This was a first of its kind program: it pioneered use of the Web as a component of a continuity program. It’s an example of a successful strategy driven by real insights. What helped most was my having two kids in the target age range.
The challenge was to re-launch the Planet Lunch brand, a line of single-serving-sized packages of Frito-Lay brands, aimed at grade school youngsters and moms.
- After analyzing the category, the channel and the target, we recommended prompting kids to urge Mom to include F/L snack sizes in every lunch occasion, via a continuity promotion and partnership program (with Tyger Toys and Sony as partners, among others) that would deliver greater retail penetration.
- But the one obstacle we needed to address was the fact that kids in this life stage are disaffected by continuity programs that end.
- The solution: Create a permanent continuity program where kids collect points (“Ploids”) to redeem against cool items.
- We created a huge array of P.O.S., including a permanent merchandiser in Walmarts, as well as cross-merchandising and partner co-marketing
- But the real innovation was when I concepted and led launch of the very-first online continuity redemption site, www.eploids.com (before Rocketcash, et al) to drive awareness, loyalty and the utter coolness of the brand! Eploids.com was active for over 5 years, with “Ploids” spreading to even more F/L brands and package sizes.
- Extensions included in-store P.O.S. refreshed nearly quarterly, quarterly prize brochures, even a permanent “interactive” merchandiser (at bottom) placed in hundreds of Walmarts.
