKING TO? These findings from our consumer research, led us to segment our consumers according to their loyalty to the Cornetto brand. We feel these groupings will help us identify the obstacles that Cornetto is facing with each segment and we can plan our executions and creative ideas to target each of them, both individually and collectively.

THE FIRST CHOICE CONSUMER

THE OCCASIONAL CONSUMER

THE LAST CHOICE CONSUMER

eat Cornettos all the time, have tried all the flavors & are loyal to the brand. follow Cornetto on social media platforms. only a small proportion of consumers, therefore, this is the segment that we will try to increase.

enjoy eating ice cream regularly throughout the year, although they consume individual ice creams like Cornetto only in the summer months. They like Cornetto, but it isn’t their favourite And when faced with a choice, they are more likely to pick a Magnum.

rarely eat ice cream, perhaps only 5 times throughout the year, and although not opposed to Cornetto “it wouldn’t be my first choice” would be encouraged to eat an ice cream if their friends were getting one - a social snack.

Fig. 6: The First Choice Consumer, 2013

TEXT : CHLOE WICKS : 67

Fig. 7: The Occasional Choice Consumer, 2013

Fig. 8: The Last Choice Consumer, 2013

CONSUMER PROFILES : SHANNON PETER

CORNETTO: PAST & PRESENT

THE PROBLEM

“I LIKE CORNETTO BUT IT WOULDN’T BE MY

FIRST CHOICE”

Our consumer research revealed that Cornetto is a well-known ice cream brand, known for its innovative chocolate filled cone and constant release of new flavours. Most consumers have a positive image of the Cornetto brand, an insight gained from our focus group, in which all participants said they did in fact like the brand. (Appendix A)

However, it was easy to identify the key problem the brand is facing amongst their target consumer group. A key insight gained from our focus group was “I like Cornettos but they wouldn’t be my first choice.” (Participant D, 2013, Cornetto and Ice Cream Consumption Focus Group, 24.4.2013, Appendix A) Cornetto is not in the forefront of the consumers mind when purchasing ice cream and is the favourite of only a very small proportion of the target consumer group. This is something we would like to change. Improving the overall Cornetto experience should increase it’s chances of being a first choice ice-cream brand and so throughout this project, this will be the main aim we keep in mind.

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 129

THE FIRST CHOICE In order to gain inspiration of how we could improve the Cornetto consumer experience, engaging with the consumer pre, during and post purchase, we looked to the current ‘first choice’ ice cream. We have researched into Magnum as they are very much known as being the ‘it’ ice cream, known for their indulgent sensory experience and rigorous advertisement campaigns. They are a much-loved ice cream, as revealed in our focus group, in which participants were very passionate about the brand. One participant said, “It’s all about the Magnums.” (Participant B, 2013, Cornetto and Ice Cream Consumption Focus Group, 24.4.2013, Appendix A) From this we found a number of quotes linking to their marketing strategy used to keep the brand ahead of other competitors.

“I’TS ALL ABOUT THE

“First and foremost, your products have to be good. You’ve got to have a range of new products coming in. Then you’ve got to find a way to market your product. Social media is a big part of Magnum. We used a lot of brand ambassadors there. We did some big launches. So continue that and continue to build it as a lifestyle brand and make it cool,” (Magnum 2013: online). From research into Magnum we have learnt that by creating a sensorial experience within the brand it help to create a stronger bond with the consumer. Such as Magnum’s Pleasure Pod. This was a unique pod located in Westfield Stratford City for two days and was described as an “immersive food installation” (Grush 2012: online). When you stepped inside the pod you were treated to free Magnum Infinity ice cream while your physical responses were monitored and then visualized all around you, into a generative artwork by digital animator Matt Pearson (Grush 2012: online). This created a huge buzz around the brand and people loved that they could relate to the ice cream through their own senses. This proved to us that by incorporating an interesting sensory experience within the marketing strategy it will help the brand to have more of an impact on people’s memory of Cornetto.

