A baby doing one-armed pushups on a billboard is quite a sight. The iconic visual is just the first in what will be many strong baby ads that will appear across the city over the next year. The campaign is the result of a partnership between Serve and the Milwaukee Health Department to lower the infant mortality rate in Milwaukee by advocating healthier behaviors by young mothers. The first ad touts the value of immunization at an early age. Last year immunizations dropped significantly in Milwaukee, especially in the central city.
Strong Babies Invade Milwaukee.
That’s one Smoking Billboard.
There are a lot of ways to get people’s attention in outdoor. A smoking billboard however, is not something drivers see everyday. For two days, people honked, stopped and craned their necks to get a better look at the board everyone was talking about in Sioux Falls, SD. The billboard campaign, for Avera Health, was created by BVK to draw attention to the importance of having an emergency medical plan for your family and create awareness for Avera’s emergency services. The boards showed a woman sitting on a gurnee in front of a terrible car crash, with one of the cars smoking behind her — smoke, that billowed off the photo into the sky, thanks to a hidden smoke machine behind the board.
TV, radio and newspapers all covered the effort that had the people of Sioux Falls buzzing. The campaign also drew an unintended consequence. It got the attention of the Sioux Falls Fire Department which asked Avera to eventually shut the smoke down. So now, the campaign continues sans smoke, but still driving people to the website WhyImAlive.com, where consumers can read about more of the amazing life and death stories of people saved by Avera’s emergency department.
Catalog, Schmatalog.
Like everyone else in the watersports category, MasterCraft Boats knew they had to provide a 2011 product line catalog to dealers and prospective buyers. But they also knew they hadn’t become the world-class leader in competition towboats by living like, well, everyone else. So it was only fitting that the catalog of this category leader should be just as progressive.
BVK took that knowledge to heart. Approaching the annual catalog project, instead, like a magazine. Something that wasn’t skimmed through and discarded. Something that had articles, athlete profiles, and editorial content about the lifestyle that is MasterCraft. Something that could live on the coffee tables of brand lovers and water sports enthusiasts for the length of the season. Most importantly, it gave an aspirational peek into the exclusive club of champions that ride behind the best.
Who says QR Codes have to be boring?
While QR codes are becoming more common these days, BVK is one of the first to turn these generic black and white inkblots into something approaching a work of art. Using nearly 100 photos shot for St. Pete/Clearwater, BVK worked with 2ergo, a custom QR design firm in Washington, D.C. to push the boundaries. The use of color photography in QR Codes is breakthrough, and required a careful arrangement and balance of contrast to ensure its functionality. But by using a montage of photos, BVK simultaneously gives viewers a picture postcard tour of the destination. The posters were created to promote a contest for St. Pete/Clearwater. Users who scan the image with their cameras can connect with SPC’s website, where they can instantly fill out an entry and learn more about the destination.
Billboard Mystery Revealed.
They’ve kept Kansas City residents guessing for weeks. A series of simple white billboards with words like, “impossible,” “hopeless” and “unbelieveable,” across them. The mystery finally ended February 10 when it was revealed that campaign is all part of an effort to rebrand St Luke’s Health System, and re-establish their position as the area’s clinical leader in heart, cancer and neuro. Theories about the mystery boards captured the attention of the local news, Facebook and the blogosphere. One of the teaser boards even ended up on the front page of the Kansas City Star. The reveal boards show medical objects like I.V. bags covering up the “im” in impossible and masks covering up the “less” in hopeless. Copy revealed that Reversing Strokes was now possible and that 120 clinical trials gave cancer patients hope. The “Never Settle” branding campaign also includes newspaper, magazines and TV that launched on the Super Bowl.
100 Days of Summer
Remember back in grade school when you had to write about what you did over summer vacation? Well, if you spent it in St. Pete/Clearwater, it would be a rather long paper. In fact, there’s so much to do in St. Pete/Clearwater that BVK and SP/C created a promotion called 100 Days of Summer.
Photo-heavy print ads highlight a variety of activities, beachside and
beyond, that make this Florida west coast destination so popular. Readers are encouraged to go online where they can find an entire calendar of good times, as well as special deals and offers.
