10 CREATIVE STRATEGIES
It's all about the strategy. Smart creative strategy is a GPS for success. Begin with the end in mind. What do you want people to do? What do you want them to believe and feel? The more precise you are, the better. your results can be. Here are 10 examples where the brand or creative strategy was defined before a dollar was invested in creative work.
"The victorious warrior wins first, and then goes into battle."
Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"
1. WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS
CHALLENGE
Establish America's #1 rated grocery chain as an unmatched leader in fresh produce. a directive from CEO Robert Wegman.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
To claim a "best" position, produce department managers told their stories, proving specifically and exactly how Wegmans sells fresher and better produce. The campaign, Nobody Brings it Home Like Wegmans, drove the biggest summer of sales in company history.
2. ASTORIA BANK
CHALLENGE
Create a consumer brand identity for the oldest bank in New York City and Long Island, the most competitive banking market in America.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Opened in 1888, Astoria Bank has grown deep roots, helping generations of New York families. Strategy used this history to position the bank as uniquely able to understand the needs of diverse New Yorkers. The tagline: AS NEW YORK AS YOU ARE.
3. NUVAL NUTRITION SCORES
CHALLENGE
Create awareness and interest for NuVal Nutrition Scores in a grocery chain.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
NuVal Nutrition Scores rank every edible item in a grocery store for nutritional value. On a scale of 1 to 100, the higher the score, the better the nutrition. Creative strategy used fun wordplay on well-known food phrases. NuVal asked to use the campaign nationally.
4. WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
CHALLENGE
Reverse a steep decline in labor and deliveries for the leading birthing hospital in Western New York.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Creative strategy tapped into the emotions of expectant moms at full=term. We Deliver Peace of Mind touted advanced resources for babies and moms with a reassuring style. The campaign helped the hospital realize a "bump" of 1,000 births in one year.
5. THE GREAT NEW YORK STATE FAIR
CHALLENGE
Reverse declining attendance at the Great New York State Fair.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
The #1 reason for visiting State Fairs is the blue-ribbon animals. A playful campaign of visual puns was designed around a family of pigs having a ball.
6. WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER
CHALLENGE
Create positive branding for a county medical center with a poor reputation.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
With a unique performance-emotion execution, brand strategy called for a "Know it - Feel it" creative template. Advanced medical center resources were highlighted and connected to feelings associated with positive medical outcomes.
7. PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY
CHALLENGE
Brand a green energy program for PECO, Philadelphia's primary electric and natural gas provider.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Creative strategy developed the PECOSYSTEM. It's an ecosystem of cool people who know the value of using energy-efficient appliances. It saves money and reduces consumption and demand for the entire community. That's good for everybody in Philadelphia.
8. FIRST LONG ISLAND INVESTORS
CHALLENGE
Brand a wealth management firm on Long Island with serious global competition in nearby Manhattan.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
To differentiate the firm, brand strategy centered on home field advantage, featuring convenient location (close to the homes of wealthy North Shore clientele) and extraordinary personal service. The new tagline: One Place Like Home.
9. CITY OF WEATHERFORD, TEXAS
CHALLENGE
Brand a city so it stands out in the 16-county Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Weatherford is 20 miles west of Dallas in the shadow of Fort Worth. It's far enough away so urban density is replaced by rolling hills, buttes and rivers, big horse ranches and small town values. In short, it's TRUE TEXAS. That's a brand as big as the Lone Star State.
10. NEW YORK CITY CLEAN FERRY PROGRAM
CHALLENGE
Create awareness for an environmental program in America's most competitive media market.
CREATIVE STRATEGY
To promote the clean air benefits of new eco-friendly ferries in New York Harbor, inspiration and emotional engagement were drawn from the quote on the Statue of Liberty. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
