Trinity Projects

effectiveness

  • Top of the Chocs

    Top of the Chocs

    Analysis and insight of 60 years of Chocolate Advertising

    LinkedIn 2nd April 2019

    Like you I’m sure, there is nothing I like more on a Saturday night, than to enjoy some great TV. I must confess that I tend to spend a bit more time on Channels One to Four but the 16th of February was to be a night of change. It turned out that Channel 5 was going to reveal the Greatest Chocolate Ads of All Time! Yes they were.

    You and I would get to enjoy almost an hour and a half of adverts occasionally interrupted by more adverts. As someone who works in the industry and who spends much of his time evaluating and optimising chocolate advertising, you can only imagine my excitement at this TV first. Unfortunately my desire to enjoy this televisual feast was sadly cut short. The latest chapter in the long running drama “Battle for the Remote” ending in defeat for me yet again. I was therefore consigned to catch up using My5 some days later. Again, I also need to confess that I haven’t watched much on this platform. Now I was destined to watch all of the ads in the programme as well as all of the unskippable groups of 5 ads that were going to be shown in between.

    As I was reflecting on when I might actually get to watch the program, I also started to wonder which ads would be included? On what basis were they chosen? And as it wasn’t a top 100, how many of them would be work from my employer Mondelez? I also wondered how many would have been more recent given the continual pronouncements of TV passing away, creativity fading and everything that was great in Advertising apparently happened years ago. So being someone who works with data, I decide to make a note of all the copies shown, what they were advertising, who the current manufacturer is and the year first aired. In a moment of #excelexcitement, I also made a note of all of the ads shown in between for some reason.

    I’ll just dwell on the ads shown in between to start with. These were of varying lengths but I did sit through all 31 of them. Having to do this mean’t I did at least pay a bit more attention to them. To be fair I don’t have a need for Hipp baby food but by the 4th time I saw one of their copies, I was starting to considering trying some. At the other end of the scale, Fidelity investments popped up 3 times. Some planner somewhere is clearly concerned that I might be dying soon. Celebrity Cruises wasn’t making me feel any younger so at least Uber Eats and Deliveroo (in the same slot), Spicebomb fragrance and Samsung S10 made me feel more Millennial. Then came Micellar Cleansing Water from Garnier which made me feel positively GenY. I did have to Google what Micellar Cleansing Water is and honestly, I’m still not entirely sure, however Garnier are convinced that there’s is the best so that is good enough for me. The final ad was for Batiste Dry Shampoo. Apparently this is a thing but as a card carrying member of the Follically Challenged, that one wasn’t for me.

    So what about the Chocolate ads? Well as a data man I was nervous like all good researchers about the sample. The source wasn’t entirely clear other than what sounded a bit like researchers! They did at least come up with 113 examples as being the best however. To further cast doubt on the validity of the data, I soon realised that all 113 were British TV ads. I’m sure therefore that have been many great Chocolate ads from other parts of the world and also on other channels but these were clearly not considered or were not considered great enough. There was an expert panel however to provide analysis and comment including that guy who was the cat off of Red Dwarf and was in Strictly, There was also a former Milky Bar Kid and Janis Levy who famously appeared in the Gypsy Caravan Cadbury Flake ad many years ago.

    So, with all of the disclaimers over with, what about the data? Well the first best Chocolate ad in the world shown was a copy called “Duet” for Cadbury Roses from 1956. Roses top and tailed the programme with “Another way to Say Thank” you airing in 2018 being the most recent ad included. Overall a combination of Cadbury and Fry’s (not just Turkish Delight but also interestingly originally Crunchie and Picnic) mean’t that I was happy to see that Mondelez was Top of the Chocs.

    Not wishing to over blow our trumpet but it is also probably not surprisingly that the leading brands come from my employer’s stable too. What might be a surprise is that the number one entry, featuring 7 times, has not been on air since 2010.

    Not wishing to blow a raspberry as well however, I’m sure that the Marketing team at HQ will notice that Cadbury Dairy Milk just missed out on the top 10

    Just looking at the list suggests there might be more than an element of ‘nostalgia’ influencing the 113 choices spanning 62 years. If you look at the spread of entries over the 113 years, this does appear to be proven.

