Consumer Marketing

Weber Shandwick delivers strategic public relations campaigns that help companies connect with consumers and build the relationships essential to creating brand advocates.

Whether targeting Alpha moms, health-conscious baby boomers, pet lovers, pop-culture-obsessed teens or motorcycle enthusiasts, we use insight-driven strategy to create programs that reach the right people, with the right message, in a way that truly resonates.

The Weber Shandwick consumer marketing practice has more than 400 specialists around the globe, offering both an outstanding breadth of experience to draw from as well as a valuable depth of knowledge in each market. We are experts at driving consumer campaigns in key sectors: food and beverage, health and beauty, household products, packaged goods, retail and fashion, travel, automotive, and consumer technology. Our specialties include new product launches, consumer education campaigns, and brand revitalizations and repositionings.

We build visibility and preference for our clients and their products and services through consumer outreach, media relations, event marketing, grassroots campaigns, strategic alliances and sponsorships, pop culture penetration, word of mouth, mobile marketing, and interactive and emerging media initiatives.

We are privileged to work with many of the top marketers in the world and we’ve earned our place as a trusted partner by always keeping one simple goal in mind – to help our clients achieve their ultimate business objectives.

Electrolux: Even More Amazing

Challenge

Over the last few years, Weber Shandwick was charged with helping Electrolux successfully transition from a brand known for its high-performance vacuum cleaners to a brand that helps busy moms everywhere be “even more amazing” with their gorgeous, premium kitchen appliances.

Strategic Approach

To launch Electrolux – the largest product launch in the company’s 80-year history – we tapped Kelly Ripa, a well-loved TV personality and busy mom, to unveil the line at a camera-packed New York City press event. Ripa also announced a partnership with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), a cause important to her and to women everywhere.

To drive the target to the Web site and engage her with the brand, Weber Shandwick also conceived of several highly successful social media campaigns – like the “Virtual Bake Sale.” Ripa unveiled Electrolux’s new Red Hot Red color and announced the charity “bake sale” to give consumers a way to show they care just in time for Valentine’s Day. For every virtual cupcake sent, Electrolux donated $1 to OCRF and the sender was entered for a chance to win the new appliances. As a result, our target sent more than 165,000 cupcakes – 3000 in first 90 minutes of the campaign – that’s nearly two cupcakes every second!

Outcome

As a result of the official A-list launch in New York City and several inescapable online initiatives, suddenly Electrolux is everywhere! Extensive media coverage, from prime time to late night, helped put Electrolux on the map.

Launch efforts generated more than 868 million media impressions (not including day-to-day product pitching).

American Airlines: Susan G. Komen for the Cure Partnership

Challenge

The Weber Shandwick team in Dallas positioned American Airlines and Susan G. Komen for the Cure as partners leading the global fight to end breast cancer forever.

Strategic Approach

The team launched the “Miles for the Cure” fundraising program, in which AAdvantage® members earn miles for each dollar contributed to Komen. In addition, they organized employee appreciation events in Tulsa, Abilene and Dallas-Fort Worth to unveil two specially co-branded aircraft, an American Airlines Boeing 757 and an American Eagle Embraer 145, displaying the signature Komen pink ribbon.

To showcase the new planes, the team hosted a national press conference with the aircraft at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. They announced the American Airlines Susan G. Komen for the Cure Lifetime Promise Partnership and first grant to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Other media outreach included health, philanthropy, business and aviation reporters who frequently cover Komen and American.

Outcome

As a result, more than 6,500 AAdvantage members contributed to “Miles for the Cure” and in total raised nearly one million dollars in support of Komen.

The Lifetime Promise Partnership announcement and co-branded aircraft events garnered 155 media placements with more than 19 million impressions.

CVS Caremark: A New Friend for ARTHUR – All Kids Can Teach Kids About Inclusion

Challenge

Weber Shandwick was charged with creating a broad-based national campaign to promote CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can program to a consumer audience and engage moms, educators, librarians and children. The campaign needed to promote the organization’s mission with a focus on the importance of inclusion for children of all abilities.

Strategic Approach

The team set up a partnership with CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can program and the award-winning PBS KIDS GO! television series. The partnership sparked the ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search as a vehicle to engage children ages 6-12 along with their parents. This national search was designed to educate children about disabilities and the importance of inclusion, and show how children of all abilities can play together. The winner would receive a visit from ARTHUR creator and author Marc Brown, and appear with his or her character on a future episode of ARTHUR.

To promote the competition, the team created an ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search web page and linked it from PBS KIDS GO! online as well as the CVS and CVS Caremark All Kids Can site. An online promotion on Twitter also got moms writing about the topic of disability inclusion.

ARTHUR creator and author Marc Brown served as a spokesperson for the campaign and appeared on the TODAY Show, a satellite media tour, and conducted individual media interviews with Associated Press and others.

Outcome

There were 423,737 page views of the ARTHUR/All Kids Can Character Search web page, 39,169 entry form downloads and more than 8,500 submissions received. In all, there was coverage in 231 media outlets with over 13.3 million media impressions with over $1 million in ad equivalency, and national media covering the campaign included the TODAY Show, Associated Press, Parenting, The Boston Globe, About.com and numerous other regional and online outlets.