Fig. 10: Magnum Pleasure Pod., 2012

MAGNUMS”

Fig. 9: Magnums, 2012

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 232

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? After pinpointing what the main problem is, we wanted to see what Cornetto have already been doing to position itself amongst its target consumer; the 16-24 year old. Since the launch of their first advertising campaign in the 1980s, the brand has carried out a variety of marketing and promotional activity. Under the Unilever portfolio, Cornetto is currently positioning itself as a product with a carefree and lighthearted personality (Joseph 2013: online). Being a global brand, Cornetto has always played on love and teens to reach consumers.

“A CAREFREE & LIGHT HEARTED PERSONALITY” (JOSEPH 2013: ONLINE)

In the UK, however, this message has not always been as strong, with a prominent older following that look to the brand for a feeling of nostalgia of snacks from their youth (Joseph 2013: online). In December 2012 this was tackled with a full revamp including new logo and packaging alongside a new strap line ‘Enjoy the ride, love the ending’. Shortly following this new strategy, Cornetto started to open up its campaign to the consumers themselves, launching many competitions for “unexpected and engaging videos and print that bring to life the positive attitude of the Cornetto motto”. (Vidopp 2012: online)

TEXT : KRISTEN GUTHRIE : 338

In 2013, under the new strapline, the brand launched the ‘Cornetto Lick Challenge’ a game that can be found on the Cornetto Facebook page; the idea being to use your webcam to virtually lick a Cornetto ice cream faster than your opponent. Not long after, in May 2013, the ‘Cupidity’ campaign was released. As the first real promo for the brand’s new strapline ‘Enjoy the ride, love the ending’, this new campaign consists of four short films focusing on the insights from teenagers on love. With these videos, Cornetto hopes to bring back the focus of teen love and gain a stronger following from the targeted 16-24 age group (Joseph 2013 [b]: online). Cornetto’s advertising and promotional activity has been varied but always follows the theme of fun and enjoyment. We have identified this as a key concept that summarizes the brand essence and lies at the heart of everything Cornetto have done to date. Therefore, we wish to take forward in this new campaign for the brand, as an overarching theme from which all of our ideas will stem.

Fig. 11: Cornetto Lick It Challenge, 2013

Fig. 12: Cornetto ‘Cupidity’, 2013

TEXT : KRISTEN GUTHRIE ; 338

ICE CREAM OF FRIENDSHIP From both our focus group (Appendix A) and interviews (Appendix B), it became clear that our consumers tend to enjoy ice cream whilst in group situations with friends: “You eat ice cream when you do things like go to the park or to the beach, and they are all social activities.” (Candidate G, 2013, Cornetto and Ice Cream Consumption Focus Group, 24.4.2013, Appendix A) We have decided the concept of ‘friends’ and enjoying and consuming Cornettos with friends will be central to this campaign. We want to do this by creating a buzz around the brand through forms of innovative marketing and ideas that catch and hold the consumers attention. We feel by engaging into the emotional elements of friendship with the consumer they will then be able to relate back to the brand as being a comfort and a snack rather than just something you have as a one off when it’s sunny.

THE CONCEPT

Cornetto have already experimented with teenage love, and “love has always been in the DNA of the Cornetto brand”, (Cornetto 2013: online) focusing on the senses of sharing an experience of Cornetto with a loved one. However, our focus group revealed that our target consumer group values friendship just as much, if not more than love. Insights from our focus group included “I would usually only get an ice cream if my friends were getting one”. (Participant C, 2013, Cornetto and Ice Cream Consumption Focus Group, 24.4.12, Appendix A) and “if my friend was getting one I’d be more likely to buy one.” (Participant F, 2013, Cornetto

and Ice Cream Consumption Focus Group, 24.4.13, Appendix A) The brand positions itself with a social nature -

”CORNETTO IS A LOVELY ICE CREAM AND A

SOCIAL BRAND. TEENS WILL ENJOY IT THE

MOST WITH THEIR BELOVED ONES...THE GREAT TASTE FROM START TO END INSPIRES TEENAGERS TO DIVE IN AND FULLY

ENJOY MOMENTS TOGETHER.” (CORNETTO 2013: ONLINE)

Therefore, we want to target this behavior amongst our consumer group, promoting Cornetto as a friendship ice cream – an experience you want to share with others.

