Axe Deodorant Communication Plan

8/10/2019 Axe Deodorant Communication Plan

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AXE Deodorant Communication Plan


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Executive Summary

Axe will be repositioning its Axe deodorant from its current target market of 15-25 young men,

to 40 to 65 year old men. This will be done by moving away from the currently used sexual

attraction based brand image, and shifting towards a message that promotes male inner-confidence. Axe has been granted a 12 million dollar budget for this communications campaign

to change the perceived brand image in the Canadian market.

To achieve this shift is brand positioning, Axe will be utilizing an advertising campaign that

involves television and radio commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements, as well as

out of home and unique public advertising. The adverting campaign will be set into two 3 month

phases, phase 1 beginning circulation in June 2013, and phase 2 beginning circulation in October

2013. Phase 1 will focus on building up interest and intrigue on the new image of the Axe brand,while phase 2 will actually show comparisons between Axe users and non-Axe users.

A promotions campaign will also be conducted across the Canadian market, in their five major

cities which are Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. These areas will have

promotional 2 man teams touring grocery and super stores, engaging consumers who fit the

target market, giving out samples, and conducting market research. This promotional campaign

will occur during Phase 1 of the advertising campaign.

A public relations campaign will also take place in both phase 1 and phase 2. In phase 1, Axe

will host a public speaking conference, known as the Confidence Conference, which will be

hosted in four of the major cities, with guest speakers and seminars. In Phase 2, Axe will conduct

a charity for homeless shelters and families in need. This will be known as the You and Axe

Give Back! charity drive, where Axe will donate an Axe product to these groups for every Axe

product purchased by a consumer. The overall message will be that everyone deserves to feel

clean and confident, so Axe is going to help with that.

This overall repositioning by Axe aims to unify a companywide shift into a new target market,

and also redefine Axes brand image. The advertising, promotional, and public relations

campaign all hope to acquire the attention, desire, purchases, and overall loyalty of men aged 40

to 65.


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Axe Deodorant Proposed Target Market, Positioning, Communications Objectives and

Strategies

a) Proposed Target Market:

Consumer Characteristics Buying SituationsDEMOGRAPHIC AWARENESS and INTENTIONS

Age: 40-65 years old

Product Knowledge: Identify the product as a

mature source of deodorant, easy to apply, long

lasting effects, and generating innerconfidence.

Birth Era: Baby Boomer Generation BEHAVIOUR

Gender: Heterosexual Males Involvement: Low involvement, habitual purchase

Life Stage: Middle aged men currently in or

approaching self-actualization stage

Dissatisfied Customers may be inclined to change

brands on next purchase

Martial Status: Single, married, in a relationship, or

divorced BENEFITS SOUGHT

Race: Any race or ethnic Decent

Product Feature: Quick and easy application,

favourable scent, attractive packaging, long lasting

scent (freshness)

GEOGRAPHIC Needs/Wants: Favourable and long lasting scent

City Size: Large urban city to small rural towns OUTLET TYPES

Region: Predominantly North America

In-Store: Focus Heavily on grocery stores, drug

stores, and major chain (Wal-Mart, Metro, etc.)

PSYCHOGRAPHIC

Direct: Products can also be purchased online

through many websites (Amazon, EBay, etc.)

Culture: Mainstream North American Culture USAGE

Lifestyle: Comfortable living, independent, settled

down Usage Rate: Daily usage

Personality: The everyday working man focused

heavily on work as opposed to social development,

set in their ways

User Status: User must re-purchase product

monthly

Social Class: Middleclass

Values: Social norms, self-actualization stage, and

regaining youth (40 is the new 30)

SOCIOECONOMICS

Education: High level of education (University

Graduate/Post-Graduate)

Income: Middle to high income, (able to live

comfortably)

Occupation: Full time employment, Career based,

professionals


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b) Proposed Positioning

- Axe deodorant is positioned as a strong, long lasting, fresh deodorant that breeds

innerconfidence to conquer outersituations, for the everyday man.

c) Proposed Communications Objectives

- To form a distinction in 85% of targeted consumers awareness of Axe over its

direct competition by the first quarter of 2014.

- To build a brand image of confidence focused on personal success, with 75% of

the target market by the second quarter of 2014.

- To be the deodorant of choice within 65% of the evoked set of target audience by

the third quarter of 2014.

-To generate brand loyalty within 60% of the target audience by third quarter of

2014.

d) Proposed Communications Strategies

The new Axe image will utilize multiple aspects of the promotional mix to achieve the proposed

communication objectives

a. Advert ising Campaign

The majority of the new Axe campaign will revolve around heavy advertising through major

promotional channels.

i. The first promotional channel will be through a series of television

commercials. A national television commercial will help form distinction

for the brand as well as develop the new brand image and awareness. The

television commercial will be aired on networks such as TSN, CBC, and

Global.

ii. A national print promotion will follow the television commercials. The

print advertisements, much like the television advertisements, will help

form distinction for the brand as well as develop the new brand image and

awareness. The print advertisements will be focused on major


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publications such as Forbes, Car and Driver, Sports Illustrated, and

National newspapers such as the Globe and Mail. Print advertisements

will also be seen through major urban city newspapers like the Toronto

Star. This promotional campaign will be focused on the target market

mainly in the urban areas of Canada.

iii. Out of Home promotion will be focused heavily in the metropolitan areas

in Canada. Similar to both the television commercial and the print

advertisements, these out of home promotions are focused to increase

brand image and awareness as well as create a distinction with the Axe

brand over its competition. These promotional efforts will be focused on

billboards and shopping malls in major metropolitan cities. The new Axe

effect will also follow Axes tradition of unique out of home ads , however

these will be focused on the new positioning of confidence.

iv. Radio broadcast commercials will be the final advertising promotional

effort. Like all other advertisements, the radio will generate an increase in

brand awareness and image, as well as generating a distinction with the

Axe brand over its competition. These stations include: CKNWAM980 in

Vancouver, 660News in Calgary, 680News in Toronto, 1310News in

Ottawa, and CJAD800AM in Montreal. Seeing as many working men

drive to and from work, the Axe brand will be heard during the traffic

hours throughout the day having a direct target on the desired audience of

males.

b. Promotion campaign

i. The Axe brand will have sample booths set up throughout all major

distribution chains such as Wal-Mart, focusing on the heavily populated

metropolitan areas, as well as through close suburban towns. These

booths will have mini take home samples of Axe deodorant sprays and

sticks. There will also be information on the new position, and the new

testimonial promotion challenge (see part ii of this section). The sample

booths will define the Axe brand with the target audience and make it their

brand of choice. The booths will be run by mature male and female teams


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that will be able to deliver product benefits in a way that relates to the

target audience.

ii. A consumer driven promotion will be created based on consumer

testimonials about how they applied their new found confidence to their

everyday life. The tagline of the promotion will be what have you

conquered with your new found confidencethe NEW Axe effect. This

promotion will allow the target market to relate to the new axe effect

brand and make this the brand of choice as well as increase brand loyalty.

There will be select winners that will be entered in a draw for many

different adventurous prizes, which include: sky diving, bungee jumping, a

day on the sports track, as well as a cash grand prize and a chance to

appear in a commercial.

Axe Deodorant Communication Plan

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