ChapStick  Consumer Packaged Good – January 2011

Intro
As part of The Martin Agency Student Workshop, I worked with three teammates to pitch a campaign for ChapStick, one of Martin’s newest accounts. With less than seven full days to put it together, fast track planning was needed. As the planner on the team I worked with all the numbers, lead the research, developed strategy, concepted creative and built the deck.

Context
ChapStick is the original lip balm with sustained market dominance for over a century. However, over time ChapStick has become a brandnomer as proved by the infamous “Where’s the ChapStick” YouTube video. In the video a girl sings about losing her “ChapStick”, finds it and shows a Carmex lip balm to the camera. Combined with the threat of becoming a generic, ChapStick has lost market share year-over-year since the release of Burt’s Bees brand lip balm and trendy newcomers like Eos. With its last big brand campaign in 2002, it’s critical for ChapStick to reaffirm its place in the minds of consumers, now.

Research
The research we performed over a tight timeline gave us a foundation in the four C’s: Company, Category, Competition and Consumer. Delving into these areas allowed us to see how widespread high-jack of ChapStick’s brand was in the market, how competitors were positioned and how consumers were responding.  In-depth social media monitoring and interviews with the target, “Modern Moms”, lead us to an interesting insight which developed into a campaign.

Research methods: Mintel, Simmons, MRI, competitive audit, social media monitoring, interviews.

Discovery
Consumers have countless fond memories of ChapStick. Maybe it was their “first lipstick” as a child or maybe their favorite uncle always had one in his shirt pocket. Either way, this nostalgia for the brand isn’t being reflected in consumers purchasing decisions. Rather, consumers are seeking out newer, more niche lip balm products because they consider the product to be a personal purchase.

Strategy
ChapStick is as passionate about lips as Modern Moms are about their loved ones.

Creative Brief
What is the business objective?
Increase heavy users’ consumption of ChapStick.

What is the problem?
Although ChapStick originated the category and has become synonymous with lip balm, the brand is losing market share and relevance with consumers.

Who are we talking to?
The Modern Mom who is focused on raising her family. Her days are busy balancing family, household and job. She values her relationships with family and friends. She puts a premium on physical and emotional wellbeing. And, above all else, she wants her family to be comfortable.

What’s the key consumer insight?
ChapStick brings back many fond memories. Using it gives me piece of mind.

What do we need to do?
Create new moments for Mom to connect with her family using ChapStick.

What do we want them to think?
ChapStick is a tool for comfort.

How and where can we engage with them?
Target the Modern Mom going into the winter season to make the brand top-of-mind in the colder months. Influence her when she is planning a shopping trip and when she is unwinding/reflecting on her day.

What’s the reason to believe?
ChapStick is the original lip balm, they did it first and did it right. Product protects and is comfortable on lips.

Creative

Print

TV

Digital

OOH

PR

Result
The pitch to Martin staff wasn’t for reward, but my group was told that a lot of the creative we produced was extremely similar to creative they had just sent to copy testing. We took that as a win.