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 321

Friendship is a theme that has been explored by many other brands, most likely due to the fact it can tap into emotions that bring positive images for a brand. For example, Coke explored the theme with their Share a Coke campaign, that simply consisted of personalized named bottles of Coke, that consumers were encouraged to purchase for others (Coca Cola, 2013: online). Carlsberg have also experimented with the theme, in their campaign that put friendship to the test. They asked men to call their friends in the middle of the night, asking for help when an imaginary poker game goes wrong (Laurent, 2013: online). (See Appendix L)

CORNETTO PERFECT PAIRS

Fig. 13: Share a Coke with Chloe, 2013

Our overall campaign we have named, ‘Cornetto Perfect Pairs’.

To differentiate, and to give our campaign a focus point, we decided to look at the idea of pairs. By focusing on pairs we hope to target consumers and encourage them to bring their favourite person into their Cornetto experience, therefore touching upon emotional bonds people have with their friends and the brand values Cornetto already have.

It’s focusing on the idea of sharing and friendship. As this was a key element that we found from our primary research that our consumers found very important. We have many different components of our campaign that focus on this overall theme in different ways. With this campaign we want to emphasise the idea of sharing the Cornetto experience with your best friend, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, or simply your perfect pair. Where many other ice cream brands have looked at focusing on ‘love’ as a theme we feel that ‘friendship’ would better relate to our consumers. The campaign will be accompanied by the slogan, ‘Find your Perfect Pair’.

Fig. 14: Carlsberg Friendship Test, 2013

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 321

Throughout our executions we will be encouraging our consumers to explore the idea of sharing within both eating ice cream and everyday life.

TEXT : CHLOE WICKS : 145

WHEN TO TARGET So with our concepts of fun, and eating in pairs, how will we express this to the consumer and enhance the consumption process, before, during and after purchase? Our observation and interviews (Appendix B) of consumer’s ice cream purchasing behavior enabled us to map out the consumer decision journey and pinpoint which touch points would be the most effective to target.

CONSIDER: EVALUATE: PURCHASE: ENJOY, BOND: ADVOCATE:

With the consumer now having made the choice to check this new product out, we need to continue to stimulate their decision journey by making the ‘during purchase’ stage not just a step but an experience. To do this, we want to include a sensory element to the in store environment. As the consumer is immersed within this sensory experience, some sort of memory or association will become apparent to the consumer, hopefully creating a connection that will prompt them to purchase. The next step would be to get the consumer to enjoy the process of consuming the new product. To accomplish this, the brand need to make the experience something the consumer can turn into a memory, thus always relating Cornetto back to it.

Advertising Exclusive social media leaks Sensory in store experience Personal memories Social media To start this decision journey, we need to get the consumers to start considering Cornetto. The aim is to do this through a promotional campaign for a new product. We believe that both print and digital advertising will set this off, helping consumers get a first glimpse of the new product. This will hopefully spark curiosity, which will lead them to begin evaluating the product. As Cornetto’s target consumer, the internet native Millenials, are more likely to purchase a product after recommendation from a peer (Stylus, 2013: online). Because of this we need Cornetto to start having a strong online presence to make the consumer curious to check the new product out.

TEXT : KRISTEN GUTHRIE : 423

Having purchased the product, the connection between consumer and brand needs to be maintained and finally evolve to the consumer becoming a Cornetto advocate. We think a good way of doing this is through social media. If the consumer has the opportunity to share their experience with the brand to their peers, unreached targeted consumer will begin to become aware of the brand and new product. By making Cornetto a part of the consumer’s personal life through social, they are also forming more of a bond with the brand through yet again setting them up with an experience that will turn into a memory.

