â„¢
THE CONSUMER OUTCOMES COMPANY MARCH 2018
OUR
PROMISE
â„¢
AS STRATEGIC ALLIES AND INNOVATORS, WE STRENGTHEN OUR CLIENTS BRANDS, DRIVE LOYALTY AND DELIVER RESULTS.
OUR FOOTPRINT MINNEAPOLIS
SIX LOCATIONS PROVIDING SCALE AND UNIQUE CAPABILITIES
MINNEAPOLIS
GRAYSLAKE
MORRISVILLE
CHARLOTTE LOS ANGELES
â„¢
OUR
APPROACH
â„¢
WE APPROACH EVERY OPPORTUNITY WITH A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE AND A CLIENT-FIRST, CONSULTATIVE PHILOSOPHY. WE BELIEVE AN OPEN MIND WILL DELIVER BEST-CASE SOLUTIONS.
WE ARE
BRAND GUARDIANS
FROM OUT OF HOME TO OUT OF THIS WORLD…. KEY ART TO INNOVATIVE PLATFORMS, WE HELP YOU BUILD EQUITY AND DELIVER ON YOUR BRAND PROMISE EVERYDAY…. IN EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE.
™
WARNER BROS. PICTURES
STARBUCKS
SOFTBANK ROBOTICS
NETFLIX
CREATING EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER
FROM PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY STRUCTURES TO DIGITAL CONTENT, WE CREATE ENVIRONMENTS AND IMMERSIVE CONTENT THAT BRINGS YOUR BRAND TO LIFE WHILE EXCITING YOUR SHOPPERS.
TARGET
SOUTHEASTERN GROCERS
â„¢
LEGO DIMENSIONS
DELIVERING VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS & RETAIL MARKETING
SOLUTIONS
™
UNLOCKING VALUE BY IMPROVING OUR CLIENTS TOTAL COST TO COMMUNICATE™ – IDENTIFYING MARKETING SUPPLY CHAIN EFFICIENCIES UTILIZING THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING TECHNOLOGY SUITE.
ACROSS
PLATFORMS &
TECHNOLOGIES
THE RIGHT MESSAGE, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME…
LOWE'S
ALL WITH A SEGMENT OF ONE MINDSET: ENSURING ALL COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVELY CONNECTS WITH YOUR CONSUMERS.
GAMESTOP
™
FAMILY DOLLAR
LEVERAGING INTERNAL & BEST CLASS ALLIED PARTNER
CAPABILITIES
™
FROM IMMERSIVE / EXPERIENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND MULTI-PLATFORM SOLUTIONS TO ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS AND OUTCOME MEASUREMENT – WE VIEW ALL CHALLENGES AS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
INVESTING TO EXPAND OUR END TO END SERVICES & SOLUTIONS MARKETING TRENDS/ CONSUMER INSIGHTS
CORE EXPERTISE:
CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT/ ART DESIGN
POP/ IN-STORE MARKETING
ADAPTIVE CREATIVE
OOH/ OUT OF STORE SIGNAGE
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
RETAIL/ ENVIRONMENT DECOR
PRINT/POP/ DISPLAY PRODUCTION
DIGITAL CONTENT/ DISPLAYS/ CAMPAIGNS
KITTING/ FULFILLMENT/ DISTRIBUTION
AR/VR/AI EMERGING TECH SOLUTIONS
DIRECT MAIL/ DATA MARKETING
COMPLIANCE/ CAMPAIGN MEASUREMENT
MARKET INSIGHTS/ CAMPAIGN ANALYTICS
+ ALLIED PARTNERS
+ ALLIED PARTNERS
TECHNOLOGY SUITE:
â„¢
+ ALLIED PARTNERS
+ ALLIED PARTNERS
DRIVING BENEFITS & VALUE ACROSS YOUR VISUAL COMMNICATION SUPPLY CHAIN • SPEED TO MARKET • SEAMLESS PROCESS FROM DESIGN TO IN-STORE EXECUTION
™
• COMPLIANCE & QUALITY CONTROL • ACTIONABLE MARKET &
CONSUMER INSIGHTS
• MESSAGE IMPACT & CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS • COST & ROI IMPROVEMENT
AS THOUGHT PARTNERS
YOU CAN TRUST
™
• ON-BOARDING • RESEARCH & DISOVERY • GO-TO-MARKET PLANNING • PROJECT MANAGEMENT & EXECUTION • DATA & ANYALYTICS
CASE STUDIES â„¢
STARBUCKS CHALLENGE: Starbucks needed a single, print production resource for its in-store visual and marketing programs. With up to 10 campaigns a year, 30 kit versions and more than 250 elements per campaign, the company was focused on centralizing the production of its marketing materials.
