Promotions | WARC

Advertisers are planning for short term and spending less on campaigns

News • 14 October 2020

The shift to short-term planning and a fall in campaign spending by advertisers are the biggest changes from 2019 to 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, publishers around the world say.

Brands need to double down to win over APAC’s mega-sales shoppers

News • 08 October 2020

A new white paper released by Mediacom and Facebook has found that marketers need to double the time they currently advertise to promote sales and commit more to prospecting.

The challenges facing grocery marketers in 2021

News • 28 September 2020

Consumer priorities in the grocery category are changing to reflect new realities as the financial implications of pandemic and recession begin to hit; understanding “macro shopper mindsets” can help marketers plan for an uncertain future.

Consumers seek more value while rural India boosts FMCG recovery

News • 28 September 2020

The emphasis of FMCG spending in India is changing, while the willingness of Indian consumers to spend on luxury and entertainment will be limited by financial and safety factors, according to the fifth edition of Nielsen’s COVID-19 Evolving Consumer

How AB InBev worked through the pandemic to support consumers, bars and restaurants in Brazil

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Digital Marketing Conference, September 2020

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the brewer, built out a program in Brazil that assisted pubs and restaurants that were struggling due to COVID-19.

Four food-shopper mindsets that should shape brand planning in 2021

Article • Callum Saunders, WARC Exclusive, September 2020

Grocery shopping mindsets are changing as a result of the pandemic and it will be vital for brands to embrace new behaviours to capitalise on throughout 2021.

The relationship between competitive pricing and direct-to-consumer advertising: How to manage DTC advertising of Rx drugs in an integrated marketing mix strategy

Research Paper • Abhik Roy and Mary E. Schramm, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 60, No. 3, 2020, pp. 305-323

The oligopolistic nature of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry presents its members with a unique opportunity to leverage the interaction between competitive pricing strategy and promotion strategy.

Santa to come early to US stores – or maybe not at all

News • 08 September 2020

US retailers, facing the prospect of a Christmas like no other, are already making plans for a marketing strategy shakeup forced on them by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gatorade: A Dream Shot

Case Study • Nicholas Short, Cassie Li, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2020

A nationwide social competition saw sports drink brand Gatorade reach out to China's 300 million-plus basketball players in order to drive sales and expand its fan base.

KFC: Celebrating Victory Together

Case Study • Nicholas Short, Jessia Zhu, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2020

QSR brand KFC used digital creative to build an exclusive membership for gamers, to tempt eSports fans in China during the League of Legends World Championships.

VietJet Air: When free is not enough

Case Study • WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2020

Low-cost airline Vietjet Air took a non-traditional approach to sales promotion to boost ticket sales in Vietnam.

100Plus: Activate Your Potential – AME 2019

Case Study • Su Ling Chan, Danesh Asokkumar, Nichelle Ng, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Entrant, 2020

Isotonic drinks brand 100Plus increased sales and reach among millenials in Malaysia through a collaboration with an upcoming band.

Why food brands should target promotion-minded consumers

News • 25 August 2020

Understanding the difference between promotion- and prevention-minded shoppers could help food marketers enhance their strategy across the entire path to purchase.

How low-quality giveaways can hurt brands

News • 13 August 2020

Low-quality giveaways can “backfire strongly” on brands and have a negative impact that is more memorable to consumers than receiving high-quality items, a study in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR) has found.

Five e-commerce themes marketers should know

News • 03 August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent country lockdowns have driven ten years of e-commerce growth in an eight-week period, prompting a rethink of all the marketing fundamentals; a new WARC report looks at the changes taking place and what they mean f

Why cheap, low-quality giveaways are bad for brands: Quality of freebies drives consumer attitudes, but personalization can help

Research Paper • Samuel Stäbler, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, July 2020

Companies employ giveaways primarily to create awareness and strengthen their brands. Little academic research has examined the effectiveness of giveaways, however.

Mastercard: Astronomical Sales

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2020

In the slowest part of Dubai's retail season, payment card brand Mastercard built a unique sale tied to a rare eclipse that put its brand literally in full view of the country's shoppers.

NIVEA: The All-Russian Initiative 'Vote For Your Skating Rink!'

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, EMEA, 2020

NIVEA, a personal care brand, increased its association with care in Russia by launching a nationwide program that revived abandoned neighbourhood skating rinks.

Budweiser builds an e-commerce business with first-party data and smarter advertising

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, Lions Live, June 2020

Budweiser, the beer brand, is ramping up its e-commerce capabilities as more shoppers turn to e-commerce in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Half of UK SMEs have cut adspend and struggle with campaign effectiveness

Data • Rob Clapp, WARC Data Points, June 2020

An overview of changes to marketing and advertising spend and campaign effectiveness among UK businesses during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Asians can't resist deals – and the physiological evidence proves it

Article • Mehak Bharti and Sharon Ng, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

Do deals evoke deeper unconscious desires within Asians that make it difficult for them to resist? New research by Nanyang Business School suggests, yes.

Six key lessons for CPG brands and retailers from the last recession

Article • Joan Driggs, WARC Exclusive, May 2020

Applies six lessons from the last recession to today's uncertainty around customer loyalty, the rise of private label, right pricing, sacrificing non-essentials, the joy of upgrading and discounting leads to changing habits.

Occasion marketing in the age of COVID-19: Insights from The Hershey Co.

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, WARC Exclusive, April 2020

The Hershey Co., the candy manufacturer, is responding to the COVID-19 crisis by mapping out its occasion-focused strategy based on various scenarios.

Building brand loyalty with Indonesia Gen Z’s desire for continuous gratification

Article • Bening Rara, WARC Exclusive, April 2020

Ogilvy’s Bening Rara highlights the role of continuous gratification in establishing a connection with Indonesia’s promotion-savvy youth.

AXE: Lollapalooza 2019

Case Study • Guilherme Aquilante, Verusca Casciano, Gabriela Amato, Carolina Buzetto, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Antiperspirant body spray brand AXE looked to Lollapalooza for the launch of a social-powered campaign that would boost engagement with its target audience in Brazil.