I was skimming through today’s MediaDailyNews when this headline caught my attention: “Legally Blond Delivers 20% Redemption Rate for AdPack.” Now, before I go any further, I have to admit that I am an Elle Woods fan (anyone who can dissect fashion and criminal justice equally well has my respect), but that’s not the (only) reason I jumped straight to the article to learn more. What really caught my attention was the “20% Redemption Rate” part. One of the challenges consistently faced by alternative media companies is being able to provide measurable results. As more and more marketers seek to defend their strategies and tactics with positive (and often instantaneous) ROI metrics, “total impressions” isn’t enough to convince a client to make an investment.
Which brings me to the article itself… To drive ticket sales for “Legally Blond: the Musical”, AdPack, in conjunction with guerrilla marketing firm Brand Marketers, distributed 10,000 branded tissue packs that contained special pink (of course!) discount ticket offers. A team of Elle Woods look-alikes, complete with Bruiser side-kicks, handed out the tissue packs in less than an hour to NYC tourists and locals alike (check out the video re-cap of the promotion.)
As amusing as the promotion itself was, what really matters is results: Of the 10,000 offers handed out, 2,025 were redeemed, generating approximately $150,000 in ticket sales. According to the article, show producers were so pleased with these (measurable) results, they are already looking at ways to expand the promotion into other travel and tourism channels.
The exciting news for those of us in the industry is the measurable proof that thinking outside of the traditional box really does work — especially when the offer is compelling and the execution is creative and relevant. While this particular promotion incorporated a tried-and-true measurement device (coupon), new technologies are offering us even more opportunities to gauge the impact our campaigns can have. Bluetooth, SMS, and 2D barcodes are all changing the face of out-of-home advertising. Working with our clients to leverage these devices with meaningful calls to action will allow us to be better partners going forward…and justify a bigger piece of the marketing pie.
