Fujifilm Case History

BACKGROUND/SITUATION

In early 2005, Fujifilm launched a new technological breakthrough in digital still camera photography, Real Photo Technology. As an innovation, it remedies every major drawback commonly experienced by users of digital still cameras including blurred shots, missed shots, and shots that are murky and dark.

THE CHALLENGES

Introduce Real Photo Technology within the context of a new multi-camera product line that required not only extensive explanation of complex technological features, but equally important, the translation of those features into meaningful consumer benefits...demonstrably solving the common problems of digital still cameras.

The budgetary constraint was significant.... higher cost, traditional television media could hardly provide the impact and continued visibility necessary to introduce a new line of cameras in an already cluttered category. Further, Fujifilm had essentially curtailed broadcast media support for a year preceding this launch hence, a minimal base of advertising awareness to rely upon.

Commercial production values were critical since Fujifilm is in the business of providing high quality images...the consumer promise had to be self-evident in the advertising.

Results had to be immediately accountable...to both management and the trade on the basis of driving traffic to their websites.

But, the internal challenges were only one side of the obstacles before us...a dynamic consumer and competitive environment compounded the issues...major competitive brand spending several times greater than ours, a second generation of technologically predisposed digital still camera users who demanded trading up only on the basis of significantly improved image quality, the related importance of leveraging Fujifilm's significant technological attributes.

Further, there were key sales channels to contend with...a very savvy trade audience logically allotting shelf space to those brands with greater share of market.

OUR SOLUTIONS

Utilize long form direct response advertising that delivers:

• Media costs that are 30% to 50% lower than traditional rates...in fact, both media and production were funded by the FSI budget
• The ability to convey a longer and more complex story about a product line within the context of the larger brand concept...not simply the introduction of a single camera
• Side by side comparisons to demonstrate technological features as meaningful consumer benefits
• A meaningful offer and related response mechanisms that allow immediate measurement of offer performance...in this case, a $30 rebate on camera purchase and a Holiday sweepstakes event

Directly engage the prospect with a compelling strategy:

The research led us to realize that we had to seize the market...literally, stop it dead in its tracks if we were to garner the kind of consumer attention we needed for a successful launch. So, instead of competing within the "terms" of the category, we decided to change them. To literally redefine category purchase criteria on our terms...Fujifilm Real Photo Technology as the new standard of the industry.

We developed a positioning that could fully and immediately engage an audience of well-informed prospects who were re-entering the category for the second and third time...seeking the assurance of significant technological advance and commensurate improvement in image quality. Essentially, we decided to vault Fujifilm's Real Photo Technology DSCs over the competition on the basis of higher levels of sensitivity, definition, and speed than ever before available in a single digital camera.

The resulting theme...

Take Digital to A Higher Level

...thereby eliminating the blurred, missed, and murky shots so often the disappointments of digital still photography.

THE RESULTS

Direct Response Goals

Fujifilm's ambitious DRTV campaign goals (response rate, conversion, and cost efficiency) were exceeded on average by +35%, while every direct response industry norm was surpassed an average of +77%.

Attitude & Awareness Shifts

On the basis of brand attitudes and purchase motivators, significant shifts occurred across all key measures. Unaided brand and advertising awareness literally doubled between the pre and post advertising periods while central attributes of trusted brand, good value, compelling offers and consumer ratings exhibited an average upswing exceeding +30% versus the pre advertising period.

Image Dimensions

On technological image dimensions, absolutely critical to a successful launch, the objectives of raising high tech imagery and translating it into relevant consumer benefits were clearly achieved as evidenced by a DOUBLING of ratings on the dimensions of:

• being a leader in digital still camera technology
• offering new and unique technology
• utilizing technology that delivers meaningful benefits...namely, sharp, clear, natural pictures

Driving Qualified Retail Web Traffic

On the basis of driving "Buy Now" responses to retailer's websites, level of traffic rose by an average factor of 15 times during the advertising period. And, most remarkably, during the post-advertising period "Buy Now" responses continued to sustain themselves at a level more than 3 times higher than the pre-advertising period.

In terms of impact on the overall brand, uplift in "Buy Now" responses across the entire product line (beyond the featured models) during the advertising period was almost 70% higher than in the prior year, consistent with the siginifcant shifts in the technological and image attribute ratings across the brand. And, during the post-advertising period the residual velocity continued at a steady rate ahead of the overall category.