• With the record market in a period of recession and profit margins being squeezed, Rhino UK needed to drive cost effective response for their album launch
• Thanks to tight targeting and a bespoke analysis system, ESP Marketing was able to look at every album that had used TV advertising over the last three years and isolate the most effective programming
• Using intelligent road-blocking of digital channels and screening immediately after Remembrance Day, the campaign created a neat link with a poignant feel

The Challenge

The record market is suffering, with album sales dwindling each year. Coupled with this, profit margins are squeezed by retail hence there is less money available for marketing. However, the album market remains incredibly competitive and so the need for impactful marketing remains the same.

Rhino UK, part of Warner Music, were launching a new album called “Coming Home”. The album featured 3 serving soldiers singing cover versions of well loved classics and the proceeds were to be donated to relevant charities.

Traditionally, response ratios are particularly poor for the MOR category (middle of the road) and to sustain retail support it is imperative that the album charts well from day one.

TV is the only medium capable of reaching the mass audiences required literally overnight. The inclusive nature of TV as well as the audiovisual impact was vital for connecting with the market. It was necessary to find a cost-effective way of driving response in a traditionally low response category, to maximise exposure and retail profile by attaining and maintaining a high chart position.
Finally it was necessary to deliver maximum impact and measurable results and it would have to be a low cost campaign to generate profit.

The TV Solution

To execute the TV campaign effectively, it was necessary to look back at the whole album market from the previous three years. Through this analysis, it was possible to gauge predicted response levels and determine what the best performing spots were. With this data, ESP Marketing were able to create a bespoke campaign and maximise reach whilst reducing cost.

An initial plan was constructed around a skeleton of cost effective programmes identified to have delivered above average results over the list of competitive brands the agency had analysed. In addition to this, “intelligent road-blocking” of digital channel spots was used to add flesh to the campaign and ensure a high level of reach.

In the second week of the campaign, data from Amazon recommendations was utilised showing that there was a strong link with “people who bought this also bought this” to children’s DVDs so, using this data, the agency looked at the most cost effective way to target the  buying audience of Housewives with Children. They identified that at 21:30 on Friday night it was possible to deliver as many HW+CH ratings as a national X-Factor spot by using every channel except ITV in a road-block. This proved a more methodical and effective way of targeting.

The campaign was tracked and tweaked daily as a result of overnight sales – showing how responsive TV is as a medium

Finally, the agency liaised with Five and some Virgin Media channels who agreed to show The Soldiers three minute video. Five aired the video directly after the two minute silence on Remembrance Sunday and the Virgin Media channels screened the video just after the two minute silence on Remembrance Day itself. This was a clever way of targeting a poignant event with a relevant advert – there is a direct link with The Soldiers video and paying respect for those who have given their lives for their country.

Results

Coming Home sold over half a million copies! Despite the early release date, the album remained in the Top 20 for the whole nine weeks to Christmas. Only six albums achieved this same level of longevity and these were by established stars with huge cross media support.

The campaign exceeded client expectations by several hundred percent and was the 21st best-selling album of the year outselling albums by Michael Jackson and Madonna! Despite using lower cost spots, the campaign delivered 1.9 sales per thousand impacts – well above the industry average.

The Soldiers success is also a success story for the TV marketplace as well. Increased efficiency has enabled Warner Music to invest more into television because it is such an effective medium for them.

“The ESP system and the TV planning service offered by the ESP team has provided an amazing framework in planning sales against TV advertising through the most effective and low-cost airtime.”

Hik Sasaki
Marketing Director of Rhino UK