Framo is a furniture company with 30 years of history behind it and it was popular with the public during 1980s and 1990s. It has 3 stores in Rome (Via Quirino Majorana, Via dei Prati Fiscali and Via Gregorio VII). In the last ten years, the economic crisis and less attention paid to maintaining the showroom caused its customer base to shrink.+++
Two years ago, the company was purchased by a large group that also operates in the furnishings sector. This has brought changes and renewal: restructuring the sales points; a different way of managing the relationship with the customer and greater attention to the selection of products on display.
The products that Framo sells are in the medium to high range; at the level of communications, brands such as Minotti, Varenna, Poliform, Snaidero and Reflex, etc., advertise in all the sector magazines and daily newspapers and, thus, are easily recognizable.
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
The objective of the campaign is to communicate the Framo has undergone a total makeover:
- restructuring the Rome stores,
- retraining and motivating the sales staff,
- increasing the number of design brands handled
- great attention paid to the latest trends in the market,
- the addition of a design studio that provides customers (free) support for their needs
- We are asking creators to develop an advertising campaign:
- Billboards: 4x3 positions
Drafts with Claim and visual
- radio stations: Dimensione Suono Roma, Dimensione Suono 2 and RamPower
- fixed position and the beginning and end of the traffic reports, which last 30”
The format of the radio campaign is 10” (at the beginning of the traffic reports) + (10” at the end) to be connected with each other
We are hoping for a campaign that takes off from the billboard claim
A multi-subject campaign is possible
A 20” could be useful
We require scripts
The tone of the communication must be smart and trendy, especially on the billboards, and light and ironic on the radio.
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
Our clients invests in quality and image; they are persons (men, women, couples and families) that take pleasure in being able to say that they have a piece of design in their home.
People who have a second house and who can afford to spend to create and sophisticated and trendy home.
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
We want:
- Encourage Framo's old customers to come back to Framo to see for themselves have the company has recreated itself and improved.
- Convince new customers to visit the showroom where they can find affordable, quality products
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
At Framo, you can find:
- all the design brands
- furnishings for the whole house (lighting, bathroom furnishings, kitchens, wardrobes, children's bedrooms, living rooms, etc.);
- assistance, consulting, support services and technical consulting by a design studio;
- attractive prices, discounts and installment financing;
- post-sales assistance
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
Affordable, innovative, trendy and accessible
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
Advertising campaign on:
- Billboards in Rome, format 4x3, in the areas around the stores (EUR, Prati Fiscali and Gregorio VII)
- Radio commercials (Dimensione Suono 2, Dimensione Suono Roma and Ram Power), with 10-second spots at the beginning and end of the traffic reports (which last 30 seconds) – and possible extension to 20”
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
- For the presentation phase, we are accepting JPG and PDF formats.
- We are providing the company logo and several pictures of the showroom
- The site is being reworked and, for this reason, is not representative of the company
- Framo is part of a well-established and important group that operates in the furnishings sector
- The winner will be asked to provide executive formats for the billboard campaign and scripts for the radio
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
