Ten years ago cider was not considered the 'drink of choice' for the young and influential. It was a product calling out for a re-positioning exercise but, according to RPM managing director Hugh Robertson, its earlier derogatory connotations have helped brands such as Strongbow to revolutionise consumer perceptions.
"We were starting from a negative position in that people were rejecting it. It wasn't on people's radar. I believe that this was a good thing because if someone is actively rejecting it then they are already feeling something, emotionally, about it. We just needed to capitalise on that and turn it around so those people would become advocates of the brand," says Robertson.
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
RPM was first employed by Strongbow in 1998. The objective was to re-engage with an 18-24-year-old audience and alter its perception of the brand.
The agency undertook extensive research, seeking platforms from which it could suitably engage with the target market during the summer months.
RPM sought relaxed, shared occasions that would allow the brand the opportunity to integrate seamlessly into the consumers' lives. "We looked at music and realised that music festivals represent really good platforms as it's the right time of day. They're usually from midday to 11pm or midnight - perfect cider time. And people are up for engaging with one another and having fun. There are lots of shared experiences which we felt we could take advantage of if we could tap into them," says Robertson.
The Loafing Lounge was born in 1998. Based around the concept of getting the 'maximum out of life with the minimum effort', it fitted perfectly with the above-the-line advertising campaign fronted by Johnny Vaughan.
Although the concept dovetailed with the wider advertising strategy, festival promoters were at first slow to realise the Loafing Lounge's potential. Says Robertson: "I got laughed out of every meeting I had with the promoters because they said they didn't want cider at their events, a stance they were very proud of."
After lengthy discussions with the organisers of numerous festivals the Loafing Lounge was finally launched at Homelands, in Leeds, and the Newquay Surf festival during the summer of 1998, introducing Strongbow to a new, young audience.
The inaugural project proved a success, leading RPM to the decision that the creative should continue to be led by the advertising. "We ensured that the consumer had a consistent take on the brand, whether they were watching it on TV, online or in a muddy field at a music festival. But after the 'maximum refreshment, minimum effort' campaign the subsequent advertising didn't really have any clear proposition that we could work from so we evolved into the Strongbow Rooms," explains Robertson. "It was about creating an environment identity where people would continue to associate the brand with good times. The Strongbow Rooms then gave us a broader platform as the room could also be an online or offline presence, as well as a physical manifestation of the experience."
In the early years sampling was at the forefront of the strategy - with every pound of the budget spent on getting the product into the consumers' hands. However, as the brand has evolved so too has the marketing strategy.
"Each year we've added new elements. Before, it was more about the product reappraisal so the sampling element was absolutely fundamental. As cider has evolved it's actually become more about re-establishing advocacy for Strongbow as a brand, for which sampling is still key," says Robertson.
"But it's about everything else the brand is doing that makes people think differently about it. A lot of the work now is about having a dialogue with the consumer over a longer period of time. So it's not just about getting the sample in hand but maintaining that dialogue whether it's through an online or offline presence, PR or advertising," adds Robertson.
REACHING A WIDER AUDIENCE
Additional marketing surrounding the festival activity has provided an additional promotional platform. In past years the brand has tied in with radio stations Galaxy and Kiss offering tickets and playing excerpts from the Strongbow set in order to address a wider audience.
For 2006 the team chose to refresh its festival presence. With the face of cider evolving since the inception of the Strongbow Rooms, the brand sought a change of emphasis. Strongbow brand manager Rob Calder says that recent projects have seen both the brand and the product come to the fore.
"There is now a boldness that there hasn't been before which we're embracing.
We're proud to call it cider and we've used a lot more natural cues mixed with the industrial elements of cider," he says.
By naming the experience the Strongbow Cider House the teams aimed to highlight the natural aspects of the product and its earthy appeal. Account director for RPM, Jade Garrow, agrees with Calder that there is a renewed confidence in the product and it's now more about emphasising the brand.
"What we've done this year is very ownable by Strongbow. By bringing in all these elements it's very definite when you walk in that it's a Strongbow experience and I think it's worked really well for us. We've had to operate one-in, one-out and had queues at every festival we've been to," says Garrow.
The Strongbow Cider House included High Definition screens and interactive mobile technology, which allowed on-site communication and the delivery of branded content after the event.
Strongbow attended six events this year, including the V Festival in Chelmsford and Staffordshire in August, Global Gathering at the end of July, and Creamfields during August. The total footfall across the six events reached 500,000 and allowed RPM to offer 300,000 samples.
For the first year RPM brought the talent programming and booking in-house, allowing the agency more control over the format and genre of music played. "We always try to provide a genuine point of difference," says Garrow. "In the past we've never said we're a music brand or dance brand.
We aim to put on great music that is slightly different to what you'd find at the rest of the festival. So, for example, at V where it's fairly rock driven we'll provide more of a dance edge which works well because you won't get that thing anywhere else on the site. We've never been about a particular style of music, but you should always be able to dance," says Garrow. This year's sets included acts such as Hayseed Dixie, Spektrum and Lottie.
Although the 2007 programme is yet to be confirmed, for Strongbow such summer events remain an integral part of the marketing mix, offering what Calder describes as "a great opportunity to get in touch with the consumers, in a relaxed setting during the summer season."