The Phone

Background

7Dimanche is a free Sunday newspaper. They were about to make some changes with a new logo, a new layout and more and better content.

They wanted to let media buyers in media agencies know that the paper was not only getting more interesting to read, it was a great place for advertising as well.

They wanted the message to get through to this busy and cynical audience in such a way they would not just notice it but remember it.

Idea

The problem with saying, ‘7Dimanche is better than ever’ is that no-one would believe it unless it was proven to them.

So the idea was to demonstrate to 13 of the most influential media planners in Belgium how much response there was to even the small ads in the paper.

First, a mobile phone was sent to the 13 Print Buyers in the largest agencies in Belgium, along with the message: Keep an eye on this phone on Sunday.

Second, the agency created and inserted 13 small ads each offering small but free bits and pieces. One offered 5 litres of free paint, another was giving away flower pots. Each ad had the phone number of the mobile given to a media buyer.

And on Sunday, the phones began to ring. And ring. And ring., The test phone got 176 calls, that’s one every three minutes, from a member of the public responding to the ad.

On Monday, a letter was delivered to the Buyers explaining everything, with the message, “If that’s how much response you get from a  small ad, imagine the response to a big ad.” They were also sent some breakfast and, of course, a newspaper to read with it.

Results

Reactions from the target audience were great. They loved the creativity of the piece and were all surprised by the number of calls they received from such a small ad. The DM was quickly picked up by the Belgian marketing press so the message was spread way beyond the 13 individuals targeted.

Our Thoughts

In this Issue we have four campaigns in which media owners try to remind advertisers and their agencies that print is by no means dead and buried.

The New Zealand Newspapers Publishers Association have chosen to demonstrate the astonishing emotional pull that a newspaper can have (on pages x-x). 7Dimanche, by contrast, have been more rational in setting out to show how successfully the newspaper can be as an advertising medium.

This was a risk. What if no-one called? What if the idea failed?

Well, it didn’t. Here was a client who believed in his own product and allowed his agency to put his belief to the test. Congratulations to both.