“AN EXPERIENCE THAT WILL TURN INTO A MEMORY”

TEXT : KRISTEN GUTHRIE : 423

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE

Fig. 15: Cornetto Pair Packs, 2013

WHAT? PAIR PACKS WHO? THE OCCASIONAL CHOICE WHEN? DURING PURCHASE WHERE? IN STORE WHY? ENCOURAGE SALES Central to our marketing campaign would be the limited edition Pair Packs. This will be a special edition box containing two Cornettos - one for you and one for a friend. This will run for a limited time frame throughout the campaign. The ‘Pair Pack’ is in keeping with our creative idea of friendship after carrying out our research and discovering that our consumers enjoy and are most likely to have a Cornetto when with a friend. Cornetto have already begun to encourage the idea of sharing through the “Mini Packs” range. This was designed “to encourage people to share in response to rival brands moving away from focusing on just one consumer to open up new snacking categories” (Joseph, 2013: online)

Currently Cornetto sell single ice cream cones and multi packets however the idea of having a pair pack sold in ice cream cabinets and from ice cream vans has not yet been tapped into. Pair Packs support Cornetto’s big idea of fun and our idea of sharing the experience with friends.

Get One Free’ – an extra incentive to encourage purchasing amongst our target consumers who won’t necessarily choose Cornetto. When considering the design of the Pair Packs a report from Mintel (2013) surrounding Food and Drink Packaging Trends in the UK states the importance of the aesthetics of packaging amongst our target consumers. Therefore the friendship packs need to be visually enticing in keeping with Cornetto’s light hearted fun appeal. “The design of packaging is definitely important, particularly for products I'm buying for the first time as I have no idea if the product will be good so I choose the most attractive packaging as I would assume this would guarantee high quality.” (Under-25 ABC1 Female, 2013, Mintel Report Food and Drink Packaging Trends February 2013: online)

To ensure strong brand recognition we have chosen to design the “Pair Packs” using Cornetto’s existing logo, colors and fonts. We felt this was important as we are primarily targeting the consumer that may not ordinarily chose Cornetto as their first choice. The packaging also continues to translate the brand’s fun and lighthearted ethos. The Pair Packs will be a compact design enabling easy storage within ice cream cabinets, something that we needed to consider ensuring retailers are able to stock the Pair Packs. The front of the pack will have a picture of the Cornetto combinations it contains allowing friends to choose their “Perfect Pair Pack” easily. The outline of each Cornetto will be perforated with a tab to be able to rip out the Cornetto shape. Creating more of an experience post purchase having a different way of opening the packaging and the idea of peeking inside the box.

The Pair Packs will be sold different combinations of flavours, this will ensure that customers can find their perfect pair to share with their friend. We have done this as from our focus group it was clear that our consumers could not agree one flavour as most popular (Appendix A). They enjoyed Mint, Strawberry and Original so the combination packs will ensure that we can please each pair’s tastes. This is designed to increase sales of the product. The packs would promote the offer of ‘Buy One

TEXT : NATASHA SAXTON : 561

Fig. 16: Cornetto Pair Pack from above, 2013

MOCK UPS : KRISTEN GUTHRIE

WHAT’S THAT SMELL? “PRODUCT EXPERIENCE IS THE ULTIMATE DETERMINANT OF BRAND LOYALTY” WHAT? PERFECT PAIRS SMELL MACHINE WHO? ALL CONSUMERS WHEN? DURING PURCHASE WHERE? INSTORE WHY? CREATE AN EMOTIONAL ENGAGMENT Sensory branding is a type of marketing

that appeals to all the senses in relation to the brand. It uses the senses to relate with customers on an emotional level. We are taught very early that we have five senses that include sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch (Raleigh Green 2012: online). When brands leverage these other senses along with visual/sight, it can add another subtle but powerful connection with its audience. Which is why brands use sensory branding in order to conduct a certain emotional bond with the consumer and the brand itself.

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 412

Product experience is the ultimate determinant of brand loyalty. Design of that experience is one of the few areas where creativity can still provide a tangible and sustainable competitive edge (Hollis 2013: online). However, the brand experience extends far beyond the product to all brand touch points, including advertising, which is what we plan to touch upon when involving sensory branding in store, going beyond the product itself and focusing on the over-all experience. Sensory branding allows you to harness a range of stimuli such as scent, sound and texture to forge stronger emotional connections with your customers (Lippincott 2008: eBook). We plan to use sensory branding within this project to enhance the emotional bond with the brand, by focusing on the overall sensory experience of Cornetto improving the consumer’s engagement.

