Snausages – NFL
February 25, 2010 by Chris · Leave a Comment
Challenge
Snausages is a leader in the dog snack category. It has a very successful base product (shape/flavor) and has introduced several rotational products to spurn incremental seasonal sales. The brand was looking for an exciting promotion to help drive one of its rotational products: Snausages Footballs.
Solution
Since the Snausages brand is all about having fun and humanizing the dog, we developed a program that would let owners and their dogs celebrate together when their team scores a touchdown by treating with Snausages footballs. Sponsorships of targeted NFL teams were created to make an impact in important markets for the brand and key retailers. Team logos and trademarks were used to create limited edition packaging and display materials that helped draw attention to the products in-store. An added-value program encouraged consumers to send pictures of their dog dressed in team regalia for their dog’s chance to be shown as an MVP (most valuable pooch) on team websites and stadium video boards. Charitable tie-ins, co-branded advertising support and hospitality opportunities rounded out the program and helped secure retail merchandising support.
Results
This NFL promotion created big opportunities for the Snausages brand. It delivered a high profile program that could leverage the power of the NFL to draw attention to Snausages Footballs.
Snausages – Youth Soccer
February 25, 2010 by Chris · Leave a Comment
Challenge
Snausages is a leader in the Dog Snacks category and was looking to increase its reach to kids….who play and exercise with their dogs. The brand wanted to develop a test program in either of its two HQ Markets (San Francisco or Pittsburgh) that could help determine if local marketing through youth soccer would deliver quality results, and if so, could a template be developed to extend the program nationally.
While there’s no doubt that youth soccer drives a huge following from millions of participants and their families, its mainly volunteer-based infrastructure creates many operational challenges for cost-effective local- market activation. Sports Strategies needed to uncover the right opportunity.
Solution
After weighing the opportunities available through AYSO, US Youth Soccer, local professional teams and other related properties, we identified that the Pittsburgh stop on the national Sports Illustrated for Kids 3v3 tour could deliver the platform we were seeking for our test. This option offered a quality event (5,000+ participants/families) in the right market, an attractive cross-promotional partner (Sports Illustrated for Kids), on-site execution by a professional agency with accountability…and the opportunity to extend in to 50+ events as part of a national tour if the local test was deemed successful.
We partnered Snausages with the event which delivered pre-promotion and on-site visibility to build equity. Interactive games, Snausages temporary tattoos, appearances by the Snocrates mascot and logoed premiums helped integrate the brand in to the event. Additionally, a consumer program offering tournament registration discounts helped leverage the program at retail.
Results
This program successfully delivered a viable national youth soccer marketing platform for Snausages. It effectively tapped in to the local youth soccer market and delivered retail activation. Additionally, local and on-site execution was reliable and professional. Finally, the 50+ city tour and attractive Sports Illustrated for Kids umbrella sponsor delivered a cost-effective template to extend the program on a national basis.
