Anne Fox, Karen Crawford, Julie Arico, Tami Ratzan, Mike Mitchell, Doreen Ida, Reid Leslie (Nestle) The primary communication goals were to generate immediate product awareness and purchase interest in Nesquik RTD ultimately leading to increased volume and share for the brand. In particular, recognizing that Nesquik RTD is primarily an impulse purchase, the media plan sought to maximize impressions as close to the purchase decision as possible. In addition, emphasis was placed on vehicles that provide visual communication to capitalize on the unique new packaging for Nesquik. The key media idea was to unite the target audience through their “on the go” lifestyle and interest in music. Out-of-home served as the base of communications providing mass awareness of the new plastic bottle. Vehicles were hand selected based on individual market dynamics. Bulletins, 30 sheets, bus shelters, interior train cards, wrapped buses, mall media and mobile truck displays were used to provide a big splash in key markets. C-store posters were then selected to reach consumers just prior to purchase decision. But we didn’t stop there, grassroots media and guerrilla tactics enhanced the traditional out-of-home effort. Aerial Banners flew over sports venues, including the Major League Baseball all-star game. To reach consumers at the baseball all-star game – the biggest sporting event of the summer – we also secured a unique test of an interactive kiosk that fans saw as they entered the baseball stadium. Wildpostings were used in hip and trendy areas of major markets. Ski resort signage as well as sampling events were secured at major resorts throughout the Northeast and Midwest. Dasherboard advertising was placed at community ice rinks. We even developed a program targeting key college campuses. A combination of a movie screening sponsorship along with signage and sampling was used to reach the elusive college audience. Everything was about customization. For example, in New York interior train cards and bus shelters were the primarily vehicles used given the prevelance of mass transit in this market. We also used “wild postings” to reach pedestrian traffic. In Minneapolis, we used a combination of 30 sheets and mall media given the time of year (Nesquik RTD was launched during the winter months). 30 sheets provided broad market coverage while mall media – including table tents in the Mall of America – reached our target at their favorite hang outs.Building on the base of out-of-home and grass roots media, Radio leveraged the targets’ music interests and reached the consumer “on the go.” Due to budget limitations, traditional launch levels of radio were not affordable. To provide impact, activity was focused on the top 2-3 stations in each market. We negotiated a mix of radio station promotions, including sampling at skateboarding demonstrations. In addition, numerous radio stations created “Gulp contests” at events for contestants to Gulp Nesquik as quickly as possible and win a prize. The launch of Nesquik ready-to-drink (RTD) took the brand into un-chartered territory, as the brand has traditionally focused on its milk additive business and primarily targeted kids through communications. With the need to maintain relevancy and react to the macro trend towards convenience, Nesquik launched an RTD version with convenience stores as the primary distribution outlet. The media team recommended a youth target (males 12-24) based on our analysis of the soft drink category and convenience store consumers. This analysis went beyond traditional demographics and provided insights into how and when the target consumed media. We used these insights to convince our agency counterparts and clients to avoid the “tried & true” approach of relying on TV to launch Nesquik RTD. Instead, the media team drove the decision to use out-of-home and radio as launch vehicles. Media took the lead in customizing the Nesquik out-of-home effort by looking at each advertising market individually. This ensured that Nesquik RTD advertising was seen in all the right places and helped the brand avoid taking a “one size fits all” approach to its advertising. This focus on customization continually challenged the creative team to develop advertising for unique out-of-home vehicles and opportunities. Our challenge was to help make Nesquik relevant to a target that probably grew up with the brand, but most likely stopped drinking chocolate milk 10-15 years earlier. Additionally, this new target tends to be one of the hardest, cost-inefficient consumer groups to reach through media. On top of all of this, Nesquik was not only competing against its core competition – Hershey’s, Ovaltine and dairy brands – but was now competing against the larger soft drink category, including heavy weights like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. An innovative communications plan that went beyond the obvious (e.g., sports) was needed to overcome these challenges. This was accomplished by taking mass media down to a tactical grassroots level tailored specifically to the lifestyles of each target market. Continuing a successful roll-out, out-of-home locations were hand selected in nearly 50 markets to reach the Nesquik RTD target “on the go” and within the context of their everyday lives. We also invested every media dollar with the goal of reaching the consumers as close to purchase or usage occasions as possible. Business results prove that this was a successful strategy. Nesquik RTD attained its highest share ever and drove category growth by over 11%.

The launch of Nesquik ready-to-drink (RTD) took the brand into un-chartered territory, as the brand has traditionally focused on its milk additive business and primarily targeted kids through communications. With the need to maintain relevance and react to the macro trend towards convenience, Nesquik launched an RTD version with convenience stores as the primary distribution outlet. The media team recommended a youth target (males 12-24) based on our analysis of the soft drink category and convenience store consumers. This analysis went beyond traditional demographics and provided insights into how and when the target consumed media. We used these insights to convince our agency counterparts and clients to avoid the “tried & true” approach of relying on TV to launch Nesquik RTD. Instead, the media team drove the decision to use out-of-home and radio as launch vehicles. Media took the lead in customizing the Nesquik out-of-home effort by looking at each advertising market individually. This ensured that Nesquik RTD advertising was seen in all the right places and helped the brand avoid taking a “one size fits all” approach to its advertising. This focus on customization continually challenged the creative team to develop advertising for unique out-of-home vehicles and opportunities.