Regional Banks Perceived As “Neither Fish nor Fowl”
Respondents in a quantitative online financial study bvk recently conducted typically classify banks as either national or community/local banks, bypassing a regional bank designation completely.
BVK’s proprietary research found that regional banks are caught between two ends of a continuum in the minds of consumers. When given definitions of various banks and then asked a series of questions, consumers in our study correctly classified national banks as well as most local/community banks. However, when it came to regional banks most struggled with their identity.
When it came to understanding the brand perceptions of banks in each of these categories, it was also very clear for national and community banks. But again we found consumers in our study could not formulate a clear concise brand personality for regional banks.
Whether consumers in our study viewed regional banks as a national or a local one, it became apparent that they are being viewed as “neither fish nor fowl.” Consumers do not know where regional banks fit when it comes to classifying who they are and more importantly what value they bring to the table.
What’s significant is that this lack of brand personality may be systematic to building long term committed relationships with your customers–which we discovered in our research is what consumers truly desire. These findings support the growing need for regional banks to consider carving out a new brand sub category and specifically a value proposition that will provide a clear identity for consumers.
Building Committed Customer Relationships in a Promiscuous World
In this new era of financial change, long term bank growth and profitability hinge on the ability to attract and retain loyal customers. However, this is made all the more difficult when consumers are continuously fragmenting their business across several different financial institutions.
According to the results of an online banking survey recently conducted by BVK, nearly 9 in 10 consumers use more than one financial institution with the average number just over three. The most common reasons cited for using more than one financial institution is to obtain better rates, deals or lower fees.
The power of service provides the greatest potential to set a bank apart for good or for ill, but almost half of consumers DO NOT think their primary financial institution has their best interest in mind. Banks need to ask themselves why? Interestingly, 93% of respondents in our study still said they were satisfied with their financial institution. This means that there is not much room to capitalize on generalized dissatisfaction as a way to entice customers to switch as well as the fact that high satisfaction and loyalty rates do not prevent switching nor equate to loyalty. Consumers in our study who moved accounts to their primary bank were neither significantly more satisfied nor significantly more loyal to that institution than those who moved accounts away from it.
With high satisfaction and loyalty simultaneous with defection, it is notable that more than 4 in 10 bank customers say they want their relationship with their bank to be a “committed partnership,” but only 3 in 10 say they have that. Likewise, 15% want a “best friend” while just 4% have that.
It is important that banks rethink what relationship they have with their customers as well as what being someone’s “primary” bank means. Likewise, banks cannot be lulled by high satisfaction or loyalty scores as both do not prevent switching. Instead evaluate what you are doing well, what you need to stop doing, and start doing with respect to rates/fees, convenience and service in order to stem future defection.
Who has the most affinity for regional?
To compete in the new business model of a more value based structure, BVK found through our proprietary research that banks need to be “more things to fewer people.” The raging competitive battles and shifting of accounts suggest the need to do more with segmentation models beyond applying demographic and product usage.
This transformation points to overlaying attitude and behavioral data which allows for more finely tuned segmentation analytics; enabling banks to design and deliver more relevant and targeted value propositions.
Equally as important as using multiple dimensions when segmenting, is noting this can’t be done for everyone. Banks need to focus on distinctive, specific consumer segments and meet a broader set of needs for these segments. Through this approach banks can leverage critical elements of value that distinguish a bank from its competitors and allow for deeper relationships—which is ultimately what customers’ desire!
Through a rigorous analytical process of cluster and factor analyses that examined a wide variety of variables including, but not limited to, demographics, product and channel usage, values, attitudes and beliefs, BVK isolated six distinct key customer segments to benefit regional banks.
BVK Completes Breakthrough Regional Banking Study
BVK recently completed an independent online study on the impact today’s changes will have on regional banks and their customers. This study drove us to then create a presentation on its implications called the Sea of Change, Navigating Your Regional Bank Towards Your Most Valuable Customers, where powerful secondary and syndicated research were combined with breakthrough proprietary research to uncover opportunities specific to regional banks in the Midwest.
BVK’s mission was to identify the consumer perceptions that are influencing their selection and relationships with banks in the wake of the nation’s financial shipwreck.
Some of the unique insights we’ve uncovered that can ultimately position a regional bank to be successful in this changing environment include:
- Isolating key customer segments can grow your valuable customer base. Our study makes a case for why traditional approaches to attracting customers on a broad level are not always the best return on your marketing dollar. These insights are targeted on which customers have the most affinity for regional banks.
