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Good for the Ear: Universal Buzz Helps U.S. Cellular Rock Out
April 07, 2008
By Anne Marie D. Lee
Challenge: To celebrate its 21st birthday in a unique way that says "Thank You" to the city where it was founded. To come up with an unforgettable event that creates buzz, increases sales and builds loyalty.
Solution: A music festival in Knoxville, Tenn. called "Rox Knox," featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Entry was free with wristband, obtainable through online registration and coupon redemption at any U.S. Cellular store.
ROI: Thousands of residents showed up to the event, which sparked extensive media coverage, increased sales and increased foot traffic in U.S. Cellular stores.
To celebrate its 21st birthday, U.S. Cellular, the sixth largest wireless carrier in the nation, wasn't sure exactly what it wanted to do, but it had a very specific idea of what it wanted to accomplish. The objectives of the celebration were clear. First off, U.S. Cellular wanted it to be a free event that would take place in Knoxville, Tenn.—the city where its business launched. Secondly it was to be a "Thank You" directed to the community for its support over the years. Most importantly, it had to be something that created buzz, increased sales and built up loyalty. In short, it had to rock.
Targeting these goals and a primary audience of 18- to 34-year-old consumers, the creative minds at Universal Buzz Intelligence (UBI), an edgy marketing company with a strong presence in the music space, put together a free, daylong outdoor festival with the catchy slogan "U.S. Cellular Rox Knox." It was held at the World's Fair Park in Knoxville and included Joan Jett and the Blackhearts along with another national touring band, Lifehouse, and local band Jag Star. Hosting the event were the morning DJs of a local radio station, and appearances were made by Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, and Tom Catani, regional vice president of U.S. Cellular.
The springtime event was produced, marketed and managed by UBI, which promoted the festival across multiple mediums that included traditional forms—print, radio and television—as well as viral campaigns spread throughout college campuses, local clubs and online. Says Tommy Brunnett, CEO and founder of Universal Buzz, a creative agency and consultancy, "We used all different forms for the advertising. [Viral marketing is] a creation of brand and consumer experience that drives specific action so that they experience the brand."
To get tickets, Knoxville residents went online to U.S. Cellular and registered their name and info on a microsite custom-developed by UBI for the festival. Those who registered could then print out a coupon that was redeemable for a wristband at any local U.S. Cellular store. The wristbands served as tickets for entry to the event. Further experiential opportunities engaging consumers with the brand continued at the festival where booths were set up with giveaway prizes like backstage passes, cell phones and video games. There was also a spin-off competition to choose Knoxville's best DJ. The winner took home a full set of DJ equipment.
Marketing Morphs Out
As consumerism becomes more about personal favorites and subgroups with very specific likes and dislikes, what's commonly known as viral or grassroots marketing becomes a crucial means of tapping into the nooks and crannies of the consumer market. Universal Buzz's unique promotions get into hard-to-reach markets by snaking their way into avenues completely unknown or overlooked by more traditional agencies. "The marketing world is always morphing out, because it's hard to reach the client through traditional advertising," says Brunnett. "We can light up the mainstream, but we can also light the areas that are hard to light up. And the darker areas are maybe where you can really hit your target, but they're hard to reach; we know how to reach them." For U.S. Cellular, UBI incorporated a DJ spin-off aspect of the festival for which local DJs were invited to compete ahead of time. As a result, says Brunnett, "the DJs were in the clubs saying, 'Make sure you vote for me at www.USCellularRoxKnox.com.' So they kind of had the people embrace it [the festival] because they have a voice in the community. And so they turn into the marketing process."
Rave Results
Tickets sold out a week before the festival, and thousands gathered to hear the music and enjoy the activities available at the event. According to UBI, the U.S. Cellular Rox Knox festival sparked increased sales as well as extensive regional media coverage and increased foot traffic within U.S. Cellular stores.
The secret to a successful program, according to Brunnett, whose background is in music, is connecting with the audience. At the Rock Knox festival, this connection was clearly felt, as was evident at the DJ booths where crowds were so revved up they took to chanting "Rox! Knox!" at the DJ's behest, whenever he yelled out "U.S. Cellular." It was truly one of the great moments at the event for Brunnett, who says, "It was crazy to hear this whole sold-out event resonating with something that we came up with. It was actually cool."
With a client list that has included Miramax Films, Virgin Records, MTV and The White Stripes, cool is something that UBI is experienced in. The company was founded in 1995 by Brunnett, who toured as a guitarist with popular bands, including the eighties group Modern English, best known for the song "I'll Stop the World and Melt With You." Brunnett also has experience as a studio manager and believes that there's no better place than the music industry to learn the power of marketing. He says, "When you think about it, if you're not a good marketer in the music space, then you really can't survive that well, because it's a crowded space and you have to stand out. Especially nowadays."
Extreme Can-do Attitude
In practical terms, Brunnett says that his experience with rock tours and the phenomenally creative stage production that they entail means that there's no such thing as impossible. "It's really good to have the creative be part of the production, because then we know that if you want to have a hologram that pops out of garbage cans all over the event—or whatever crazy idea—it can be done."
As a creative agency and consultancy, Universal Buzz works with clients to identify touch points within their marketing initiatives to come up with something that's really unique and exciting. Says Brunnett, "Basically, as a company we really like turning people on to new ideas. Or, if it's an older brand, maybe making it a newer experience for the consumer. So we're really based in the creative world, we're a kind of 'mind shop.'"
For this agency, flawless execution involves what Brunnett refers to as "due diligence and one of the best execution teams" and the willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver a very positive experience to the client. For the U.S. Cellular event, planning began with a focus on the target audience of 18- to 34-year-olds, along with geography and psychographic information, and defining what message they were trying to get across. Explains Brunnett, "Once we identified that it was going to be a free concert, a celebratory event, it worked out really well. Then we came up with the concept, the artists that would resonate well with a large group of people, and not alienate the 'leakover' into the older demographic or the younger demographic."
Putting things together involved countless considerations on several points. The final choice of performers depended on factors like tour routing, price, getting artists who would agree to play at an event supporting a brand, and other factors. In the end, says Brunnett, "Joan Jett speaks for herself. There were moms next to their daughters singing, 'I Love Rock n' Roll.'"
Send comments to alee@incentivemag.com.
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