Case study, as told by Jo Hagger and Seb Royce of digital agency Glue London.
This article originally appeared in the book Targeting Students: A Marketing Guide (2005).
"Our brief was to take Pot Noodle, the slag of all snacks, online. Students were considered to be a big part of the audience. There's a Pot Noodle sold every four minutes, and a lot of them are sold on campuses.
"We knew straight away that we wanted to do something other than the most obvious interpretation. The obvious approach might have been something like a sex shop mock up. We wanted to think it through further.
"The key theme at the centre of the Pot Noodle campaign is about illicit consumption. Pot Noodle takes the place of sex when you apply the illicit consumption idea. So firstly we started looking into what that means online.
"We realised quickly that it is a lot about porn, and in terms of the 18-24-year-old male audience that Pot Noodle is aimed at, porn takes up a significant proportion of their time online.
"We thought about how we could utilise that without being too crass or obvious about it, because Pot Noodle is very much tongue-in-cheek, cheeky humour, not outrageously offensive.
"We know that a lot of porn sites are organised in the form of web rings: a collection of sites that are interlinked and that you can travel round in without having to go elsewhere. We thought that idea could lend itself to the brand's site very well because it allows you to represent the different flavours, with each site having its own personality and linked to the overarching Pot Noodle brand.
"Once we came across porn web rings we realised the art direction would fit perfectly with what Pot Noodle had already done offline, because of its trashy feel. These web rings are often really poorly designed with appalling typos everywhere. We thought the amateurishness would make a great feature. We stopped trying to think about good design and concentrated on bad design.
"We had to reign ourselves back because of budgets, because the possibilities were limitless. We designed a site that navigates horizontally rather than vertically. When a site has just one entry point people don't drill down enough because they can't be bothered, but when there's not much to see on one level people tend to explore.
"Students are regular web users and have highly developed surfing habits. They like quick hits of content and don't like to dig far for it. We wanted to create something that had a broad yet shallow structure that was easy and quick to use.
"We were also careful not to push the product down their throats. There's a lot of FMCG [food, manufacturing and consumer goods] sites that are laughable - the products themselves aren't interesting and you think: why do they bother? Luckily we had a great campaign to work with, all about the attitude of Pot Noodle than the product itself. Yes, there is a section on the site where you can find out the nutritional benefits of Pot Noodle but generally the site's about having fun.
"There are certain bits you can't access without putting in your data and there are areas, like the hysterical girlfriend interactive video game, where you need broadband. These features create a sense of exclusivity.
"We experimented a lot with certain features and the great thing about this project is Unilever, the owners of Pot Noodle, just said 'do whatever'. So we did. Then when we did show them everything they did say 'but not that, or that'! But to their credit we virtually had carte blanche and that gave us enormous inspiration to be creative.
"Pot Noodle is a renegade brand, but what is and what isn't acceptable is a matter for careful consideration. Despite being hugely successful and having won awards, the Slag of Snacks campaign has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Association on a couple of occasions which increases sensitivities. We knew that the target audience wouldn't be offended by anything we put out, but you have to bare in mind those visitors who aren't the target. At the same time, this is not a push media and people would have to pass a warning before they got in.
"When it comes to explaining the web's potential as a medium, it's not just about the technological advances, but what you can get away with. There are seriously offensive things on the web, some seriously edgy things, not necessarily selling products but very accessible. In terms of this target market's threshold, they are not easily shocked. They have been brought up on a diet of hardcore films of every genre, Jackass TV, sick stuff flying round on email. When you're not in that target group, it's difficult to see through their eyes.
"We created an anti-Pot Noodle site as part of the package. We tried to be as authentic as possible; a lot of porn web rings get hijacked by people trying to get their own messages out with pop ups, which must be massively irritating for the user but perfect for what we wanted to do. We wanted to keep people there as long as possible and if we had pop-ups with anti-Noodle sites it would add to the authenticity and the idea that Pot Noodle is something really bad that you shouldn't be doing. It definitely fitted with the message that you just can't help yourself.
"One new aspect for Pot Noodle is that we introduced them to dialogue with the consumer. There are lots of areas where you can speak and interact with the site - email the webmaster, t-shirt requests etc - and that brought something new to the brand.
"The beauty of the site is that it can be added to and developed easily, at least while Pot Noodle sticks with the illicit consumption theme. We've got loads of ideas to be rolled out as and when they're needed.
"We would say one of the main things we have found working with students is that they like to be heavily incentivised and the incentive needs to be massively relevant to them."
