Understanding the role of a particular advertising strategy in the communication mix
Problem
Allstate was not sure about taking a new approach to its sponsorship of the Mexican National Team. The TV spots from the original approach depicted highly visible celebrities from the MNT in the usual Allstate car crash scenarios. The spots resonated with Hispanics but had little to do with soccer. Their success depended on the power of the celebrity being depicted and the entertainment value of the executions, but the celebrity was the only link to the MNT and soccer. We needed to demonstrate that the new approach we were proposing was a better use of the property given its particular role in the communication mix.
Scenario Simulations and Storytelling
We developed a computer model that represented different strategic elements of the brand’s communications architecture to illustrate the role of a soccer sponsorship in the mix. The model was built by creating a chain of causal relationships between the different strategic elements. The resulting story became the basis of our theory, a theory that could be simulated and tested by comparing different scenarios including the original one and the one proposed by the agency.
Results
The exercise helped us convince Allstate about the power of the new approach and allowed us to develop work around it. Today, the new approach is a fully-developed communications platform that brings Allstate and its benefits to the world of soccer instead of the other way around. The platform’s website won several creative awards and the entire case won a Silver Effie at the 2010 North American Effie Competition.