Seth Powers Strategist

Jeff Tolefson Creative Brand Manager

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REad·ven·ture Noun: An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

Developing great advertising campaigns is like an adventure.

It takes planning to identify your goal even if you don’t know how you are going to get there. It takes guts to tackle the risks that come with following a new path in order to make something out of nothing. Most of all it takes the determination to climb a mountain when everyone else is afraid to even look up.

In the end, the journey is all about experiencing something new and having that great story to share.

Are you ready to share our adventure?

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Generation Y is our generation.

It’s not about slapstick commercials, sex appeal, or Twitter followers. It’s about making brands fashionable and connecting with consumers through creative engagement.

It’s time for Generation Y to take over what’s ours. New standards need to be set and we are the ones who are willing to take these risks because we don’t want cookie cutter brands. By focusing on Gen Y we have the chance to make change.

Gen Y has a voice that demands to be heard. We are their mouthpiece.

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Sweet’N Low Case Study

USPS Case Study

Conclusion

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Your adventure awaits.

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Problem: Sweet’N Low is irrelevant to younger consumers because they think it is “old and boring.”

Competitive Dynamic: Other brands offer natural products touting health benefits and wholesome images that mimic sugar brands.

Insight: Gen Yers desire to express themselves as a way of rebelling against social conventions set in place by previous generations.

Why Sweet’N Low: It provides a dash of sweetness without the consequences.

Solution: Sweet’N Low brings a moment of levity when life gets too serious.

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Why are we advertising?The majority of their business comes from older women who have grown up with the iconic brand. Because of this, younger consumers do not connect with Sweet’N Low.

Who are we talking to?Members of Generation Y (ages 18-25). These people are tech-savvy, achievement-oriented, and attention craving. Narcissism motivates them to seek ways to develop themselves as individuals and rebel against social conventions established by earlier generations such as marrying early, maintaining a 9-5 job for their entire lives, and living to please their boss. They participate in activities like street art and late night partying to escape the burdens of everyday life and to experi-ence moments where nothing else matters but self-expression and having fun.

What do they currently think?Sweet’ N Low is irrelevant and unexciting: “I view Sweet N’ Low like a distant cousin you see during Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. You are aware of their presence but you don’t go out of your way to talk to them because you think they are dull, uninteresting, and boring.”

What would we like them to think?Sweet’N Low is impulsive, subtle, fun and funny. It is always there to inspire me with an unordinary point of view and brings a moment of levity to my life when things get too serious. I don’t know if it causes cancer, and I don’t care. I’d rather enjoy myself and take risks than grow old by playing it safe. I like to go with the flow, thankfully Sweet’N Low flows with me.

What is the single most important idea we can convey?Reward yourself with a dash of levity and a light rebellion.

Why should they believe it?1) SNL offers the simple pleasure of sweetness, which is a reward that answers to the target’s narcissistic nature. 2) SNL is rebellious because it used to require a warning label on its packages because of its pri-mary ingredient, saccharin, which is still banned in Canada. 3) SNL is a light commitment because has zero calories. 4) SNL is carefree because its packaging uses a distinct pink color, which has recently become a radical symbol of masculinity in pop culture.

What is the brand’s personality?If Sweet’N Low walked into a room, it wouldn’t care who was staring at it. Its cheeks can’t turn red because they are already pink. It embraces the embarrassing moments and people admire that. In truth or dare, Sweet’N Low will always pick dare. It’s not afraid to ask that hot girl from across the room out for a date, even if her boyfriend is sitting right next to her. Sweet’N Low is LMFAO, a photobomber, and Zack Morris all rolled into one, with a dash of Banksy for good measure.

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Sweet’N Low has been a recognizable brand since the day it was introduced. With its unique single serving packet and pink color, Sweet’N Low was setting a brand image before sugar substitutes knew what a brand image was. Throughout the decades, Sweet’N Low was considered the best alternative to real sugar simply be-cause they were the ONLY alternative to real sugar.

However, within the last decade Sweet’N Low has fallen to the wayside of consumers’ minds with the introduction of other sugar alternatives (Splenda, Equal, Stevia in the raw, etc). Each of these sugar substitutes seem to offer the same benefits as each other yet Sweet’N Low sales continue to drop and the brand is starting to go unnoticed.

So how is this happening? Sweet’N Low competitors are finding unique ways to focus on cer-tain benefits their product offer and are marketing them toward a direct target audience. While Sweet’N Low competitors have found clever ways to make their brand stand out in an overpopulated market, Sweet’N Low has yet to try to change its brand image. The result of this is that Sweet’N Low is considered a dull, uninteresting, and unnoticeable brand.

• Theoriginalsweetener

• Distinctpinkcolor

• Saccharinbased

• Imitatesrealsugar

• Versatilityinbaking

• Licensingpartnershipswithmajorbrands

• Foodflavorenhancer

• Safeforpregnatewomen

• Aspartamebased

• Promotes all natural flavor

• Wholesome image

• No aftertaste

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The dramatic success of these sweeteners has shaken things up in the artificial-sweetener business, which had been dominated for decades by Sweet’N Low.

Each of these brands has come up with a new approach to deal with the fresh dynamics of the marketplace. Yet if you view Sweet’N Low’s competitors as a whole there are uncan-ny similarities between the three. Their strategies all seem to focus on middle-age, health conscious, versatile mothers and who deal with health related issues such as dieting. While their executions are different from each other, their overall strategy involves targeting the same demographic.