SOLUTION: Imagine took the role of primary print provider for the company’s point-of-purchase signage, temporary displays and marketing collateral. A knowledgeable and experienced project management team was put together to control the production of all elements and foster best practice improvements. By centralizing their workflow, two weeks were eliminated from the typical campaign schedule. Color consistency across campaign elements greatly improved and additional cost savings were found through process improvements and better material pricing buying power.
COMPONENTS: Centralized Workflow Color Management Graphic Production Kitting and Assembly
™
TARGET CHALLENGE: Target was seeking a new fixture solution to deploy in its Next Gen stores that would offer a modulartype approach to product presentation.
SOLUTION: Imagine value engineered an inter-changeable fabric and frame solution. The multi-purpose system allowed the retailer to retrofit each fixture to accommodate various graphic sizes and merchandise combinations creating a seamless look. This solution will result in lower store labor costs to change out fabric graphics versus traditional largeformat signage, and offer substantial savings on shipping replenishments. Imagine partnered with Target to initially deploy this solution to 10 stores, and is now slated to retrofit 60 stores a quarter in 2018, with capacity and scale to implement across all Target stores.
COMPONENTS: Research & Development Value Engineering Graphic Production Fixture Development
™
KROGER CHALLENGE: Kroger was looking to deploy a in-store signage solution that would allow store associates to easily change out messaging, and ultimately drive impulse purchases.
SOLUTION: Imagine collaborated with Kroger to develop a semipermanent, modular system to improve the in-store execution of its endcap header. The system provided the store associate the convenience to interchange promotional and price messaging with the option to remove and install signage at floor level.
COMPONENTS: Research & Development Structural Design Engineering Graphic Production Kitting and Assembly
™
DAIRY QUEEN CHALLENGE: International Dairy Queen (IDQ) needed a visual marketing supplier with extensive QSR industry experience to provide a campaign management solution that would provide highly customized messaging to its diverse store network.
SOLUTION: IDQ chose Imagine to design, develop and implement a web-based POP management system that handled its entire marketing supply chain from file creation through distribution of 2,700 different kit versions to over 6,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Store profiling intelligence enabled IDQ to be more informed of what franchisees needed, allowing them to make educated kit-content decisions to drive out unnecessary marketing materials.
COMPONENTS: Store Profiling Campaign Management Graphic Production Kitting and Assembly
™
WELLS FARGO OVERVIEW: ASSET RECOVERY As a Wells Fargo approved vendor for data management and mailing, in 2009 Classic was asked to assist with a new highly confidential project that was high profile, high touch and fluid in its mail dates. The Wells Fargo MAP program is a series of marketing/operational notifications designed to recover assets. Marketing in nature because the letter packages are designed for maximum deliverability and opening impact. Communications consist of letter packages targeted by recipient and are mailed via a predetermined strategy (US Mail, Priority Mail, UPS or FedEx). Quantities range from 8 – 60,000.
CHALLENGE: PRECISELY TIMED COMMUNICATIONS | NON-NEGOTIABLE ACCURACY With time-frames as short as 3 days, Wells Fargo tasked us with managing a limited amount of inventory (JIT) with uncertain quantities, 100% quality control with multiple drop dates, as many as 20 kitting/mailing versions with up to 22 drop dates and at least one suppression file delivered the day before mailing. Each program has rigorous reporting requirements both during data processing and post mailing. Additionally, each program mandates letter pdf generation and posting with specific (per program) naming conventions and instructions.
™
SOLUTION: APPLYING TECHNOLOGY Through programming, Classic automated a process that included report generation, custom workflows, automatic quality control at each transition point and production scanning record verification prior to completion. Inventory and client provided materials are evaluated and validated prior to entering production to further ensure accuracy.
RESULTS: INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN THE CLIENT ENVIRONMENT The technology built around this program, decreases Wells Fargo input information, inventory, and audits helping them increase their own capacity. The program has become a model for complicated programs requiring 100% accuracy and non-negotiable deadlines.