    The halcyon days seem to have been the years from 1978 to 1984 when just over a third of all the greatest Chocolate Ads of all time were aired. 1986 seemed to mark the end of great ads with not even one being shown and since that year, it’s been an even slimmer set of pickings than you would find in a Woolworth’s pic’n’mix.

    The latest 40 years have passed apparently with occasionally two, one or even no great Chocolate Ads being aired. 2007 was an exception however. This vintage year featured a certain Cadbury percussive Ape making his first appearance, 2 different copies for Creme Egg and Smarties also made an appearance with “Blue is Back”. Are we really now at a stage where we are lucky if we see one great Chocolate Ad in a year? Would this be the same if the programme was about the Greatest Car, Smartphone, Surface Cleaner or Price Comparison Website Ads of all time? Would Channel 5 or anyone else for that matter care?

    An analysis of the last ten years indicates that Mars is leading the way with 4, Mondelez with 3 and 1 from Ferrero. Since the Rowntrees acquisition by Nestle 1988, there have apparently only been 4 great Nestle Chocolate Ads in 30 years. The Milky Bar Kid informs us that the only other character who lasted longer in British Advertising History were the PG Tips Chimps. I’ve no idea if this is true but the chap seemed convincing. I’m not sure they’d be ticking the brand purpose box these days but surely MBK is worth a reboot?

    With an impending restriction of Advertising for HFSS products on television coming at presumably coming up at some point in the future

    https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/junk-food-brands-put-alert-mps-renew-calls-stricter-advertising-regulations/1454604

    and possibly on Social Media as well…

    https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/government-considers-hfss-ban-social-media/1579329

    you could argue that this data suggests there is at the very least a wake up call for the Chocolate industry. It could also be that there are many great Ads for Chocolate being aired these days but no one can remember them. In the words of Janis Levy:

    “Adverts in Great Britain used to be like little works of art. Almost like tiny mini theatrical masterpieces and to have made one of those and for us all to have been involved in something like that is definitely something you don’t forget”

    When was the last time you remember seeing a tiny mini theatrical masterpiece or even a large one? Is all this just nostalgia and so there’s nothing to be concerned about or is this a bit of wake up call for Chocolate Advertisers needing to up their game?

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-chocs-matt-stockbridge/

  • Mondelez: ‘We welcome a bit of ad blocking’

    Mondelez: ‘We welcome a bit of ad blocking’

    Mondelez International is relaxed about the immediate threat of ad blocking, believing that as long as it works to produce content that people want to should see its media strategies continue to be effective.

    The Drum 1st March 2016

    While many of its peers are sweating as ad blockers proliferate, the Cadbury owner is calm; it pays millions to the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter to ensure its content is viewed via paid native ads and what’s more believes other channels like TV, radio and outdoor ensure that its brands are in front of enough people.

    “Are we worried about ad blocking? No, not really. We’re fortunate in that we create greate content that people want to see… and so hopefully if something does pop up unexpectedly then they might want to look at it,”

    said Matt Stockbridge, analytics manager at Mondelez at Newsworks’ Shift event earlier today (1 March).

    “We are relying a little on the platforms or the agencies’ credentials [to ensure] that the content is going where it needs to be.”

    The dangers of that slightly removed approach to distributing content were brought into sharp focus last month when Mondelez sponsored a negative story on the Guardian about rival Nestlé. The snacks business admitted it did not have any say in the writing of the story, a stance indicative of how many native content deals are structured now.

    That stance chimes with the company’s wider move to become better at producing ads that people are willing to pay for, from TV shows to articles. Stockbridge added that, while deemed a “small part” of the wider challenges Mondelez marketers face, it is spending more to address its growth in “platforms and areas where “we’re pretty sure the message is going to get to the audience that we want to reach.”

    “We welcome a bit of ad blocking if the content we’re creating then rises to the surface and all that horrible stuff stays below us so that we in turn get a bigger share of voice,”

    claimed Stockbridge.

    “We’ll start worrying about ad blocking when we can’t watch TV, look at posters, read newspapers and listen to the radio.”

