Special-T: SPECIAL.T

Credits & Description:

Category: Best New Product Launch/Re-Launch or Multi-Product Promotion at Retail

Advertiser: NESTLÉ

Product/Service: TEA

Agency: DIALOG RED

Date of First Appearance: Sep 10 2010

Entrant Company: DIALOG RED, Paris, FRANCE

Executive Creative Director: Michel Duval (Publicis Dialog)

Client Service Director: Matthieu Faure (Publicis Dialog)

Strategic Planning Director: Anne Dimier-Vallet (Publicis Dialog)

Copywrighter: Jean-Louis Zuber (Publicis Dialog)

Art Director: Jean-Christophe Esclafit (Publicis Dialog)

Assistant Art Director: Bruno Maillard (Publicis Dialog)

Project Director: Thierry Marques (Publicis Modem)

Account Executive: Elise Gaiardo (Publicis Dialog)

Account Executive: Myles Cryan (Publicis Dialog)

Media placement: SPECIAL.T Website - World Wide Web - 1 September 2010

Media placement: SPECIALT.T TV Commercial - All French TV Channels E.bec - 10 September 2010

Media placement: Direct Marketing - Online (Emailing) And Offline (Mailing) - September 2010

Media placement: Social Media - Facebook, Youtube - September 2010

Media placement: Press Conference - Events - 10 September 2010

Media placement: Rich Media - Online : Gala, Elle, Etc. - 17 September 2010

Media placement: Salon Du Chocolat - Exposition - 29 October 2010

Media placement: Print - Magazines : Marie Claire, Marie France, GEO, GEO Histoire, Croquons La Vie, Prima, Psychologie, Etc. - 1 November 2010



Describe the objective of the promotion.

Inspired by Nespresso, Nestlé launched SPECIAL.T - the first system which provides the ultimate preparation of premium tea. SPECIAL.T is sold only online at special-t.com. As there is no possibility for the consumer to taste the teas before buying, consumers had an understandable doubt on the relevance of the system: “Why would I need a machine to prepare a cup of tea? It is so easy to prepare a good cup with my teapot or with a tea bag in hot water”. We had to create a powerful activation campaign to drive tea lovers and others to special-t.com and convert visitors into buyers.



Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.

In order to drive traffic to our e-shop we designed an efficient purchasing path.

- Raising interest was the main goal, therefore we instilled a fantastic tea dream in the consumers’ mind in which they are the goddess of incredible tea worlds (TVC). The TVC quotes a promo offer, but most of all drives viewers to special-t.com.

- The website guides the consumer to a demo film of SPECIAL.T’s superiority concluding with the promotional offer (the machine + 40 capsules + 2 teacups at 89E) which leads the viewer to the SPECIAL.T e-shop.

- The plan included: bloggers and PRs activation (word of mouth) and a SPECIAL.T event with a boutique atmosphere at Salon du Chocolat.



Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service.

The promotion in itself was an entry door into the SPECIAL.T system, offering the whole SPECIAL.T premiumness at a very affordable price. Most of all, the activation campaign as a whole installed the relevance of a machine preparing tea in people’s minds, and made the brand and the system highly desirable.



Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results.

- Sold out after 5 days.

- Sales: objective overpassed by 30%.

- PR: more than 500 articles published online and offline.

- WOM: Consumer organised contest to spread MGM vouchers + 2,000 posts on a topic dedicated to SPECIAL.T in an online forum.

- Verbatims from France post-test: “If there hadn’t been an offer, I would have had to wait until Christmas!” “With the offer, there was no risk trying”.