The Bach Collection is sold through distributor showrooms and branches to builders and plumbers. This channel is extremely competitive. Distributors typically sell products from as many as twelve manufacturers and, at any given time, they may be exposed to 5-7 active promotions designed to capture their attention and time. To cut through the promotion clutter, Performance Plus Marketing recommended a high-impact sweepstakes structure for "The Sounds of Success."
The basic program was simple. At the end of each week, random winners were selected to win high-profile awards that were symbolic of their success. To qualify for the weekly awards, the distributors were required to enter an invoice by a specific date.
Key to capturing the distributors’ attention was the choice of awards. The “Sounds of Success” program needed to appeal to the distributor showroom sales people who were predominately modestly compensated females in their mid-thirties, as well as the middle-income Bach distributor sales staff, who were predominately males in their mid-thirties. Awards that included high-end electronic equipment, designer jewelry, and other luxury products appealed to both of these audiences, reinforced the high-end quality of the Bach products, and determined the program’s theme “Sounds of Success.”
In addition to well-chosen awards, making participation in the program easy was critical. To eliminate time consuming and monotonous paperwork, participants entered invoice numbers either online or via a toll-free number. The customized website featured program rules and award choices, answers to frequently asked questions, and the awards mall which could be searched by brand, product type, or point value. Using an individual password, distributors could enter sales figures, track their progress, and redeem awards online at any time convenient to them. Product SKU’s were entered using a pull-down menu so that sales by product could be easily reported.
The “Sounds of Success” was announced via a web telecast to all Distributor Regional Vice Presidents, Bach Reps, and Agency Reps. Within a week of the telecast, a four-color brochure detailing program rules and showcasing the awards was mailed to individual distributors. Participants received blast emails and faxes throughout the program to keep “Sounds of Success” upper most in their minds. These communications featured graphics of the Bach products that earned the participants bonus points when sold. All communications graphics echoed the Bach elite image and reinforced the high- end award choices.
ESM News Alert for the latest news. Subscribe here.