    One side-effect of trusting technology companies like Google and Facebook is that Mondelez is getting more data on the effectiveness of its ads.

    “Whereas two or three years ago we relied completely on the media agency to provide the information, those platforms are keen to share their data as well. It’s meant that there’s now this interesting conversation happening between the media agency and the platform about what’s actually being served and what’s been paid for,”

    added Stockbridge.

    Mondelez’s relaxed view to ad blocking chaffs somewhat with that held by Google et al, with those companies at risk of losing much more should ad blockers to continue to proliferate without them having a robust counter-measure.

    https://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/03/01/mondelez-we-welcome-bit-ad-blocking

  • How Mondelez wants its digital partners to pitch for business

    How Mondelez wants its digital partners to pitch for business

    Mondelez’s growth analytics manager, Matt Stockbridge, is tired of being pitched by digital advertising companies that don’t understand the FMCG giant’s challenges.

    Campaign 12th October 2016

    Speaking at IAB Engage 2016, Stockbridge mocked the language of digital companies that cold-call him. Mondelez is open to pitches from digital advertising companies, he said, but they need to be aware of the company’s challenges.
    Here he outlines four key challenges prospective digital partners need to be aware of.

    Innovation in FMCG is tough

    “We get accused of not moving fast enough,” says Stockbridge. “But all I have known about this business is constantly changing and evolving.”He pointed to the failed takeover of Hershey as an example. “It’s not happened, it may happen in future – it’s constantly changing,” he said.
    Mondelez also has less leeway than other categories, he added. Stockbridge pointed out that a car manufacturer that spends $1m advertising a $25,000 car only needs to sell a few vehicles to see a strong ROI. “It’s more difficult for us – we have a massive range of brands,” he said, adding that Mondelez targeted “incremental growth”.
    He said it is rare for an FMCG brand to continue growing past its first year. He pointed to Belvita, the breakfast biscuits that rival standard cereal. “It’s targeting breakfast on-the-go, where there are lots of established brands,” he said. Belvita has continued to grow beyond its first year, he said before quipping, “Anyone from Kellogg’s here?”. Another example of innovative marketing is Mondelez’s Creme Egg Cafe, launched in January. Tickets sold out fast, despite continued press criticism over the changing taste of Cadbury’s chocolate since its acquisition by Mondelez.

    Despite the coverage of Oreo’s outdoor eclipse campaign, such stunts don’t yield much in terms of immediate sales, Stockbridge said. “It’s all very well talking about instant returns, 100 clicks and this that and the other,” he said. “For what we’re trying to make, the products are not particularly expensive, so we have to drive a lot of sales. “A lot of advertising spend in 24 hours probably isn’t going to provide a big return. That doesn’t mean we don’t do it, it’s about finding balance.” He added that Mondelez is “absolutely” investing in digital, pointing to the company’s partnerships with Facebook, Google and Twitter.

    Supermarkets are squeezed

    Mondelez’s margins are constantly squeezed by the fact its items are often sold discounted. Stockbridge illustrated his point by showing a pile of Oreo packets discounted and stacked next to a full-priced pile of Quavers. “It’s how to understand the balance of consumers, what’s happening at the discounters, and how that effects price, value and the decisions customers make in-store,” he said. The confectioner also has to consider where growth is coming from in groceries – Aldi and Lidl – without contributing to the issues of its biggest customer, Tesco’s.

    How people buy snacks hasn’t changed

    Despite the growth of online shopping and increasingly “frictionless”, on-demand options such as the Amazon Dash button, ecommerce is difficult for a firm like Mondelez.
    “We want to sell our stuff online if we can find a profitable way of doing it [but] the traditional way people buy snacks hasn’t changed,” Stockbridge said, adding that ecommerce was “difficult” for retailers to do well. Nonetheless, he hinted there could be a Cadbury’s Dash button in the works.

    https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/mondelez-wants-its-digital-partners-pitch-business/1412017

  • Test, learn and partner: Mondelez on how to foster a culture of effectiveness

    Test, learn and partner: Mondelez on how to foster a culture of effectiveness

    Being willing to experiment, thinking long term and appreciating the value of old and new media channels alike are all part of a successful approach to effectiveness, Mondelez’s Matt Stockbridge says

    Campaign 25th July 2018

    Small and big agencies and some of the biggest names in adland have their fingers and toes crossed for victory, after the IPA shortlisted 38 campaigns for the Effectiveness Awards, which take place this autumn.

