In my last blog post, I discussed the power that integrated campaigns possess to succeed and how the different disciplines can make up for an area the other is lacking in. When Marina Maher Communications (MMC) teamed up with Kotex to create the U by Kotex “Declaration of Real Talk” campaign, the results were astounding. The goal of the campaign was to get females comfortable with talking about vaginal health by being “culturally disruptive” and “consistently innovative.” Boy, did they succeed.
I found out this campaign is in the running for a Silver Anvil Award when I recently listened to an interview on the PRSA website with MMC’s Diana Littman Paige and Jennifer Horowitz, the executive vice president and senior vice president, respectively. They agreed that one of the main reasons the campaign was such a great success is due to the strong collaborative effort between advertising, public relations, digital and design. MMC decided, from the beginning, that the campaign was going to be an integrated effort, and they stuck to this idea very firmly.
Paige summed up the efforts beautifully by stating that PR is there to “help be the guardian for the mission.” When the media refused to talk about the topic, PR was there to help blow up the category, abolish the euphemisms and inspire the millennial generation to become brand ambassadors. Through extensive research and various focus groups, MMC discovered the marketplace truth for Kotex’s target audience. Diana Paige noted that the feminine care category has yet to catch up with the other frank discussions that modern females are currently having. Their research proved that women were excited and enthusiastic about change. They were ready to help “tear down the wall of euphemisms” that would change the conversation surrounding vaginal health.
To help do this, Kotex needed to credential its brand name. This is where the pop culture stars came in to help support the conversation Kotex was hoping to drive. Tyra Banks hosted an episode of her talk show that dedicated nearly 30 minutes to vaginal health education on behalf of Kotex. Khloe Kardashian volunteered her time as a representative of the brand and literally tore down “the wall of euphemisms.”
After the release of the campaign, Kotex and MMC had created a new market, seen great business results, increased their market share by 8 percent and positioned the company as leaders in education of vaginal health. The campaign got rid of the common misperception that Kotex is a brand for your mother or grandmother and is a great example of how collaboration among disciplines can see huge success.
Mix and Match. 