Marketing Innovation and Lessons from Vick’s Vap-O-Rub

In every industry, it is innovation and creativity that is the key to productivity, revenue generation and institutional longevity. Nobody is aware that Vick’s Vap-O-Rub was created during the Flu Pandemic of 1918 and was supposed to be a cure for the Flu and we all know that the Flu is viral and to date there is still no cure for viruses and yet Vick’s Vap-O-Rub is still on sale worldwide. There are various ways of creating innovation, the following are the 3 main types:

Product – iPod, iPhone and the iPad revolutionized the mobile phone and gadget industry

Process – Online retail and wholsale

Marketing Mix – The iPhone and iPod and IPad had iTunes and other services

As for the  Marketing Mix here are some examples:

A)    Project Pie – A mix between marketing and product by making your own pizza.
B)    Price innovation – Recession Coffee in Eastwood allow buyers to pay what they want for different types of coffee.
C)    The use of Social Media in brand or product awareness.
D)    Service Innovation – Hooters. Enough said
E)    Physical Environment – One of the oldest in the country. Barrio Fiesta wherein the mood inside and the ambience is akin to a never ending town fiesta.

Sourced and derived from readings in http://josiahgo.com/marketing-innovation-by-josiah-go/

(Attend Josiah Go’s Marketing Innovation executive workout on April 14-15, 2016. Email info@mansmith.net for details)

New Creative Agency for Seven Brands of Unilever Philippines

Dantsu JaymeSyfu has been appointed by Unilever Philippines for seven of its brands and for an additional six brands as its digital agency. 

The agency ended its relationship with DDB after selling its majority stake to Dentsu Aegis Network last December 2015.

The pitch was announced just after the acquisition was completed and involved a list of 'club agencies' and several local digital agencies. All in all, there were two pitches: an above-the-line pitch and a digital one.

To show ints intedgration, Dentsu JaymeSyfu pitched as a single unit to show its integration.

"Our strength in integration is key in working successfully with all the brands," said Merlee Cruz-Jayme, CEO and chairmom at Dentsu JaymeSyfu, crediting the agency's merger.

In the second quarter of 2016 Dentsu JaymeSyfu will take over creative duties for the following brands:  Creamsilk, Surf, Breeze, Domex, Sunlight, Cif, and the homecare portal Cleanipedia.

Dentsu Digit, led by managing director Carlo Ople, won digital AOR for all the brands listed above and an additional six brands: Master, Axe, Eskinol, Block and White, Selecta ice cream, and Magnum.

Dennis Perez, head of media at Unilever Philippines, cited the quality of creative thinking, original insights and innovative execution.

Dentsu has decided to strategically invest in the Phillippines, said Takaki Hibino, APAC CEO for Dentsu brand agencies and Dentsu media Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan). "To see these strategies come to life and materialize into significant wins is the perfect example of the good innovation that we aim for.”

Dentsu JaymeSyfu declined to disclose the incumbent agencies working on the brands.

Efficascent Oil and Shoestring Budget Marketing

Many of us by now know what is Efficascent Oil and Omega Pain Killer, brands that are not even Manila-based but we never knew about it nor did not even care where they were made. All we know is that they come with top of mind recall whenever such products against aches and pains are needed by us or by family members.

For example, Efficascent Oil has been around for 60 years. The writer cannot recall the last time he has seen a billboard, heard a radio commercial and can only recall a TV spot more than 10 years ago. But why has Efficascent Oil managed to hold on to its market position for so long on a Marketing and Advertising “Non-Strategy”?

Mr. Stanley Uang , VP-Marketing of International Pharmaceutical thus answers,  “The most central to this philosophy of allocating a shoestring budget is to make every peso count. Whether it is in negotiating with media networks in providing more spots or to include creative executions in addition to the spots, or making those few spots count with good marketing content or an endorser who fits the positioning of your product or your communication, or to be very strategic in your communication in terms of target audience. All these will make your advertising pesos go a long way.”

But again, the strategy for Efficascent Oil is that on its first 20 years, it was marketed as medicine but using massage as the delivery system. Those who are averse to taking pills would rather use a non-invasive form of therapy. Also, by using this method, Efficascent Oil was able to widen its distribution. As mentioned above, it is not a Manila-based company. It is based in Cebu, the distribution phase using its “massage therapy” marketing came mostly by word of mouth from users to new customers. Now on its next 20 years, it has now gained a name brand of its own and is easily differentiated from other “me too” brands and it has 60 years of existence to fall back on.

It must also be noted that geographically, being based in Cebu makes IPI centrally located in the Philippines and that makes the company easier to distribute and market. Thus, a Shoestring Marketing Strategy is makes sense given the factors cited.