    It got me thinking about effectiveness beyond awards, as an intrinsic part of business culture and what can marketers do towards growing a culture of effectiveness?

    Back at the end of the noughties I was very excited about my new role at Cadbury and even more excited about all that we were planning as a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics.

    We were investing in initiatives above, below and through the line and part of my job was to evaluate these efforts.

    The goal was to drive a legacy. The feeling was that this was probably a one-off opportunity for us to engage with a huge market locally.

    However, this created a challenge: how do you measure a legacy? How do you know if you’ve created one and how much revenue is it worth?

    The answer to all of this would take a much longer article than this but one thing is very clear now.

    We’ve been able to apply a number of learnings from and since the Olympics, which have been applied in our first year of partnership with the Premier League.

    Over the last few years we have steadily been growing a culture of effectiveness in our business, which is now consistently driving real and measurable business results.

    Based on much of what you read in the marketing press we are supposed to be spending less on advertising, spending less on TV (because it’s, at best, not being watched or is dead), spending more on digital, creating more content in house, killing the agency model and destroying creativity through big data.

    So far we’ve managed to avoid doing all of these things and, in most cases, have done the opposite while building a healthy culture of effectiveness.

    The approach to creating great campaigns is not exactly rocket science and isn’t in need of reinventing despite many people seemingly being intent on doing so.

    As soon as you start with the channel or being deliberately “digitally” led, you are immediately potentially limiting your success.

    The combination of the story or idea, the audience and finally the channels pays back on far more occasions than the other way round.

    An added element for more impulsive, snacking brands like ours is how to involve our customers in the process too.

    For the Premier League activation in particular, this has been an essential part of our efforts.

    Test and learn

    We don’t always get it right and not every one of our campaigns drives a record-breaking ROI. We can’t always explain why every element of a campaign works even if we know what the ROI is.

    But this is liberating as it allows us to have a test and learn culture and to work with many partners who are constantly helping us to evolve and develop how we advertise.

    Over the last couple of years, as well as Facebook, Google, Twitter and Snapchat, we’ve also worked with likes of Oath, Mumsnet, Spotify, Buzzfeed and Match.com.

    At the same time we’ve done specific activations with The Sun, The Daily Mirror and Global Radio.

    This allows us to incorporate different thinking and create specific content to reach new audiences.

    Great work doesn’t always drive a short-term uplift in sales and neither should it be expected to.

    There should be room in your plans to do both and not one at the expense of the other.

    Looking at ROI in relative terms

    Another evolution in our thinking is in moving away from seeing an ROI in absolute terms but rather how can we improve it.

    This allows an even playing field across all of our brands and categories across our region and helps to focus our efforts on growth.

    It’s easy to get lost in a debate around why an individual ROI is higher or lower than the expectation but it’s far more productive to talk about how it’s evolved from one year to the next.

    How did the plans change, was the creative the same, was it optimised for the channel that was used, how many impressions, cost per point?

    The answers to all of these questions are helping us to make better decisions and build learnings, which identify what sort of campaigns are more likely to drive better results.

    Working with partners

    We are also keen to be involved in healthy ongoing conversations around wider issues of brand safety, transparency and measurement.

    We welcome being a part of the work that ISBA and the IPA are doing to improve things from an industry perspective.

    It’s also encouraging to hear about the work that the IAB, Newsworks, Thinkbox and Radiocentre have been doing to help build an understanding of how consumers respond to advertising.

    A lot of this work doesn’t necessarily create headlines but it certainly helps nail the point that long-standing media channels have somehow become dated or unsound.

    My view remains that a culture of effectiveness in a client will allow all media channels to play to their strengths.

    https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/test-learn-partner-mondelez-foster-culture-effectiveness/1488618