Showing posts with label Pot Noodle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pot Noodle. Show all posts
08 December 2006
19 November 2006
Spotlight on: student eating habits
Kebabs, Pot Noodles, Coco Pops and toast. The four staples of the student diet according to folklore. But how true is the stereotype? What do students really eat, is it all about convenience and how do students choose their snacks, meals and confectionery?
Increasingly, research suggests student lifestyles are changing. Reports say students are becoming more sophisticated in their choices. Mike Bond, managing director of Scholarest, which runs university catering outlets, says this applies to food too: "Students are more cosmopolitan about food and drink than ever before. In terms of what is offered to them, they are looking for lots of variety, quality and taste, and probably that reflects what they can find in the high street."
But this trend away from cheap and basic foodstuffs towards exotically flavoured products does not mean you're likely to find undergraduates crammed into the communal kitchen every night, experimenting with rare spices. Students don't do a lot of cooking. In fact, they're doing even less cooking nowadays: "Students are now eating more on the hoof," says Graham Crump, who manages catering facilities at Warwick University. "This is partly due to timetable demands, which is why snack foods have become increasingly popular."
Research by the National Union of Students supports this. Penny Hollings, national secretary of NUS, explains: "Students are moving towards snacking as lectures are held any time of day, and some do part-time work. It's about convenience."
The rise of the convenience noodle market is evidence of the student trend towards no-fuss meals. Mintel reported that noodle sales rose by 45% over the period 1998-2003, reaching an estimated £189.6 million in 2003. The overall rise was driven, they said, by sales of easy-cook and instant snack products, and they acknowledged students as the core market. It's clear that if you have a product that meets their needs, students can deliver brands dramatic success.
Market Research Solutions found that on average students spend £3.88 a day on meals on campus, with first-years spending the most (on average £4.03) and postgraduates the least (on average £3.65). Students in London and the south west tend to spend the most on food (up to £4.26) compared to students from Scotland and Northern Ireland, who tend to spend an average of £3.43. Most students said they were more likely to buy their lunch from supermarkets than on campus.
Increasingly, research suggests student lifestyles are changing. Reports say students are becoming more sophisticated in their choices. Mike Bond, managing director of Scholarest, which runs university catering outlets, says this applies to food too: "Students are more cosmopolitan about food and drink than ever before. In terms of what is offered to them, they are looking for lots of variety, quality and taste, and probably that reflects what they can find in the high street."
But this trend away from cheap and basic foodstuffs towards exotically flavoured products does not mean you're likely to find undergraduates crammed into the communal kitchen every night, experimenting with rare spices. Students don't do a lot of cooking. In fact, they're doing even less cooking nowadays: "Students are now eating more on the hoof," says Graham Crump, who manages catering facilities at Warwick University. "This is partly due to timetable demands, which is why snack foods have become increasingly popular."
Research by the National Union of Students supports this. Penny Hollings, national secretary of NUS, explains: "Students are moving towards snacking as lectures are held any time of day, and some do part-time work. It's about convenience."
The rise of the convenience noodle market is evidence of the student trend towards no-fuss meals. Mintel reported that noodle sales rose by 45% over the period 1998-2003, reaching an estimated £189.6 million in 2003. The overall rise was driven, they said, by sales of easy-cook and instant snack products, and they acknowledged students as the core market. It's clear that if you have a product that meets their needs, students can deliver brands dramatic success.
Market Research Solutions found that on average students spend £3.88 a day on meals on campus, with first-years spending the most (on average £4.03) and postgraduates the least (on average £3.65). Students in London and the south west tend to spend the most on food (up to £4.26) compared to students from Scotland and Northern Ireland, who tend to spend an average of £3.43. Most students said they were more likely to buy their lunch from supermarkets than on campus.
18 November 2006
Being a top student brand
Article by Luke Mitchell
This article was a chapter in The Reach Students Handbook (2003)
The UK's top student brands 2003/4
In the course of researching this Handbook, a wide range of student marketing personnel were asked to name their 'top' student brands. These were the names that cropped up most often, in order of popularity:
1 Orange
2 The Guardian
3 STA Travel
4 Pot Noodle
5 Playstation
6 Student Barclaycard
7 Scream
8 Nat West
9 Adidas
10 Red Bull
Look down the list of top student brands (right) and, initially, it's hard to find a common thread to link their success. A mobile communications company, a newspaper, a travel firm, a snack product, a gaming machine. Two finance sector brands have made it into the list, but the obvious connections end there. A pub chain, a sportswear manufacturer and a soft drink only add to the eclectic nature of the mix.