“MORE AND MORE COMPANIES ARE EMPLOYING STIMULI SUCH AS SCENT, SOUND AND TEXTURE TO BUILD STRONGER

EMOTIONALCONNECTIONS WITH THE CUSTOMERS AND DRIVE PREFERENCE FOR THEIR(Lippincott, BRANDS” 2008: eBook)

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 412

THE IDEA

Fig. 17: Singapore Airlines, 2012

Sensory branding allows you to harness a range of stimuli such as scent, sound and texture to forge stronger emotional connections with your customers (Lippincott 2008: eBook). We plan to use sensory branding within this project to enhance the emotional bond with the brand, by focusing on the overall sensory experience of Cornetto improving the consumer’s engagement.

We decided to focus on smell for our sensory idea as smell is most strongly linked with memory and taste, which are the two key elements we want to focus on within the sensory marketing strategy. “Many studies indicate that we often eat with our noses, which is another way of saying that if food passes the smell test, it will most likely pass the taste test.” (Lindstrom, 2010: 101)

As we are tapping into the emotion of friendship and the consumer’s favourite person – the perfect pair – this is the perfect opportunity to implement sensory branding “You have an odor, you may not identify the odor, but you are associating that with some memories. The first time you smelled apple pie you may have been at your grandmother’s house,” (Holohan, 2012: online). We plan to use this sensory branding by installing sensory buttons that emit subtle smells (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint) that will be placed on the freezers, targeting the memory element of sensory experience. The idea behind the sensory buttons is to create your perfect pair. Pick your favourite two scents and then find the matching pair pack within the cabinet.

Fig. 18: The Westin Hotel, 2010

There are certain brands that have already started to employ the power of sensory branding. Singapore Airlines tailors the scent on its hot towels to the impressions created by the quality of the in-flight video and by the flight attendants’ sarong-style uniforms. The Westin Hotel play music in its public spaces that matches the mood created by the fragrance used in its lobbies. (Lippincott 2008: eBook) Fig. 19: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Smell Machine, 2013

TEXT : ALANA DEIGHAN : 412

MOCK UP : ALANA DEIGHAN

COOL VENDING WHAT? WHO? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?

PERFECT PAIR VENDING MACHINE ALL CONSUMERS PRE PURCHASE MAJOR CITIES ADD AN ELEMENT OF FUN TO THE CORNETTO EXPERIENCE

As one of our executions we have decided to create a Cornetto Vending Machine. We have looked at many different brands that have done similar things, using vending machines in a fun and exciting way, (see Appendix N) which has inspired us come up with an idea that would engage our consumers. Out of all the vending machines we researched we found Coke to be the most innovative and exciting. As part of their ‘Spread Happiness campaign’ they have implemented a range of vending machines around the world. One of the

vending machines they created was an oversize vending machine, called ‘The Friendship Machine’. This machine had a 2 for 1 offer button so high up on the machine it required people to work together to reach it. This meant that people would have to give a friend a helping hand to reach it, and get two Cokes to share. Coke sales from the machines were 1075% higher than regular vending machines (Veenendaal, 2012: online). Another innovative machine they created was ‘The Coca-Cola Hug Machines’, these machines had ‘Hug Me’ written across them and when they hugged the machine they were rewarded with a free can of Coke.

Fig. 20: Friendship Machine, 2012 TEXT : CHLOE WICKS : 374

Fig. 21: The Hug Machine, 2012

From this research we went on to decide what our machine would be like. We decided on making this a ‘Friendship Machine’, focusing on and furthering the idea of ‘pairs’ and working together with your friend. This vending machine promises a free Cornetto Pair Pack as long as the participant completes a challenge. These challenges all require people to be in pairs, so the participant needs to find a friend or a stranger to complete the challenges with and win themselves a Cornetto Pair Pack. These challenges could include: > Wheelbarrow > Piggyback > Holding like a baby > Pat-a-cake > Leapfrog The Cornetto Perfect Pairs vending machine will travel around the country, popping up in prominent areas with high footfall in cities such as London, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol, Birmingham etc. Another way in which we will incorporate the vending machine into the Cornetto Perfect Pairs campaign is to video users competing to win the Cornettos on the machine and compile a video montage of the funniest clips. This will be used as promotional content in our social sites and spread awareness for our Cornetto Perfect Pairs Fig. 22: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Machine, 2013 vending machine.

