Perfect Storm: When Digital Content, Ad Targets Synch
-- Comment --
Digital publishers are just starting to scratch surface of the true value of their content. And it's not a once-size-fits-all model. Savvy marketers are looking to collaborate on solutions to leverage the publisher's expertise with their ad goals. This Gatorade media plan succeeded by trusting a publisher that knew the content and the audience to develop a microsite that hit the mark.
Gatorade has faced stiff competition in recent years from Coca-Cola rivals Powerade and Vitaminwater and -- believe it or not -- tap water. (The recession had a lot to do with that.) As Gatorade's senior manager of consumer engagement Morgan Flatley observes, the target consumer is "all about getting that performance edge" -- and Gatorade would have to promise them that.
That gave Porcaro an idea. He tapped Stack Media (which produces and distributes performance, training and lifestyle content for die-hard athletes) to develop a dedicated site known as the Gatorade Performance Center. It would be a one-stop training destination for teens, complete with training tips, customized workouts, and an interactive "Ask the Experts" feature.
The effort (which captures the honors for digital Media Plan of the Year in the under-$1 million category) went beyond Gatorade's standing reputation as a sports drink and helped establish the brand as an athletic-training authority.
As Porcaro puts it: "It was a classic example of what happens when [a brand] finds the right [media] partner and they're both on the same wavelength."
