APSOTWSOBE WATER (Freya Ng - May ’14)free.epiphany@gmail.com

ISSUE SoBe V water has been rebranded and

released in UK since 2011 or so. Sales has been stagnant; the company is

moving approximately 2million units of it annually.

Advertising is extremely minimal – this resulted in poor product awareness

SOME ACTION… To gain some insight, I did the following

things over the course of a month or so.1. Look out for the drink at major

supermarkets2. Speak to others about it, to gain a general

idea of product awareness.3. Check their internet presence and other

related products.

INSIGHTS Branding is “too loose”

Existing advertising for the US is rather dated; at best, it is incongruent with the existing packaging. This has a spillover effect in the UK, and brand consistency is an endemic problem. (The visuals used for their Facebook and their Twitter need to be reworked. For an example, the cover photos on their Facebook contain copies of the similar banners with very minor alterations, such as changing the angle of a tilted piece of text.)

The existing website and the packaging is probably a good point to start.

INSIGHTS “I’ve never seen/heard of it before”

Despite looking for the product on supermarket shelves, the drinks rarely show up, and when they do, they are not prominently placed.

Worse, on google search, the first news article that comes up lambasts the drink for not being as healthy as it claims.

Interestingly, there is a growing demand for healthier alternatives to traditional carbonated and energy drinks Frugo has a dedicated following, because they have a wide range

of intense flavours and are relatively budget-friendly as they can often be found retailing at 3 for £1.00

Monster released a range of non-carbonated tea-based energy drinks; it is not uncommon to find certain flavours out of stock.

The people I spoke to were largely a combination of students, gym-goers, online gamers and a few housewives. The gamers were particularly knowledgeable, as they rely very much on bottled/canned drinks to keep going for long gaming sessions. They’re often willing to try new products as most drinks can become tasteless after constant exposure. (Unless it’s Coke, which has no taste-memory.)

IDEA Reptilian Beauty and Transformation

The whole idea of going to gym and eating healthy, or in this case, drinking healthy, is to improve one’s health condition and physical appearances. It seems apt to take the idea of the potential benefits of drinking healthy, and running away with it a little.

Possibly selling the product as a part of the life-changes?

IMPLEMENTATION Budget: £1million The 3 main pillars

1. Targeted print ads2. Social Media3. Indirect marketing

All pillars will inform each other and adhere to a similar style/voice.

Collaborate with artists, to produce more appealing visuals for advertising (In particular: Body-artists, photographers and fashion designers)

The target audience can be loosely categorized into:1. Individuals who are concerned about their health2. Youths and young adults

IMPLEMENTATION – PRINT ADS Aim: Full-page ads, with a minimal price-tag Magazines to approach:

Diabetes Balance – A magazine sent to sufferers of diabetes in the UK. They need to constantly watch for their sugar-intake, and hence have the potential of becoming heavy buyers.

Gaming magazines – As mentioned earlier, gamers drink a lot of canned/bottled beverages, and are likely to be youthful.

Community magazines – Targeting home-keepers, who are more likely to be concerned with their families’ well-being

IMPLEMENTATION – SOCIAL MEDIA Approach YouTubers for reviews (especially

those who focus on health, or have a youthful audience)

Use the photos/graphics from the artist collaborations to grow a social media presence.

“Befriend” twitter/facebook accounts that discuss health, obesity and diabetes

IMPLEMENTATION – INDIRECT MARKETING Provide private healthcare providers and

councillors with: Flyers (with discount codes) that explain the

healthy aspects of SoBe V Water. These flyers should come in 2 or 3 versions, to suit the general demographics of the clinic. For an example, more wholesome for pediatric clinics and more eye-catching for a general clinic.

Free samples, which they can give away to clients where appropriate

ETCETERA

SoBe should consider: Releasing new flavours – this can result in some

synergy with the advertising efforts, as it will allow for more colourful adverts. Further more, it will provide some “news-value” for the campaign, which will be helpful when soliciting reviews and such.

Having their drinks distributed to pharmacies and vending machines located near healthcare providers.

Contributing to conservation efforts for welfare of reptiles – useful for positive publicity

Keeping a pet reptile – a mascot that could help build a social media presence and open up opportunities to generate buzz over the brand.

Sponsoring online gamers – it will help develop a more diverse and youthful following

Approaching schools