However, once you start investigating themarketing philosophies of these top names it becomes easier to unite them. There are three tangible themes that bring the student brands together. They are investment (financial and emotional), long term strategy and acuteunderstanding of audience. These are all themes that, given time, can be applied by any ambitious brand owner eager to succeed in the studentmarket. But businesses should bear in mind that the very best student brands often have their own unique and developed ethos, and it is sometimes one that defies the science of marketing.
Sheraz Dar, Senior Acquisition Manager at Orange, provides an insight into his company's approach: "What we try and do is give something to students without there being any catch involved. We don't approach them wanting to sell them something, we want to create a relationship so that next time they decide to buy a phone they will have empathy with our brand and think of Orange.
"We put on music events with artists who students can relate to. We will have examples of ourtechnology on display at the events for students to find out about, but we won't have sales staff there trying to sign up new customers. The students have come out for a good time and we want to help them enjoy themselves; they won't change their mobile on the night - it doesn't work like that - but they should go away feeling positive about the brand.
"We don't want to put on an event that studentsreally look forward to and then spoil it for them by selling."
Orange talks to students, no strings attached. When the student is ready to buy, Orange ensures the products they need are there. "You do have to back up your marketing with a product that studentsactually want," says Dar. "It's not all about creating awareness and empathy, it's also about making sure you offer the right product and services. Today the phone is more than something for making calls on. Many people don't wear a watch because they have the time on their phone. Mobile phones are fortexting, for sending pictures, for getting information. New services are joining the list all the time. Students readily adopt and want to engage with these services, so long as they find them useful. We deliver products that students want."
Over at The Guardian, the marketing ethos is grounded in the newspaper's liberal agenda. Marc Sands, Marketing Director, explains: "In my view it would be a disappointing and scary world if everybody only read either the Telegraph or the Mail. The Guardian has a remit about reach and influence, we're about ensuring a more progressive, liberal perspective isconveyed to as wide an audience as possible.
"Newspapers clearly have a role in shaping opinion. The point at which a person leaves home and goes to college is a period when they are at their most influential and influenceable. It's a time when they make decisions that are key, some of which stick with them for many, many years. So there is a window when people are making massive decisions. Students are anaudience to whom our message shouldbe receptive.
"From an ideological perspective, it's crucial that the student audience is open to the message of the Guardian, even if they choose not to adopt it."
Meanwhile at STA Travel, PR manager Louise Clark summarises the leading student travel agent's approach very simply: "We're youngat heart."
Trawling through student websites, newspapers and magazines it's hard to ignore STA Travel. "We are one of the biggest investors in student media," says Louise Clark. Indeed, it often seems that wherever there is a student-orientatedpublication, event or promotion there is an STA presence. "We'll be at 150 freshers fairs this year. We'll be running Student Travel Week again - that's a solely student-focussed promotion that we promote heavily through student media. And I will beoffering some more press trips - I took six student media editors to Brussels recently. I should get six articles out of that."
Few marketers would think to take a group ofstudent journalists on a European jolly. Although things are changing, they too often expect to satisfy student media with the scrappiest of scraps. The only exception is in music plugging where it is common for student journalists to be offered one-to-one interviews with high-profile acts and receive advance CDs at the same time as the regular music hacks. STA's enlightened take on student market PR - essentially treating student media withrespect - brings them rewards.
The company employs two staff to look after relationships with student media. The staff deal directly with editors and union marketing managers every day and ensure at least one press release is sent to them every week. This direct contact is appreciated by student media, as is - obviously - the large amount of money being driven into the union. An investment in student media is also a donation. It pays for more pages, better resources and training courses. The majority of student media is union run, meaning they are non-profit-making.
Long-term strategy"If you're looking for a quick win," says Sheraz Dar, "it may not work. Brands that are popular with students have normally had a dialogue with them for some time."
It is a peculiar phenomenon. If any market could provide a quick win, the student market should be it. After all, almost a third of its customer base is replenished every year with fresh imports. In the space of three years the entire student audience has changed. But no, brands that have taken a short-term approach to student marketing have consistently suffered, while those that invest year-on-year have reaped the benefits.
There are two explanations. Firstly, whilestudents move on, the marketing produced for them leaves a legacy. University and students' union personnel - who don't necessarily move on so quickly - are still on campus remembering, for example, the Orange Student Tour or the STA stand at freshers fair. The profile of those brands remains high among the people who run services for students. When Orange turns up to do an event, staff welcome them back. When STA arrives at freshers fairs, new students have been briefed by those who were there last year that the stall is not to be missed. The brands are familiar and everyone on campus is comfortable with them.
