A chain of DIY stores in North America has made headlines recently with its new campaign, which targets consumers looking to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.

Westlake Ace Hardware introduced its Zombie Preparedness Center in early October, offering help and advice for consumers concerned about everything from minimising the smell of decaying neighbours to zombie-proofing their homes and gardens.

It may sound like just another PR stunt - and it’s certainly been effective in gaining coverage - but it’s anchored in sound brand thinking from the company’s ad agency. Omaha-based Bozell was keen to find a fresh way of engaging 20- and 30-something consumers with the brand, which was struggling to attract an audience of DIY novices.

The answer? Zombies. Our fascination with the undead has never been more apparent, with The Walking Dead finding fans both here and across the US, and Brad Pitt currently filming a new zombie film in Scotland. It may be a sign of consumers’ anxiety at the fraying of societal bonds, as some psychologists have posited, or something more straightforward - the catharsis of a battle against enemies who may want your flesh but at least don’t want the contents of your bank account.

So where does the brand thinking enter the picture, you may ask? Well, at the heart of the Westlake Ace brand is knowledgeable service. In recent years, the company has sought to position itself as the home of expert advice and assistance in everything DIY, thereby differentiating itself from brands with much larger out-of-town retail formats and a more comprehensive offer.

With its Zombie Preparedness Center, the brand has tapped into a pop culture phenomenon that has high appeal for its younger target audience. It’s treated the subject with exactly the same direct, helpful approach as it does more run-of-the-mill household issues, however; it uses zombies to illustrate common DIY problems such as repairing holes in walls or fitting external security lights.

The result is a campaign that’s garnered the brand great publicity and connected with a notoriously hard to reach audience, while reinforcing its core offer.

So there we are: the next time you’re grappling with a seemingly irresolvable marketing problem, you might just benefit from taking a completely different approach. Of course, if you want a hand with that, you know where to come…

As you may have heard, the tobacco industry has been accused of using video sharing websites to get around a ban to advertising for cigarettes.

Giles Lury, our Director of Branding, was invited to comment on those latest accusations on Peter Allen and Aasmah Mir’s show on BBC Radio 5 live Programme 5 Live Drive.

To hear what Giles has to say you can listen again here  (26/8/2010 from 1:53:26 and lasts around 3 minutes).

We are proud to announce that we have made contributions to the marketing press twice last week:

Consultant Sally Moses comments in The Grocer’s article ‘Review for Pepsi Raw after sales deteriorate’ by Alex Beckett:

‘The brand had suffered from the outset with a “half-hearted approach” from PepsiCo, claimed Sally Moses, branding consultant at The Value Engineers. “You only have to look at Pepsi Raw’s Facebook page to see how it’s failing to resonate. Consumers don’t know where to buy it and don’t know what it is. The benefits of the raw cane sugar ingredient were not properly established. It’s a shame because many people enjoy the taste.”‘

Read the full article on The Grocer online. 

Alex Waters, Director of Capabilities, comments in Marketing in Kim Benjamin’s article ‘Kronenbourg looks to home’ which discusses that the brand aims to drive off-trade sales by playing on its premium credentials.

‘Alex Waters, director of brand consultancy The Value Engineers, shares this view. “The challenge is convincing the trade that Kronenbourg truly is a premium brand and that it should be priced accordingly”, he says. “This means exploring new behaviours, target consumers and products for Kronenbourg. It could target a demographic that is not well served by lagers currently, such as 35- to 45-year-olds, where it could play to its brand heritage of the Brasserie Kronenbourg and become the lager choice for those who know their beer or want to be seen to know it.”‘

Read the full article in Marketing online.

As you may have heard, the Dutch beer brand Bavaria has been fined by FIFA for its ‘ambush’ advertising of girls in orange mini-dresses.

Giles Lury, our Director of Branding, was invited to comment on this incident and the perils and pitfalls of guerrilla marketing campaigns, on Simon Mayo’s show on BBC Radio 2 yesterday.

To hear what Giles has to say you can listen again here (from 1:32.25 onwards).

We are delighted to announce that Dave Lawrence, Head of The Value Engineers Kids Practice, has been quoted in this week’s Marketing Week main feature article ‘Brand awareness comes as part of growing up’ by MaryLou Costa.

The article discusses that children today are reacting to brands with a sophisticated awareness and strong opinions about their ‘coolness’.

Dave comments on kids marketing:

“Kids are important as consumers in their own right, but the worry is that brand owners are going to exclude them from the marketing process out of a fear of being labelled irresponsible.”

Product integrity is key when addressing children, Lawrence says. This might involve creating new products, reformulating existing lines or simply doing more marketing around healthier brands. PepsiCo took this route in March when it announced it would put more focus on its healthier brands, such as Pepsi Raw, Pepsi Max, Tropicana and Walkers Baked.

Lawrence says the most constructive marketing initiatives for young people allow “kids to be kids” through appropriate activities for their age group or sponsorship of youth events.

For those that get it wrong, Lawrence says it will hit them where it hurts – sales. “Parents are becoming more discerning about what they buy for their children,” he warns.

Read the full article on Marketing Week online.