Having been in PR for more years than I care to admit, I often reminisce about how things once were, compared to how they are today. Trust me when I say that 20 years ago we weren’t discussing ‘influencing the influencers’ (although our campaigns were doing just that!) or using the terms ‘amplification’ or ‘online traction’ in our strategies. And the only thing that went viral was medical related! So whilst I’m 100% on board with the interesting challenges, changes and industry reinventions that cross our desks almost daily, it is comforting to know that campaigns can still be successful with one core ingredient; a good yarn to tell.
Recently the Thrive team was fortunate to work with Britax Australia; Australia’s leading name in baby products. In Australia, Britax is the home of leading brands Safe-n-Sound and Steelcraft. In my other life as a mum, I am passionate about baby product safety, so be warned if you ever start me talking about the confusion parents face when choosing car seats for their children…or more specifically when they decide to move their children out of car seats; but I’ll save that rant for another post. Needless to say, I feel at home playing in this space.
But back to Britax and the campaign that Thrive developed and implemented on its behalf. It involved the world launch of the Britax e-brake™ Stroller; the first electronic braking system for a stroller to ensure safety and ultimate peace of mind by preventing avoidable accidents. The e-brake™ is a touch sensitive braking system that activates when the carer removes their hands from the stroller, which surpasses that of all other stroller braking systems IN THE WORLD! You can check it out for yourself here and here. The e-brake™ technology incorporates an integrated LCD screen that displays speed, distance, current temperature and calories burned. The stroller also incorporates a rechargeable battery to keep carers informed of their e-brake™ status and it will even CHARGE YOUR PHONE!
So there we were, working with a great client to launch a great product. Actually not just a great product, an amazing product. A legitimate world-first in product development and a game-changer to the baby product industry. Not to mention a technology that for years to come, will significantly impact the safety of children. Wow…I know it sounds like I am little over-the-top, but the e-brake™ is truly that special.
‘But where is the lesson in this campaign?’ I hear you ask. The lesson is in simplicity and weighing up the ‘wanting to do everything’ versus ‘what is of real benefit’ to the client. In the case of the Britax launch we didn’t need to overcook the goose. The story was strong, our media pitches were strong, our spokespeople were strong, our case studies were strong. All-in-all our launch was simple but effective. Much like a winning recipe, we let the number one key message be the hero of the dish and ensured the rest of the ingredients added to the outcome, rather than detracting from it.
The result was wide-reaching national news coverage to launch the product, all achieved by avoiding the bells and whistles and just telling it like it is. For Britax Australia, the campaign delivered a return of investment of 80:1 and an aggregate audience reach of over 24 million people. In addition, the coverage substantially raised awareness of the product and the broader issue of stroller safety features, thereby reinforcing Britax’s position as the go-to brand for child safety.
Sometimes it really does pay to take the path straight in front.