Tommee Tippee: U.S DEBUT

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Launch or Re-launch

Advertiser: TOMMEE TIPPEE

Product/Service: BABY FEEDING PRODUCTS

Managing Partner: Sheila Leyne (Mullen)

Account Director/Vice President: Kelly Burke (Mullen)

Account Supervisor/Social: Amy Nagy (Mullen)

Senior Account Executive: Christina Simmons (Mullen)

Assistant Account Executive: Kara Feigenbaum (Mullen)

Media placement: Print Pitching - FitPregnancy, American Baby, BabyTalk, Sacramento Bee, Real Simple, Parenting, P - April 1, 2010

Media placement: Mom Bloggers Club Campaign - Foody Mommy, Fits N Giggles, Deals For Dayton, Dealicious Mom, Mommy Young At Ho - July 7, 2010

Media placement: Twitter Moms - Mommy 2 K, Maritime Mom, Nola Mommy, Mommies With Cents, Thats It Mommy, Mommy H - July 27, 2010

Media placement: Mom Bloggers Club Campaign - Mommy Mandy, Little Yayas, A Moms Take, Rave And Review, Akron Ohio Moms - November 1, 2010



Summary of the Campaign

Tommee Tippee is the number one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain; one of the top brands of infant products and accessories in the global market and, up until 2010, was virtually unknown in the U.S. As the PR/social influence agency of record for the U.S., our agency was charged with launching the brand’s presence in 2010.



Objective: Engage new and expectant moms in the places where they actively seek and share information to build awareness, drive trial and intent to purchase and create affinity for Tommee Tippee.



Challenge: Develop a comprehensive and measurable plan (anchored in PR/social) with a modest budget to gain awareness and share in a highly competitive category.



Strategy: Focus on traditional and new media, supported by an aggressive organic social media strategy.



The PR and social campaign consisted of a hosting a pre-launch event, securing interest and coverage with the leading parenting magazines, coordinating hundreds of mom blogger reviews, launching and managing Facebook and Twitter pages including a Facebook sweepstakes.



Outcome: In just nine months, we secured more than 100 million PR impressions and built a Facebook and Twitter community of nearly 10,000.



The Situation

To introduce a contender in the highly competitive category of infant toddler feeding was no small feat. Starting with virtually no brand awareness among the likes of Phillip’s Avent and Playtex, with a conservative advertising investment, in addition to targeting a highly engaged, educated and overly marketed to woman could have been looked at as a challenge – we saw an opportunity. We asked ourselves we can’t outspend but how can we outsmart the competition? How can we be different and relevant? How can we cut through? We focused on earned impressions and organic social to make our impact.



The Goal

The goal of the campaign was to increase brand awareness with new and expectant moms.

We tapped into online resources such as eMarketer and Forrester research as well as our own planning group to not only size the market (four million births/year in the U.S.) but to understand our target’s online and offline behaviour. Through our research we identified an opportunity to infuse a freshening perspective and voice into the discussion. Rather than add to the chaos and confusion that often comes when preparing for a new baby, we positioned Tommee Tippee as the relief to momxiety, a resource, a friend.



The Strategy

As we approached the launch, it was critical that we previewed the brand, messaging and products with key influencers to build anticipation, excitement and buzz.

But before we could tell anyone about Tommee Tippee, we needed to define exactly what we were saying – this included extensive messaging development from the boilerplate to FAQs to press releases. The launch strategy was then anchored with aggressive national press and blogger outreach.

When planning the launch it was imperative that our debut was unique and fit the brand voice. We recommended partnering with iVillage.com’s Funny Mom Sherry Davey (a British transplant) to help develop authentic and engaging social content focusing on Tommee Tippee and momxiety.



Execution

• Developed key messaging and materials including a launch press release, backgrounder and fact sheets

• Conducted aggressive outreach (pre and post launch) to national parenting & lifestyle print and online outlets as well as mom bloggers and broadcast targets.

• Leveraged comedian Sherry Davey, key Tommee Tippee spokespeople

• Worked with Mom Bloggers Club and Twitter Moms to drive product reviews nationwide – three month-long programs executed in July 2010, August and November 2010.

• Managed/grew the Tommee Tippee U.S. Facebook and Twitter pages.



Documented Results

• The entire period of April 1, 2010 to January 1, 2011 resulted 101,700,003 impressions from 331 pieces of coverage.

• Top print and online coverage included Parenting (twice), BabyTalk (three times), American Baby, FitPregnancy (twice), Pregnancy & Newborn, Real Simple, iVillage.com (three times), LilSugar.com (three times) and Daily Candy Kids e-newsletter and online

• Top mom blogger coverage included top influencers identified from Babble’s Top 50 Mom Blogger and Nielsen Power Mom lists such as Two of a Kind Working on a Full House.

• Grew the Facebook fans to 6,849 and Twitter following to 2,036.

• All communications efforts helped the goal of increasing brand awareness. From our consumer brand awareness study results on August 2, aided brand awareness grew from zero to 23%, ahead of competitor Dr. Weil.