• Specsavers needed to reach glasses wearers who were loyal to independent opticians
• Through the creation of The TV Book Club, they were able to establish a long-term association with their target audience
• Viewers of the sponsorship were consistently more positive than non-viewers on a series of key metrics

The Challenge

Specsavers had grown rapidly to become the UK’s leading optician and largest privately-owned optician in the world. However, there was still one key audience that they were struggling to convince in the tough economic times – the older ABC1 Adults. Many of these consumers were loyal to independent opticians and traditional advertising wasn’t delivering the required shifts in perception. A new strategy was needed.

There were three objectives. Firstly, the campaign had to relate to the optical industry. Secondly, it had to deliver a marked shift in the audience’s trust of the Specsavers brand and perception of Specsavers’ expertise as opticians. Finally, the campaign had to establish a long-term association that was both differentiating and ownable by aligning Specsavers with an area of interest where the brand could add real value to consumers.

The TV Solution

Specsavers embarked on a journey to plant themselves at the heart of reading in the UK. Traditional reading associations were too high-brow and stuffy – they sought real people with a real passion for books. There were no existing properties that met their needs - in fact there was very little in this environment at all so they decided to create their own programme.

By associating with an activity the audience is passionate about, Specsavers could get them to think differently about the brand and to start to view it as more ‘for people like me’. Reading was a perfect fit – it’s a passion for the target audience, it has a link to vision and also provides an opportunity for Specsavers to add value.

Through a partnership with Cactus TV, creators of The Richard & Judy Book Club, they created a brand new programme entitled The TV Book Club which was funded in its entirety by Specsavers. Channel 4 and More4 loved the idea and agreed to commission the series. A panel of five celebrities reviewed selected books from a list and then each week the panel was joined by another celebrity and they discussed the book. Eighteen episodes were transmitted across two series in 2010.

On-air banding was maximised with an integrated title sequences. The campaign was supported with a significant Channel 4 PR campaign and included over 250 TVRs of branded promotional activity on Channel 4 and More4.

The association was fully exploited with plenty of off air activation. They worked with book publishers and retailers to establish branded in-store activity at all UK book stores and libraries. Initiatives included Specsavers-branded TV Book Club stickers on all chosen books, branded posters & magazines, window displays, press, posters and online advertising plus a full page Specsavers ad in all print runs of the 18 book club titles.  In addition, there was a fully branded Channel 4 programme website.

Results

The TV transmissions reached over seven million individuals and reached 1.6 million ABC1Adults 45+. The first run episodes on More4 delivered an index of 120 versus the core target audience meaning it converted extremely well. The programme delivered a consistently strong audience of over 420,000 viewers per episode – making it by far the largest book property on UK television.

From research, viewers saw a clear and positive synergy between the brand and reading and Specsavers involvement in the show was welcomed:

• 54% of viewers were aware of the partnership* and spontaneous awareness was far higher than other Channel 4 properties
• 96% of viewers liked the programme* and 84% liked the association*
• On brand image measures, viewers aware of the sponsorship were consistently more positive than non-viewers about the Specsavers brand including key metrics such as:
  • Are an expert in their field (71% versus 63%)*
  • Is a brand that cares about its customers needs (73% versus 60%)*
  • AFP makes me feel more positive about the brand if I like the programme (57% versus 42%)

* All figures taken from SPA Research qualitative analysis

There will be two new series of Specsavers TV Book Club in 2011

They were a finalist in the Thinkbox TV Planning Awards 2011 - Best Use of Sponsorship or Content category

“MEC Access created an opportunity which perfectly fitted the brief. It has enabled Specsavers to carve out a niche in the reading and book environment which is an excellent platform for reaching this older ABC1 audience and engendering their trust”

Tim Orton
Director of Marketing Planning
Specsavers Optical Group