Clients - Sonicare

Word of Mouth: Sonicare Partners with Influential Blogger Network to Generate Mass Awareness

KEY STRATEGIES

		Challenge The Sonicare for Kids power toothbrush launched exclusively in Target stores in August of 2009. In June 2010, retail distribution was expanded to include Wal-Mart, a major distributor for Sonicare and an important shopping destination for the Sonicare for Kids target consumer; but the media had already reported on the launch months beforehand. Sonicare approached Emanate with the challenge of finding an opportunity to continue to drive media interest in a way that would be influential and inspire action among brand loyalists.

	Shannon Jenest Public Relations Senior Manager Philips Consumer Lifestyle	"Word of mouth is a huge purchase driver for the Sonicare for Kids ‘mom’ target so we wanted to get the product into the hands of influencers who would share their experiences and spark dialogue in the online community."

		Solution By partnering with an influential blogger network, Mom Central, Emanate worked to activate and engage moms and the media. The main component of the campaign was a national blog tour designed to encourage mommy bloggers to write about the Sonicare for Kids product. In order to keep the story fresh and timely, the team developed a story broader than toothcare, focusing on daily routines between parents and children, and timed the outreach with the news of the distribution partnership with Wal-Mart. The team was strategic in its outreach approach, meticulously vetting the recipients to ensure it was an appropriate audience that would respond positively to the Sonicare brand. This approach, combined with extensive media outreach and targeted desk-side briefings with Mom Central founder and spokesperson Stacy DeBroff, resulted in tremendous exposure for the brand.

		Results Forty mommy bloggers participated in the Sonicare for Kids blog tour, and 100% posted positively about the brand. The majority incorporated an anecdote about how Sonicare for Kids can help manage daily routines, and also mentioned the Wal-Mart distribution deal. The Sonicare for Kids campaign yielded more than 1MM impressions and exposure to almost 90K Twitter followers thanks in large part to a strategic social media campaign that galvanized the support of brand loyalists across the country.

Embrace social media tools
Connect with target audience
Engage brand loyalists
Conduct targeted social/traditional media outreach
Drive traffic to purchase website

ACCOUNT TEAM

Evelyn Sprigg
Director, Healthcare Marketing

Blair Baumwell
Senior Associate

Anna Boisvert
Account Associate

‘Try it and you will love it’ is a truth for the Sonicare brand – but receiving 100% positive feedback in a way that could connect the recommendation directly to action was the real accomplishment.

Evelyn Sprigg
Director, Healthcare Marketing, Emanate