Harman International Singapore - Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing
Name of Organization / Company: Harman International Singapore Pte Ltd
Category: E01 - E12 - Award for Innovation in Marketing > E05. Award for Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing
Entry Title: JBL® JR: THE GIFT OF SOUND - PR & Marketing Campaign (Asia-Pacific)
Essay:
For more than 70 years, JBL® has been bringing people closer through great music experiences. With its extensive range of audio products for consumers, JBL® elevates experiences with immersive audio to make life more epic.
In keeping with its DNA of innovation, the brand announced the launch of its first headphones for children in 2017. The JBL Jr – headphones that perfectly blend youngster’s entertainment needs with parents’ safety and quality expectations.
JBL Singapore spearheaded the regional campaign for the launch of the headphones. After in-depth conversations with parents, we understood that the product and its USPs would be best communicated to its target audience through an emotive approach. After months of ideation, the “JBL JR: The Gift of Sound” campaign was born.
The campaign messaging focused on how children are a gift to parents. Parents know that with the birth of their children, they will never have another moment of quiet but they would never change for that for the world. Why? Because the gift of sound is pure-joy and life-changing. And the JBL Jr offers that very same gift of sound to their little ones.
REGIONAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVATION HIGHLIGHTS
The campaign was successfully implemented in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Australia.
The campaign made use of a cross-media marketing approach across platforms and tactics including
-Digital (Campaign video and online media coverage)
- Print (Advertisements and traditional media coverage)
- Social Media (influencer postings and online media collaborations)
- Direct consumer engagement
- In-store POSMs and promotions
Notable highlights of the campaign includes:
1. “Gift of Sound” Campaign Video
The video captured the candid moments of children, where they were surprised with The Ultimate JBL Jr gift (a largerthan-life giftbox). Upon opening the box, a dozen helium balloons tied to the JBL Jr headphones floated into the air, and the happy reactions of the children (including the sound of their laughter) were captured as they discovered their new gift of sound. The video was first launched in Singapore and adapted for the APAC regions to reinforce product awareness and brand publicity.
2. Multi-pronged PR Approach in Singapore
For media and influencers in Singapore, we sent out a creative kit in the form of a wrapped present addressed to the media/influencer’s child, complete with a set of the JBL Jr headphones, fun finger puppet cards, and a handwritten “Gift of Sound” note by a child for a sweet, personal touch. The kit was disseminated to media as well as notable mummy influencers/personalities (including celebrities like Jamie Yeo, Andie Chen and top influencer Xiaxue). The influencers were thrilled to receive the creative kits and featured them prominently on their social media platforms and raved about the JBL Jr. This established an early, strong social media presence for the product and also helped to populate social media through the use of the #MyFirstJBL hashtag. JBL extended promo codes to their followers, leading to a second wave of postings, which increased publicity and drove sales. Further buzz was generated through extensive media pitching efforts and giveaway collaborations with key media titles.
3. Consumer Engagement Launch in Philippines
In Philippines, the JBL Jr launch was an all-day affair at Kidzania PH where kids experienced and played with the headphones, and also watched an original animated short film featuring JBL Jr headphones.
CAMPAIGN RESULTS
Through extensive and cohesive marketing efforts, the JBL Jr was successfully launched. The campaign garnered multi-million dollars’ worth of PR coverage across the APAC region, with a strong level of awareness amongst both opinion leaders and consumers. Within a short span of three months, the JBL Jr captured significant market share in the children’s audio segment in the APAC region and is set to be another winning product for the brand’s portfolio.