- Why satisfied and loyal customers are still at risk for switching banks. High loyalty and satisfaction scores do not prevent customers from switching or using multiple financial institutions. Understanding what type of relationship your customers want from you becomes critical.
- How understanding what customers really think of you is a strong driver in creating preference. Effectively positioning your brand in a new category can often be your greatest, untapped opportunity.
For more information on the Sea of Change study or to schedule a presentation, contact Sheri Granholm at 1-888-347-3212.
What did you do New Year’s Eve?
No matter how you chose to celebrate New Year’s Eve, chances are it wasn’t quite as exciting as what Levi LaVallee was up to. As millions around the globe were toasting strangers with warm champagne, SnoCross star and X-Games Gold Medalist Levi LaVallee was soaring 412 feet over San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina Park to set a new World Record for snowmobile distance jumping.
This incredible jump was featured in the live ESPN special Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. And as Levi launched his sled off the ramp, he was also launching his team’s partnership with a new sponsor, Mystik Lubricants. An alliance made possible by BVK. Though none of us had any doubts going in to the jump, we were nonetheless relieved that Levi came back to Earth safely and was able to show the world what’s possible with engine oils and lubricants specifically formulated for your machine.
This event also gave Mystik the opportunity to introduce their bold new branding campaign. Tagged “Lubrication Domination”, this effort targets specific users of outboard marine engines, personal watercrafts, ATVs, on-road trucking fleets, agricultural equipment, and of course, snowmobiles. So no matter what your passion, Mystik is there to help you dominate.
Suffice to say, Levi’s 412-foot leap did just that, crushing the previous world record of 361 feet by over 50 feet. Domination indeed.
St. Pete/Clearwater Reports Near Record Tourism Numbers.
Pinellas County, home of BVK tourism client Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, reported 5.2 million overnight visitors in 2011, a 3.8% increase over the previous year and just short of the record 5.3 million in 2007. According to executive director, D.T. Minich, four of the months were the highest visitation months ever and prospects for 2012 continue to look good.
Is the QR Code Failing?
QR Codes. It seems every advertiser wants them on their ads. But few understand how they are best used or their real value.
Sean Cummings has an interesting take in this article on why QR Codes aren’t working and how they can be redeemed.
The New CruisersYachts.Com
BVK knows that a company’s website is the core of their online brand. We are very excited to have just launched the brand new CruisersYachts.com The team at BVK started this project with extensive boating industry research to establish how a modern User Interface and dynamic content should apply to our audience segments.
We have added many new features & functions to reflect a modern web savvy consumer base.
“The new site looks super, someone did a lot of research into what boaters are looking for”.
-John Armstrong, Canadian Yachting
“Absolutely a home run!!!!
Really a great layout and perfectly in line with what boaters tell us they want to see on a builders site – and trust me when I say we get A LOT of comments about builder sites from boaters”.
-Chris Hughes, BoatTest.com
Just like their luxurious yachts we have redesigned the website to focus on elegant simplicity. Our “Featured” content area houses higher resolution photographs and can be updated to showcase new boats, promotions, events, or brand messages. This space helps us immediately engage the potential customer with strong brand messaging and provides up-to-date information.
In addition, we have integrated a new approach to interface design which we comically refer to as “sneak previews & snacks”. This intuitive style of web design provides viewers with quick relevant information. As opposed to a classic web interface where a user has to click through multiple links and buttons to find the content they are looking for, this progressive approach offers customers dynamic feedback and previews of the information they are seeking without leaving the page.
QR Codes, Best Practices & Trends. A webchat.
Our clients have been coming to us lately with questions regarding QR codes and mobile marketing. We didn’t just get answers. We created a two part video full of expert advice. In part one of two, Patrick Donnelly, mobile solutions architect and QR code expert, chats with BVK’s interactive strategist, Nicolas Gagliano. Topics include everything from best practices for QR code campaigns to common mobile marketing mistakes. Knowing what sets a QR campaign apart from the rest of the competition is crucial. Donnelly believes in the future of mobile marketing. If you want to be a part of it, understanding more about QR marketing potential is a good place to start.
