IO DONNA magazine was born 13 years ago (the exact day is 23rd of March 1996) as the first women supplement of the most important Italian daily newspaper – Corriere della Sera. Its appearance marked an important milestone in the women’s magazine market by introducing a feminine point of view on politics, news, fashion, beauty and lifestyle.
IO DONNA got recognition for its impartial and un-biased informative role. It was the first newspaper enclosure giving voice to the important changes taking place in the women’s world.
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 upcoming year will bring a new director to IO DONNA and a new multimedia project will be launched with the objective to integrate print, web, TV and events.
IO DONNA will generate contents and concepts delivered via all media channels. The new project has an emotional and interactive dimension: “IO” will give life to both a woman working as a professional journalist and a woman reading the magazine who will be asked to interact and get involved with the magazine.
We consider that such a radical change should be communicated in a very innovative way by adding to the more traditional media the latest communication tools and channels.
Update as of 22.02.2010!!!
The objective remains unchanged but we sharpened it in order to help you better focus your creativity. Think only about a guerilla marketing initiative to generate buzz and high expectations the day before the launch of the new DONNA magazine.
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 !
We are addressing two potential targets:
∞ Readers: all women who leaf through Corriere della sera; all ladies who thanks to the communication campaign - transmitting the changes going on inside newspaper - will gain interest and start reading it or reading it more often.
∞ Advertising investors: all companies acquiring advertising space in the newspaper considering IO DONNA the right means to reach their target.
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 both targets to understand that the newspaper has changed and to see clear the new direction. Ideally every single woman would identify herself with the universe described by IO DONNA and will understand the benefits of reading it.
Update as of 22.02.2010!!!
The new IO DONNA universe is where women have little time for themselves but a lot of wants and curiosities to satisfy. And this is why we exist – to address this need in a very easy and comforting way investing as little as 30 minutes a week for a more pleasant, practical and worry-free life where relaxation is a key word.
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 !
The target should believe in us because IO DONNA is an exponent of the contemporaneous woman, both in terms of content and aspirations. Another reason is that inside the emotional environment created by IO DONNA, the ontemporary woman will find all the news, encouragements, solutions and ideas that she was looking for.
Update as of 22.02.2010!!!
“A pleasant, practical and worry-free life” thanks to a multimedia interactive project where the magazine is only a spark opening a wider range of solutions for today’s women. Indeed, practical solutions and a great inspiration to ease and improve the challenging but always exciting life of now-a-days multitasking woman: one who cooks and works, commutes and travels for both work and pleasure and still finds time for shopping (locally of in foreign destinations).
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!
Should the new IO DONNA be a lady she would be a young lady in her 40s:
∞ dynamic;
∞ international;
∞ proactive;
∞ intelligent;
∞ seducing;
∞ curious;
∞ independent;
∞ practical;
∞ up to date with the latest trends and following a media diet composed by all the essential ingredients.
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 !
All media channels involved in the campaign should be appropriate and powerful to talk to the double target. Of course we aim at using the classical channels – print, TV, radio, posters, web but we consider even guerilla marketing and events. We intend to use any media able to connect even physically IO DONNA with the two targets. In this context the event gains the power of a media channel as it can generate real contact and the right buzz (word of moth) around the communication campaign. The main attributes of the magazine’s new version to be highlighted and developed are interactivity and engagement.
Update as of 22.02.2010!!!
Initially we were asking for an interactive solution combining traditional media channels with the most innovative ones like internet and guerilla marketing. That brought us to receiving a lot of partial solutions like an advertising print campaign or a mega launch event. However none of them was fully addressing our needs. Therefore we decided to ask you to concentrate all your creative input in one direction: guerilla marketing initiative to communicate/promote the re-launch event that definitely becomes a multimedia phenomenon.
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 !
The files attached below are just one example of the newspaper as it is today. As mentioned above we are working on an editorial and graphic new design project, still not shared with the public.
Update as of 22.02.2010!!!
Judging by the success of the winning guerilla concept its execution could reach more cities. In order to create an appropriate concept, no too reduced nor too massive, keep in mind that the budget allocated per city shouldn’t exceed 50 000 euro.
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) !