BANK OF AMERICA As a Bank of America-approved vendor for data management and mailing, Classic Graphics was presented an opportunity to serve the Bank’s Merchant Services group, an organization responsible for client communications that include semi-annual regulatory mailings that broadcast new pricing to merchants. This complex mailing program, which at its outset was distributed to more than 230,000 merchants, consists of variable letter paragraphs and pricing charts. Today, the project generates 465,000 Letters requiring close to 6.6 million images.
CHALLENGE: PRODUCT COMPLEXITY AND CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION To effectively manage this complex mailing program, Bank of America needed the services of a company with a unique set of capabilities: data and IT acuity, offset and digital print capabilities, direct mail expertise, documented quality processes, and the ability to throttle distribution quantities up or down based on call activity at the Bank’s customer support center. Each mailing recipient can receive a custom letter and/or chart. Each letterset is 1-20 pages including text and charts. Simple chart communications are 1-7 pages. There are approximately 60 – 75 different charts that are used in a variety of ways. Paragraphs and/or charts have a variable fields imbedded in the text. In addition, there are different levels of mailings
™
requiring custom letter-sets. All pricing rates within the chart copy are dictated by MasterCard, Visa and Discover. Historically card issuers make last minute decisions on pricing requiring quick-turn production. These notifications have regulated schedules and dates. Classic mails a pre-set quantity per day to accommodate customer service call center volume needs.
SOLUTION: COMPETENCE, CAPACITY, AND SCALE Classic project managers and industrial engineers reviewed project specifications and requirements. A custom workflow was implemented to optimize automation, ensure quality checks and achieve non-negotiable delivery dates.
RESULT: REGULATED COMMUNICATION DELIVERED ON-SCHEDULE The client enjoys stress-free project management and confidence in the in-home delivery date. This program runs multiple times a year. Content is based on volatility of the marketplace, regulatory requirements and end user behavior. The client has the flexibility to accommodate last minute responses to an ever-changing marketplace.
PANERA BREAD FACTS & FIGURES: 1,926 door count 60:40 corporate-to-franchise mix 7 system-wide promotional programs executed annually 30,000 customized variable-data graphics per program Deploying every module the software has to offer, Panera associates at the corporate and field level utilize GFX SymphonyÂŽ everyday.
ANNUAL SAVINGS: $480,000 in management & analyst time $800,000 in production & freight spend $900,000 in manufacturing efficiencies
™
SPEEDWAY FACTS & FIGURES: 1,500 locations in the chain 12 promotional periods per year 224 unique graphics items per promotion GFX Symphony¹s® smart spin is driving manufacturing, inventory and transportation efficiencies month after month for Speedway. The C-Store chain is using GFX Symphony® to print and ship ONLY what can be utilized in the field no more, no less.
ANNUAL SAVINGS: $1.5 Million from streamlined order creation $1 Million from product overage minimization $570,000 from error diversion $1 Million from accurate store profiling
™
SPRINT FACTS & FIGURES: 12,000+ locations in the chain 45 promo kits annually 12 items per kit per promo IMAGINE allows Sprint to combine centralized data and workflow automation with accurate site-specific location intelligence. These efficiencies provide a pathway to dramatic annual savings for Sprintยนs In-Store Planning & Print Strategy teams.
ANNUAL SAVINGS: $1.5 Million from streamlined order creation $1 Million from product overage minimization $570,000 from error diversion $1 Million from accurate store profiling
โ ข
7 - ELEVEN TOTAL SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTION: National convenience store retailer 7-Eleven began searching for a single source supplier for its in-store, visual marketing programs. The company needed a partner to provide exceptional production capacity, to streamline their marketing supply chain. Most importantly, 7-Eleven wanted to give its team greater visibility to the in-store P.O.P. campaigns and signage kit complexity, simultaneously achieving: Reduced turn times Lower production costs Improved product quality Reduced inventory backorders
SEARCH FOR MORE SAVINGS: Imagine continues to provide 7-Eleven with additional cost savings and process improvement suggestions. Production schedules have been compacted by as much as 30% through single sourcing all materials and pre-press processes. Inventory backorders were reduced from 50% to nearly 0% through implementation of inventory management and fulfillment solutions. Imagine consistently identifies and recommends material alternatives and design improvements to 7-Eleven as an integral part of our ongoing supplier relationship.