This is the perfect opportunity for Sweet’N Low to break away from what their competitors are doing and try to once again become relevant in a culture that views them as just another sugar alternative. By focusing on Generation Y consumers Sweet’N Low is aiming to be more than just a healthy choice sweetener, they are focusing on being part of a lifestyle.

While their competitors are playing it safe and wholesome, Sweet’N Low wants to change the status quo by focusing on a generation that wants more than just the cake; they want to eat it too. Sweet’N Low views this as a chance to connect with a culture that is tech savvy, attention-craving, media junkies who work hard but play even harder.

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Graffiti SpoofsShowing the carelessly rebellious side of Sweet’N Low by taking over actual graffiti images done by well-known artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey in a playful way.

Pandora Advertisements Have a careless moment on us. People listen to Pandora while they are working, so Sweet’N Low will interrupt their serious, boring lives with a radio commercial that provides a brief moment of carelessness.

Rebellious Meter AppPhone app that survey’s users about potentially rebellious things they have done and then classifies then into basic categories such as careless, edgy, mischievous, rebellious, etc. and matches them with a rebellious celebrity like LMFAO, Zack Morris, Johnny Depp, or Banksy. The results can then be posted on Facebook or Twitter.

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Problem: USPS is viewed as outdated because people are accustomed to communicating in a digital world.

Competitive Dynamic: Digital communication services like texting, email, and Facebook chatting are based on quick, impersonal transactions.

Insight: With technology consuming their lives, Gen Yers desire, at times, to unplug in order to restore a human connection that has been missing.

Why USPS: It provides an emotional form of communication that can transfer human experiences.

Solution: Truly reconnect with people by sending personal letters.

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Why are we advertising?USPS is currently looking to increase total volume through the transfer of personal mail. Because technology has altered the way people communicate, USPS has been largely ignored by younger generations as a tool for personal correspondence.

Who are we talking to?Members of Generation Y (ages 18-25) who wish to stay in contact with loved ones because they place a high importance on family relationships. Although these people rely heavily on technology to communicate with one another, they are part of an increasing trend that desires to disconnect when it becomes overwhelming.

When they disconnect, this audience is motivated to look for real human experiences like taking a walk outside or going to a concert. Sending letters would allow this group to maintain ties and emo-tional bonds with their comfort zones back home, while giving them the escape from technology they desire.

What do they currently think?USPS is unneeded: “It’s just the mail service. I guess I’m glad it’s there, but I don’t really know anything about it. In my world, I don’t need it at all because I do everything through the computer. I don’t send letters, I send emails.”

What would we like them to think?USPS still serves an important purpose: “It’s slow, but that is what I like. It allows me to connect with friends and family on a real, thoughtful level by disconnecting. Even when I’m far away, I can still have meaningful relationships with the people I care about. It pro-vides an outlet that makes me feel human again whereas sending an email is just a routine task.”

What is the single most important idea we can convey?Relieve yourself from technology and make communication human again by sending a letter.

Why should they believe it?1) It provides a tangible human experience because letters require thought, time, and focus making the transfer of letter seem like people are sending a piece of themselves. 2) People receive letters less frequently so they place a higher value on them, thus a stron-ger connection is at play when they receive them.

What is the brand’s personality?Unfazedbytime,USPShasaclassicfeellikeaguywearingavintagesuitinmodernsociety.Hedoesnotneedablog,hekeepsaMoleskindiary.Heissothoughtful,charming,andunexpectedthatwouldpickflowersonawhimwhilewalkingtohisdate’shousebecausethesmileonherfacewouldmaketheextraeffortworthit.

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OverviewLet’s face it, USPS is in trouble. This year USPS is expected to lose over $8 billion causing the post office to take extreme measures like laying off thousands of employees and discontinuing Saturday deliveries.

So how is this happening? Over the years, a stigma has developed around the USPS brand. When consumers think of USPS they think of slow service and long lines. Whereas their competition (Email, Facebook) are viewed as fast, reli-able, consumer friendly, free and cool. USPS’s competition has devel-oped strategies that are better at fulfilling customer needs in regards to message delivery service, while USPS has fallen https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Spotlights/ece-creates-official-facebook-pages/face-book_logo.png flat at building a brand that resonates with consumers.

We don't want to see the end of the USPS so we decided to help by creating an advertising campaign that encourages people to recon-nect by sending more handwritten letters.

• Social interactivity

• Flexibility of use

• Can be used across mediums

• Free

• Environmentally friendly

• Easy to filter

• Reliable delivery “through snow, rain, etc.”

• Government supported

• Brand equity in its heritage

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Both of these services focus on instant message delivery for indi-viduals and businesses alike. However, they position themselves as self-service-oriented brands and distinguish themselves accord-ingly. Because of this, consumers view these brands as useful ways to transfer information from one place to another.

This means there is opportunity for USPS to position itself based on product attributes that build a relationship with its consumers. USPS is an austere alternative to flashy, “hip” brands. This makes it attractive to people who do not need the extras because they just want to send letters to stay in touch with people they love for the price of a stamp.

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Promotional EventUnplug and make a pen pal by going to this event and writing your address on a new friend’s shirt.

Direct MailThe best way to encourage people to write letters is by sending them one. These direct mail pieces, disguised as postcards will be used to remind people of the power of human relationships.

CommercialVisually shows the journey of a letter as it connects one person to another where the letter and its travels is the focus of the spot.

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Have you had enough yet?

Good. Neither have we. Like any good adventure it is never truly over. There are always more problems to solve, more expe-rience to be had, and more risk to take.

Remember we are Generation Y, and this is just the beginning.

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“Life’s an adventure. Dare it.”