Secondly, brands that have operated in the student market for a long time have learnt lessons. They have got their marketing down to a fine art. Thesuccess of Orange, The Guardian and STA has no doubt come from many years of evaluation. This is certainly the case for The Guardian and STA who, between them, have over 50 years experience marketing to students. Nat West, also on the list of top student brands, has been targeting students seriously since the 1970s.
"Students prefer to discover things for themselves," reveals Sheraz Dar. "Be it TV programmes, be it bands, be it the first time they choose a mobile phone, if you try too hard to overtly target them they will look at you and think 'You are overtly targeting me'. They won't like that - they'll look for a brand that's cooler.
"Students are very sharp, very marketing savvy. There's a fine line between engaging with them and appearing to try too hard."
At STA they have used their knowledge of the changing student demographic to shape the direction of their business. "We're doing packages now," says Louise Clark, "which is revolutionary. We're also offering Global Clubber - trips to the clubbing capitals with discounted entry to the famous clubs. We have to think more widely. Students are so savvy, they've got so much choice. The research we've done shows that students take one independent and one package a year, plus a city break. We have to provide for all their travel needs."
The Guardian's Marc Sands explains the main reason today's students are different: "By the time a student is half way through their second year they're starting to think about what they might do when they finish. It's a fundamental change. When higher education was funded by the state you had time to luxuriate in your student life and get severely into the subject you were studying. If you're being asked to pay such a lot more for education, I think it radically alters why you choose to go to university and what you do when you're there.
"That's changed the Guardian's approach. The Guardian has been a recruitment and jobs paper for some time. But now we push that very hard to undergraduates: we're the place to find your job."
All three top student brands have worked very closely with students. Orange mainly through intelligent field marketing, The Guardian through its well-organised student brand manager programme, and STA through direct, daily contact with student media. They have invested time and money and as a result they have tuned into the campus zeitgeist and earned student respect. With that market advantage they have been able to deliver products with confidence.
In short, the top student brands have worked hard for their success.
This article was a chapter in The Reach Students Handbook (2003)
The UK's top student brands 2003/4
In the course of researching this Handbook, a wide range of student marketing personnel were asked to name their 'top' student brands. These were the names that cropped up most often, in order of popularity:
1 Orange
2 The Guardian
3 STA Travel
4 Pot Noodle
5 Playstation
6 Student Barclaycard
7 Scream
8 Nat West
9 Adidas
10 Red Bull
Look down the list of top student brands (right) and, initially, it's hard to find a common thread to link their success. A mobile communications company, a newspaper, a travel firm, a snack product, a gaming machine. Two finance sector brands have made it into the list, but the obvious connections end there. A pub chain, a sportswear manufacturer and a soft drink only add to the eclectic nature of the mix.
However, once you start investigating themarketing philosophies of these top names it becomes easier to unite them. There are three tangible themes that bring the student brands together. They are investment (financial and emotional), long term strategy and acuteunderstanding of audience. These are all themes that, given time, can be applied by any ambitious brand owner eager to succeed in the studentmarket. But businesses should bear in mind that the very best student brands often have their own unique and developed ethos, and it is sometimes one that defies the science of marketing.
Sheraz Dar, Senior Acquisition Manager at Orange, provides an insight into his company's approach: "What we try and do is give something to students without there being any catch involved. We don't approach them wanting to sell them something, we want to create a relationship so that next time they decide to buy a phone they will have empathy with our brand and think of Orange.
"We put on music events with artists who students can relate to. We will have examples of ourtechnology on display at the events for students to find out about, but we won't have sales staff there trying to sign up new customers. The students have come out for a good time and we want to help them enjoy themselves; they won't change their mobile on the night - it doesn't work like that - but they should go away feeling positive about the brand.
"We don't want to put on an event that studentsreally look forward to and then spoil it for them by selling."
Orange talks to students, no strings attached. When the student is ready to buy, Orange ensures the products they need are there. "You do have to back up your marketing with a product that studentsactually want," says Dar. "It's not all about creating awareness and empathy, it's also about making sure you offer the right product and services. Today the phone is more than something for making calls on. Many people don't wear a watch because they have the time on their phone. Mobile phones are fortexting, for sending pictures, for getting information. New services are joining the list all the time. Students readily adopt and want to engage with these services, so long as they find them useful. We deliver products that students want."
Over at The Guardian, the marketing ethos is grounded in the newspaper's liberal agenda. Marc Sands, Marketing Director, explains: "In my view it would be a disappointing and scary world if everybody only read either the Telegraph or the Mail. The Guardian has a remit about reach and influence, we're about ensuring a more progressive, liberal perspective isconveyed to as wide an audience as possible.