™
COMPLEXITY SIMPLIFIED: 7-Eleven secured Imagine as its in-store P.O.P. graphics partner. With an extensive retail footprint of more than 8,000 store locations, the client leaned on Imagine’s production horsepower to produce and manage its monthly and specialty kit programs. Imagine deployed a custom web-based campaign management system, including store profiling. Using P.O.P. management tools, campaign components were entered and appropriate allocations were generated based on store display requirements. Run lists, procurement reports and kit version content lists were created specific to the display capability of each store. These tools, coupled with production horsepower, project management expertise, and an arsenal of kitting experts, led to the production and management of more than 7,500 unique kit versions sent to 8,000 locations for each campaign. One campaign had an average of 130 items per kit, and more than 1,500 permanent inventory items managed. Imagine was uniquely qualified to handle such a complex program.
Bethesda's WOLFENSTEIN CHALLENGE: International Dairy Queen (IDQ) needed a visual marketing supplier with extensive QSR industry experience to provide a campaign management solution that would provide highly customized messaging to its diverse store network.
SOLUTION: IDQ chose Imagine to design, develop and implement a web-based POP management system that handled its entire marketing supply chain from file creation through distribution of 2,700 different kit versions to over 6,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Store profiling intelligence enabled IDQ to be more informed of what franchisees needed, allowing them to make educated kit-content decisions to drive out unnecessary marketing materials.
COMPONENTS: Store Profiling Campaign Management Graphic Production Kitting and Assembly
™
GEARS OF WAR 4 LIVE EXPERIENTIAL/DIGITAL Midnight Oil was honored to support Microsoft Xbox, and their release of Gears of War 4, the fourth installment of one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. Culminating in connecting millions of fans in a live streaming event, Midnight Oil produced a series of promotional content designed to increase consumer anticipation for the game’s Oct. 11th release. In their efforts leading up to the event, Midnight Oil began by producing an announcement video for Xbox’s YouTube channel. The high-energy, 50 second spot features a sneak-peek of Gears of War 4 gameplay footage, droves of enthusiastic Gears fans from recent gaming events, and a banging new track from Run the Jewels. Building on the momentum sparked by the announcement video, Midnight Oil went a step further by producing a second piece of content starring players from the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders soccer teams. In addition to being featured in tweets from the Galaxy and Sounders accounts, this video was played on the massive LED scoreboard at StubHub Center in Los Angeles during their Sep. 25th game. Illustrating the importance of teamwork needed for successful Gears 4 gameplay, this video gave a glimpse of LA & Seattle soccer stars taking on the game’s all-new Horde Mode 3.0.
™
The payoff to Midnight Oil’s program was the production of ‘Gears of War 4 LIVE’, which was held on Oct. 5th . Hosted by Paul Scheer (The League, Children’s Hospital), Jessica Chobot (Nerdist News), Larry Hryb (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson), Scott Robison (Mr. Sark), and Justine Ezarik (iJustine), the broadcast featured interviews with the game’s creators, including The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson, as well as behind-the-scenes featurettes, exclusive gameplay, and the reveal of hip-hop phenoms Run the Jewels’ in-game multiplayer characters. An estimated 1.8 million fans tuned-in to the broadcast via real-time streaming on Xbox Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, YouTube and Beam. Going further, additional life has been given to the broadcast with replays on the same platforms. The YouTube replay of the full-length 90-minute event, for example, has received over 125,000 views, while the YouTube 90-second “Live Highlight” video is approaching 1.5 million views. In total, the show generated 18.2 million social media mentions, and In the week following the livestream, the full show and 10 key segments have been viewed 3.9 million times.
NETFLIX
COMIC-CON DOMINATION In continuation of our ongoing creative partnership, Midnight Oil collaborated with Netflix to help produce its brand presence at San Diego Comic-Con 2017. What began as an ask for creative concepting of the convention floor booth quickly evolved to include the premier end-to-end services our clients know only Midnight Oil can provide, as Netflix discovered just how intimately we understand the culture and spirit of Comic-Con. Having likewise developed a keen sense of the Netflix ethos, our partnership on this project resulted in a paradigm-shifting first presence at the convention that out-shined even the most beloved veteran studios and, according to numerous press reports, set the Comic-Con conversation on a new path going forward. Combining out-of-home domination in the high-traffic Gaslamp area with support of stand-out experiential activations steeped in authenticity and imagination, we helped turn Comic-Con into “The House of Netflix.”