Fig. 23: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Machine Screen, 2013 MOCK UPS : ALANA DEIGHAN

SPREAD THE WORD WHAT? ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN WHO? ALL CONSUMERS WHEN? PRE PURCHASE WHERE? MAGAZINES & ONLINE WHY? TO SPREAD THE WORD OF THE CORNETTO PERFECT PAIRS CAMPAIGN As part of trying to promote these ‘Pair Packs’ to be released, appropriate advertisement would be put into effect. For the new product, two forms of advertising would be put together, print and digital. With 96% of teens reading magazines (The Association of Magazine Media 2012: online), we feel this traditional form of advertising can reach a large portion of the target audience. With the ever increasing usage of social media platforms, we want to release a digital advert that will show off the fun and playful side of Cornetto. We believe this is attainable by producing and sharing a Vine video as an advert. After less than three weeks more than 50,000 Vine videos were being released daily (Shively 2013: online), and after just six months the app shot up to first on the Apple Store free app chart (Olanoff 2013: online). This ever growing app is perfect for communicating with the brand’s internet native consumer.

a way of reaching the relevant consumer aged 16-24, the ads would be styled as a high fashion shoot giving the target audience something to aspire to and making Cornetto a part of that.

Starting off the campaign, a photoshoot would be put together. To follow through with the creative idea of ‘a perfect pair’, the ad would feature two friends eating Cornettos together. As

A full photoshoot brief can be found in Appendix M and the following images are the final outcomes from the photoshoot:

Inspired by the ‘twin look’ that brands such as the Kooples and Mulberry have experimented with in their advertising, the two friends would be styled almost identically. This can be shown in both their garments and poses. For each main Cornetto flavour there would be a corresponding ad, reflecting the colours of that flavour within the photo’s styling and scenery. During the photoshoot, Vine videos would also be filmed for each flavour. These videos would show the pair of friends eating their Cornetto, keeping in tone with the photos themselves, and they would be promoted through Cornetto’s other social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Fig. 24: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Advert 1, 2013 TEXT : KRISTEN GUTHRIE : 315

IMAGE : KRISTEN GUTHRIE

Fig. 25: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Advert 2, 2013 IMAGE : KRISTEN GUTHRIE

Fig. 26: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Advert 3, 2013 IMAGE : KRISTEN GUTHRIE

#CORNETTOPERFECTPAIRS

to implement this concept: The Cavendish London called for romantic videos with the prize of a Valentine’s break at their hotel and Urban Outfitters teamed up with Converse with their “A Day in the Life of Your Chucks” competition. For the Perfect Pair campaign, we recommend that Cornetto run a Vine competition that calls for fans to simply submit a video of them enjoying their ice cream in their pair.

WHAT? WHO? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?

VINE COMPETITION THE FIRST CHOICE CONSUMER POST PURCHASE ONLINE REWARDING LOYALTY

Our consumers, the New Millenials, are internet natives: they were born into a technology orientated society and they spend their time communicating via the internet (Raymond 2013: presentation). In our SWOT analysis (Appendix D), we identified this as a key advantage for Cornetto – their target audience is adept at communicating online and almost expect a brand’s communication to be digital. Therefore, social media is a key consideration in this project, as it is for any type of communication Cornetto creates. It is the perfect opportunity to target the post purchase stage of the consumer journey, to extend the Cornetto experience far beyond the last bite. As previously discussed, we want to improve

Fig. 27: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Vine Competition, 2013

Cornetto’s presence on Vine, a social video app, that allows users to submit and share 6 second video clips. Other brands from Calvin Klein to Topshop are jumping on the Vine bandwagon, offering fans sneak peeks and previews – the type of content that makes them feel valued. (Stylus 2013: online)