"Newspapers clearly have a role in shaping opinion. The point at which a person leaves home and goes to college is a period when they are at their most influential and influenceable. It's a time when they make decisions that are key, some of which stick with them for many, many years. So there is a window when people are making massive decisions. Students are anaudience to whom our message shouldbe receptive.
"From an ideological perspective, it's crucial that the student audience is open to the message of the Guardian, even if they choose not to adopt it."
Meanwhile at STA Travel, PR manager Louise Clark summarises the leading student travel agent's approach very simply: "We're youngat heart."
Trawling through student websites, newspapers and magazines it's hard to ignore STA Travel. "We are one of the biggest investors in student media," says Louise Clark. Indeed, it often seems that wherever there is a student-orientatedpublication, event or promotion there is an STA presence. "We'll be at 150 freshers fairs this year. We'll be running Student Travel Week again - that's a solely student-focussed promotion that we promote heavily through student media. And I will beoffering some more press trips - I took six student media editors to Brussels recently. I should get six articles out of that."
Few marketers would think to take a group ofstudent journalists on a European jolly. Although things are changing, they too often expect to satisfy student media with the scrappiest of scraps. The only exception is in music plugging where it is common for student journalists to be offered one-to-one interviews with high-profile acts and receive advance CDs at the same time as the regular music hacks. STA's enlightened take on student market PR - essentially treating student media withrespect - brings them rewards.
The company employs two staff to look after relationships with student media. The staff deal directly with editors and union marketing managers every day and ensure at least one press release is sent to them every week. This direct contact is appreciated by student media, as is - obviously - the large amount of money being driven into the union. An investment in student media is also a donation. It pays for more pages, better resources and training courses. The majority of student media is union run, meaning they are non-profit-making.
Long-term strategy"If you're looking for a quick win," says Sheraz Dar, "it may not work. Brands that are popular with students have normally had a dialogue with them for some time."
It is a peculiar phenomenon. If any market could provide a quick win, the student market should be it. After all, almost a third of its customer base is replenished every year with fresh imports. In the space of three years the entire student audience has changed. But no, brands that have taken a short-term approach to student marketing have consistently suffered, while those that invest year-on-year have reaped the benefits.
There are two explanations. Firstly, whilestudents move on, the marketing produced for them leaves a legacy. University and students' union personnel - who don't necessarily move on so quickly - are still on campus remembering, for example, the Orange Student Tour or the STA stand at freshers fair. The profile of those brands remains high among the people who run services for students. When Orange turns up to do an event, staff welcome them back. When STA arrives at freshers fairs, new students have been briefed by those who were there last year that the stall is not to be missed. The brands are familiar and everyone on campus is comfortable with them.
Secondly, brands that have operated in the student market for a long time have learnt lessons. They have got their marketing down to a fine art. Thesuccess of Orange, The Guardian and STA has no doubt come from many years of evaluation. This is certainly the case for The Guardian and STA who, between them, have over 50 years experience marketing to students. Nat West, also on the list of top student brands, has been targeting students seriously since the 1970s.
"Students prefer to discover things for themselves," reveals Sheraz Dar. "Be it TV programmes, be it bands, be it the first time they choose a mobile phone, if you try too hard to overtly target them they will look at you and think 'You are overtly targeting me'. They won't like that - they'll look for a brand that's cooler.
"Students are very sharp, very marketing savvy. There's a fine line between engaging with them and appearing to try too hard."
At STA they have used their knowledge of the changing student demographic to shape the direction of their business. "We're doing packages now," says Louise Clark, "which is revolutionary. We're also offering Global Clubber - trips to the clubbing capitals with discounted entry to the famous clubs. We have to think more widely. Students are so savvy, they've got so much choice. The research we've done shows that students take one independent and one package a year, plus a city break. We have to provide for all their travel needs."
The Guardian's Marc Sands explains the main reason today's students are different: "By the time a student is half way through their second year they're starting to think about what they might do when they finish. It's a fundamental change. When higher education was funded by the state you had time to luxuriate in your student life and get severely into the subject you were studying. If you're being asked to pay such a lot more for education, I think it radically alters why you choose to go to university and what you do when you're there.
"That's changed the Guardian's approach. The Guardian has been a recruitment and jobs paper for some time. But now we push that very hard to undergraduates: we're the place to find your job."
All three top student brands have worked very closely with students. Orange mainly through intelligent field marketing, The Guardian through its well-organised student brand manager programme, and STA through direct, daily contact with student media. They have invested time and money and as a result they have tuned into the campus zeitgeist and earned student respect. With that market advantage they have been able to deliver products with confidence.
In short, the top student brands have worked hard for their success.
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