™
HULU THE HANDMAIDS TALE SPECIAL PACKAGING MAILER For the 2017 Awards season, Midnight Oil collaborated with Hulu on a creative marketing strategy for their critically acclaimed series, The Handmaid’s Tale. In a campaign targeting voting members of the HFPA Golden Globes, the SAG Awards and the Writers Guild Awards, Midnight Oil harnessed their passion for strategic innovation and creativity by developing a unique, premier specialty packaging piece. While Midnight Oil’s collaboration with Hulu intended to inspire members’ votes in favor of The Handmaid’s Tale, it also had the purpose of establishing a closer connection between voters and the show’s brand. Drawing upon imagery from a pivotal scene in episode 8, in which Mrs. Waterford provides a gift to Offred, Midnight Oil produced a screener filled with meaningful symbolism that truly captured the essence of the show. The finished piece took the shape of a music box – upon opening, a miniature pop-up of Offred is revealed to the sounds of “Swan Lake.” Scrawled inside is an ominous message pulled from the script: “A perfect gift – a girl trapped in a box. She only dances when someone else opens the lid. When someone else winds her up.” The immaculately designed packaging included a sleek DVD set of the entire season, encased in book that featured adapted artwork from The Handmaid’s Tale. Accomplishing its mission, The Handmaid’s Tale mailer garnered a whirlwind of positive social media chatter, with recipients sharing photos and videos of the screener, along with commentary such as “I’m already a fan and didn’t need convincing - but well f***ing played Hulu” and “This is the most beautiful FYC I’ve ever gotten”.
™
AUNTIE ANNE'S WASTED TIME WITH ROOM FOR ERROR: Auntie Anne’s entices hungry mall-goers with warm, delicious pretzels. While they didn’t need any help with food-marketing, the company struggled to efficiently manage its complex menu board program. Each of Auntie Anne’s 850+ locations has a different menu assortment with varying prices and distinct store layouts. Therefore, each store needs a unique signage kit. Previously, when a new item debuted, or a location needed a menu update, each franchisee manually wrote out an order form and mailed it to corporate. Envisioning a streamlined process, Auntie Anne’s challenged Imagine to provide a better system for their menu board orders.
ONLINE MENU BUILDER: The pretzel conglomerate now uses a custombuilt “menu board builder” print-on-demand system. Because most franchisees lacked identical store plans, products and prices, store profiles were created to link each location to specific business rules. The user-friendly tool allows Auntie Anne’s to create custom menu boards, choosing from 100+ products. Franchisees log in and construct product menus with location-specifics. The options are pre-selected by corporate and each
™
location orders approved products and flavors. Once the menu layout is approved, a print-ready file is instantly generated by Imagine’s system and submitted into the digital print production workflow. And because life happens, when things get broken, torn or lost, reorders are possible without waiting until the next campaign cycle. Should a store ever need an extra printed piece, they can independently order another and it will be on press faster than you can say “extra cheese sauce.”
FRANCHISEE FREEDOM: This dynamic print management system is Auntie Anne’s new best friend. Printing on-demand gives the company the freedom to print exactly what they need, when they need it. Perhaps the most useful of all, Auntie Anne’s now receives real-time data from this technology tool. The corporate marketing team now has access to macro-level data from its franchisee network, identifying regional trends and discovering key market nuances. Franchisees now focus their energy on providing the perfect pretzel to hungry patrons, not wasting time on producing hand-written orders every few weeks. Auntie Anne’s can sit back, relax, and know that Imagine’s menu board builder, coupled with its campaign management infrastructure, provides the perfect supply chain solution.
20TH CENTURY FOX THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL MANHUNT: UNIBOMBER
KEY ART DESIGN â„¢
20TH CENTURY FOX SUPER TROOPERS 2
NETFLIX ALTERED CARBON FEATURETTE Midnight Oil concepted and produced this Altered Carbon featurette for the hit sci-fi thriller from Netflix. If you’re a fan of dystopian cyber-punk dramas, then get ready to binge!
CLICK TO WATCH
™