Reach More. Know Moore
One of the greatest challenges in advertising is reaching both
consumers and the trade with one campaign. For many brands,
it is a daunting task that forces the decision to put all the
emphasis on the consumer with the trade campaign being relegated to
an afterthought. Marketers figure that if you own the
consumer, the channel will follow. You run the risk that if
you don't manage your brand in the sales channels, the channels
will manage it for you. Very few campaigns effectively reach
all audiences because it is hard to do. That is why it is
always interesting to see a brand campaign that accomplishes
reaching all audiences. Benjamin Moore's "For Those Who Know
More" is so good, you wonder why this doesn't happen more often in
the business-to-consumer and business-to-business combined
segments.
Benjamin Moore's campaign features eight top design and paint
industry experts as the ultimate spokespersons about all things
that make Benjamin Moore great paint in a portrait inspired by
Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue covers. The ad is meant to be a
double truck and dominates the shelter publications in which it
runs. The beauty of the ad is its simplicity of
headline - "Paint with the Very Best," with the double
entendre of "For Those Who Know More." The connection
between "more" and "Moore" works well, but it is Benjamin Moore's
homage to its professional customer that makes it really compelling
- pushing both the rational and emotional buttons equally.
The designers and contractors are genuine and authentic.
They are bona fide design and paint experts who are well
respected. You want to work with them because they are so
real and believable. You immediately come away with the
feeling that if Benjamin Moore is good enough for them, it is good
enough for me. The statistics bear out the trade's
passion for all things Benjamin Moore. A major quantitative
study of over 3,000 design and painting professionals bears out the
professional admiration for Benjamin Moore (more than 80% favor
Benjamin Moore). That is the ultimate proof point - the trade
endorsement.
The campaign is funded at a level of $15 million which lags behind
what the other major paint brands are spending. According to
industry reports, over 75% of the budget is being directed at
digital mediums. The campaign really shines on
Facebook. Its core promise is the "experts exchange" where
fans get a chance to interact with the design and paint
experts. Watch a couple of the videos and you'll see why
these experts are passionate and great at what they do.
Benjamin Moore is sharing brand control with the consumer - be it
the DIYer or the professional. Visitors have the ability to
obtain information and ask questions from a cross-section of
designers, architects, contractors and color experts.
Everyone is welcome - making Benjamin Moore an inclusive brand that
embraces the consumer and the trade. 20,000 Facebook fans is
compelling proof that it is working.
What makes the Benjamin Moore Facebook digital presence successful
is that it brings to life the campaign promise that Benjamin Moore
is "For Those Who Know More." Portfolios highlight the
designer/contractor bodies of work, while providing information
about events sponsored by Benjamin Moore and the "find a retailer"
locator tool.
The campaign renders true integration. The newest TV spots
discreetly mention that you can only get the "know more" advice at
Benjamin Moore retailers, most often Benjamin Moore signature
stores, and not at the big boxes. It is an acknowledgement
from Benjamin Moore to their dealer network about their value and
worth. The pot shot at big boxes is intended to create
doubt about the paint brands they carry and the one they'll never
get the franchise for - Benjamin Moore.
Very rarely does a campaign reach so many diverse audiences
equally well. One builds on another and supports each other
as well. It proves that sometimes you can be all things to
all audiences. Professionals and consumers are united with
one belief - Benjamin Moore does know more!
From a social media standpoint, Benjamin Moore’s campaign is one of the best I’ve seen. I didn’t have to look far to find the page and take away its message. It is easy to use and contains language and interactive features that are inform and entertain consumers and “Experts” alike. Another thing that was interesting to me was the diversity and “real” quality of the experts on the page… which I think was no accident on the part of Benjamin Moore. They made a point to have experts of all races and to portray them in a down-to-earth fashion that blurred the line between consumer and channel. This was especially effective for someone like myself, who generally doesn’t know a thing about paint. I still wanted to look through all of the experts and learn their story.
I think the Vanity Fair-like photo is effective in pulling in demographics (such as my generation) who wouldn’t otherwise be inclined to look twice as a paint advertising campaign. Ironically, paint may be especially relevant to my peers who may be designing a new apartment or house due to a recent college graduation, marriage, move or other life change.
The combined consumer/trade communications angle is a huge challenge which anyone who works in the ad industry will tell you. This is a big coup for Ben Moore. What I particularly like is their nod to their dealer network who are their true brand ambassadors and who in many businesses are often overlooked or taken for granted. The BM paint dealers are the ones who have to deliver on the brand promise and they do it well as anyone will attest to who has dealt with a Moore retailer versus a big box paint counter. Now if they could just come up with a way to make the prep work for painting easier.
What really stands out to me is the intelligence of the campaign. Communications for both the consumer and trade audience are are equally smart and sophisticated. No one is talked down to. Like the visuals, the tone of the copy is very much like a smart Vanity Fair article. It makes for engaging reading that honors both the brand and the dual audience.
Nice to see a company take a step back and evaluate how it can move its business in a positive direction, and do so by doing something different with its advertising. When it comes to paint, and other DIY materials, it can be hard to differentiate between the "good" and "bad" products. I know that I simply go by brand recognition and price. Here, we have BM telling us through industry experts that their paint is the best. That's a compelling message.
The ad is an eye catching visual thanks to the Vanity Fair-style layout, and the Facebook presence can only help. I know that thanks to this campaign, I'll strongly consider BM the next time that I need paint, and that's the end goal that BM was striving for.
Another reason this works so well - the company spent years building a reputation, not ignoring important PR best practices. A steady build creating designer appreciation paralleled traditional publicity in top decorating magazines. Anyone looking to model campaigns on this campaign should look to their PR achievements for inspiration.