Marketing as Service Rides On
After 11 years of surprising and delighting HSBC customers with free rides around NYC, the BankCab drove into the sunset this June. And while this quintessential example of Marketing As Service is forever parked in our memories, other marketers are also putting the pedal to the metal via programs that emphasize actions over ads, delivering unique value to their prospects and customers. Here are a few turbocharged examples:
Perking Up Small Business Loyalty
Time Warner Cable Business Class recently rolled out PerkZone, a benefits program exclusively designed for their small business customers. PerkZone kicked off with two primary pistons: one that aggregates discounts from leading companies like OfficeMax and Lenovo, and the other a forum for customers to review relevant news and share ideas. (Disclosure: Renegade is proud to be a partner in the development of this effort.)
Smartening Already Savvy CMOs
MediaMath, the leader in programmatic media, accelerated their partnership with The CMO Club via another Renegade program called Train Your Brain. Offering brain training tips, books, gym memberships and even brain food to CMOs, MediaMath is helping CMOs to be smarter in general, while setting up the opportunity to discuss how their algorithm (“The Brain”) helps drive smarter media decision-making.
Educating High School Jocks is No Joke
Reaching high school athletes has never been easy, but imagine needing to educate them about the NCAA’s new Division 1 academic eligibility requirements. Enter the Talking Bench, a wisecracking sports sage conceived by Leo Burnett and brought to life on Twitter and Instagram by Renegade. Already achieving engagement levels that rival well-established mascots like Smokey the Bear, the Talking Bench is also a hit on YouTube with over half a million views to date.
Encouraging Millennials to Start Wining
Since Drew is speaking at the upcoming Wine & Beer Industry Technology Symposium (a dream come true), we’ll now shift gears to a few refreshing ideas in those categories that you might otherwise miss. Two wine brands, Copa Divino and Zipz, are offering wine in small bottles that double as wine glasses, while Uproot is offering color-coded guides, as opposed to traditional grape variety designations, to its flavor profiles. These efforts are making wine more accessible, particularly to cocktail-craving and craft beer-hunting Millennials.
Brewing Up Commuter Interest
The beer category is also foaming with examples of Marketing As Service. Brazil’s AmBev offered Rio carnival partiers free train rides home simply by scanning their Antarctica cans at the turnstiles. Taking an even cheekier approach, Mexico’s Sol placed recycling bins for neck ties adjacent to bins for paper and cans at commuter stations in Europe, offering free beer to anyone who got into the spirit.
Pouring Out Fan Love via Apps
And finally, from the savvy folks who created the Book of World Records as a way to inspire fun pub conversations, comes the Guinness Pub Finder app, which is another excellent example of Marketing As Service. The app does exactly what you’d expect, helping even Android users find the nearest pints of their beloved Irish dry stout.
And finally, from the savvy folks who created the Book of World Records as a way to inspire fun pub conversations, comes the Guinness Pub Finder app, which is another excellent example of Marketing As Service. The app does exactly what you’d expect, helping even Android users find the nearest pints of their beloved Irish dry stout.