The task is purposefully simple, to encourage as many entries as possible, but the challenge is to exercise creativity, as the most innovative and creative entry will win a prize experience to share with their friend, such as theme park tickets. Not only will the competition engage them post purchase, sharing their vine and viewing other entries, it will also engage them during consumption, as they film their entry whilst enjoying the product with their friend. “Posts on Vine are about abbreviation – a shortened form of something larger” (Vine, 2013: online) inspiring people to experiment with the restrictive challenges of the platform. The Consumer Creator, a major consumer trend, “has arisen from a dramatic change in the way in which consumers interact with brands, fuelled by the internet, social media and technical developments” (Stylus, 2013: online). Consumers no longer want to be just customers, fans or even brand ambassadors, they want to be

co-creators and so a competition like this, which encourages consumer participation rather than just the passive ‘actions’ of sharing or liking would enhance the consumer experience. Each entry would be accompanied by the hashtag #CornettoPerfectPairs to collect all the entries together, for ease of judging the winner and to encourage trending of the competition on the platform. A trending hashtag would increase the exposure of the competition, encourage more entries and boost awareness of Cornetto in the digital space. The first vine post of the campaign would be the call for entries (see fig. 27) To spread the word further, the competition would also be advertised on the Limited Edition product packs , as well as via other Cornetto social media channels. As mentioned in the previous chapter, throughout the campaign, Cornetto would post advertisements that consist of example entries on their account, to keep reminding fans of the competition and maintain momentum of entries. The examples would also inspire fans to get creative with their videos, suggesting humorous or innovative ideas for entries. See fig.28 for an example.

Already boasting thousands of users, it is predicted to be the next big thing (Honan 2013: online) and therefore, we feel it is the ideal channel to use to promote the Cornetto Perfect Pair campaign. But how? “Competitions encouraging users to submit creative vines are also a way for brands to tap into the consumer creator ethos” (Stylus, 2013: online) and some brands have already started

TEXT: SHANNON PETER : 579

Fig. 28: Cornetto Perfect Pairs Vine Advert, 2013

IMAGES : ALANA DEIGHAN

SO THIS IS HOW TO MAKE CORNETTO

THE FIRST CHOICE ICE CREAM...

To conclude, we propose that Cornetto use their current brand essence of fun and enjoyment to tap into the emotions experienced by a consumer when with their best friend, their perfect pair. We feel by using this emotion, there is great scope for the brand to improve the Cornetto experience and prolong the enjoyment of the product: pre, during and post purchase. Following mapping out our consumer decision journey we ensured that the Cornetto Perfect Pairs campaign captured the consumer at the ultimate points of the journey.

PRE PURCHASE Engaging consumers pre purchase will be done through advertising the new campaign that spreads the word about the new Pair Packs and encouraging consumers to enjoy their Cornetto with their favourite person. The Cornetto Perfect Pairs vending machine will create a sensory experience and hopefully a connection with Cornetto that will prompt them to purchase and also act as a reminder of the brand and the enjoyable experience of having an ice cream.

DURING PURCHASE

CONCLUSION

As highlighted in the consumer decision journey in order to get consumers to connect with the brand and be attracted to it especially if it is a new product it requires simulation and a sensory experience.

The Pair Packs encourage purchasing with a friend and therefore intensify the enjoyment of Cornetto through the need to be with a friend to find the perfect pair. The proposed Cornetto Perfect Pairs vending machine will enables consumers to create an experience with their friend at the time of receiving the product and something that can turn into a memory, always relating Cornetto back to it. This is also achieved through the Vine competition as friends will record their enjoyment of the product

POST PURCHASE Primarily done through social media to create a connection with the consumer and the brand that can be maintained and ensuring the enjoyable experience of Cornetto is continued. We have achieved through the Vine competition. The Cornetto experience will be prolonged through sharing the vine and also the possibility of winning an amazing prize to share with a friend. We hope that these executions, which form the Cornetto Perfect Pair campaign will extend the Cornetto experience both before and after purchase and will improve the consumer engagement, in order to increase brand loyalty and make Cornetto a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;first choiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ice cream for more consumers.

TEXT : NATASHA SAXTON : 387

A PDF VERSION OF THE REPORT CAN BE FOUND ON THIS DISC.