Allstate Insurance
Virtual grease monkeys
Situation
When market research indicated Allstate Insurance wasn’t even being considered by motorcycle riders during the insurance purchasing process, the company knew something needed to change.
Approach
This spring, Allstate launched the Web site AllstateGarage.com, created by Chicago agency Leo Burnett. It features tools allowing visitors to plan a ride, find an agent and get a quote. It also includes safety-themed features, such as 30-second vignettes starring well-known motorcyclists.
The goal of the site is to show that Allstate “knows bikers, speaks their language and understands what their needs are,” says John Anderson, Allstate’s director of marketing and emerging businesses.
Creative from last year’s print campaign, with Allstate agents and their bikes, is also featured. But it’s the build-a-bike feature that has really revved up visitors. “Every 30 seconds, someone is building a bike and posting it to the site,” Anderson says. “Our agents are even using the functionality to create contests with their local motorcycle clubs.”
The effort has spawned the 2008 Allstate Mobile Garage Tour, a 40-foot trailer that makes stops at motorcycle rallies as it travels across the country. Attendees will be able to view a collection of custom motorcycles and check out AllstateGarage.com via Web kiosks.
Results
In the first two months, the site generated more than 100,000 unique visitors, with the average visit length approximately 7.5 minutes. –Chantal Todé
Pet Ecology
Here kitty, kitty
Approach: Pet Ecology partnered with Hydra Network for the online portion of an integrated campaign to promote its new Perfect Litter. From September through February, Hydra deployed banner, search, contextual marketing and e-mail blasts driving consumers to a microsite to sign up for a free two-week trial.
Results: Signups numbered 11,712, and 3.68% converted to purchase. -Mary Hurn
NutriSystem
Results are fat for online contest
Approach: Contests had long been a part of weight loss company NutriSystem’s marketing mix. In January, the company employed online agency Tell us to help it launch its first online contest with the goal of increasing engagement. On-site promotion encouraged customers to submit before and after photographs of themselves.
Results: There was a 213% increase in the number of customers involved in the online contest compared to prior print contests. -Nathan Golia
Privateview
Martin Buchanan
Executive creative director, managing partner, Trone
I just spent 45 minutes on the Allstate site. That alone is proof of its appeal. Beautifully conceived, designed and executed. Totally involving. It creates an online community that echoes real life in the world of motorcycles. Real mechanics giving me useful info about riding and owning. And all the while I’m feeling good about Allstate. Five stars.
The work for Perfect Litter looks like a gazillion ads I’ve seen in the back of Parade magazine over the years. Everything vies hard for your attention, and it takes patience and tenacity to get all the information they want you to have. But it’s a cool product. I don’t understand the logic that getting something free is more appealing than getting something useful free. Lead with the relevance, not the offer. (It’s 70% lighter, more absorbent and it detects disease in your cat. And you can get it free!)
Who wouldn’t want $30,000 as a reward for losing a lot of weight? The contest itself has more appeal than the logo graphics in this promo from Nutrisystem. I’d pay money if designers stopped using depictions of dollars as a visual for cash prizes. It has definitely been done. Overall this work lacked any visual flair, but told the story well.
