Creative Slamdown:

How World-Class Creatives Successfully

Sell Strange, Obscure, Boring or Even the
Most Mundane Products!
Nancy Harhut Nancy.Harhut@WildeAgency.com
Lisa Charlebois Lisa.Charlebois@gmail.com
Melinda Risolo Risolo@aol.com
Moderator: Carol Worthington-Levy
CWL@Worthington-Levy.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjG7-5kbevo
 Creative Slamdown
3 fierce contenders: stars in the the creative field
3 big challenges: Pedestrian products (all useful) and services that
need to be sold
Your challenge: Listen to each of these war stories, and decide for
yourself which you think was the best solution
Ask questions: The first 5 good questions will be rewarded with
a lovely 8GB thumbdrive!
How to vote at the end: Low tech solution — we’ll ask for you to
applaud at the end for your favorite contender — and watch the
winner receive the coveted World’s Greatest Creative award!
Then: Leave the room all fired up with great ideas for your most
boring client

2
 The Contenders:
Nancy “Insurance Crusher” Harhut
Lisa “ ” Charlebois
Melinda “The Fiercest Writer” Risolo

3
 Nancy presents:

Creative Challenge: Sell auto

insurance
to an affinity group
Creative Challenge: Sell auto insurance
to an affinity group that was so
unresponsive the program was about to
be cancelled
 New Agency

Our First Assignment

Probably also our last

 Product: Nationwide Auto Insurance

Affinity group target:

Members of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Goal:
1. Generate quotes
2. Generate sales
 HRC - Human Rights Campaign

Largest LGBT equal rights advocacy group and

political lobbying organization in the U.S.

LGBT= Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered

 Sales Proposition
Get HRC discount when you get
Nationwide auto insurance

Plus get Nationwide’s great service

and prices
 Barriers
Nationwide is not a low-cost option
HRC discount is small
Historically unresponsive target
Inertia- only switch if bad claims experience/price
hike
Competitors cite specific savings amounts
10¢/piece – and reflect new “Join the Nation”
branding
 Barriers
But wait, there’s more…

Could not acknowledge target was an HRC member

Not allowed to use HRC name/logo on OE
Other insurers had much more traction
with LGBT community
 The Solution?
“Slide in under the radar” package
Cast doubt on other insurer’s commitment to the
cause
Prove NW is a genuine HRC supporter
Highlight many discounts available + proactive
checkups
Signed by NW exec who’s also an HRC member
 Did it work?
56% lift over the control
Client wrote: “Wilde Agency’s creative was able to
break through to the point where we WENT FROM
SHUTTING DOWN OUR MAIL PROGRAM TO ADDING
EXTRA MAILINGS NOT PREVIOUSLY BUDGETED.”

2013 ECHO Award winner

 Lisa “Northern Fury” Charlebois

or according to wrestlingname.com

Lisa “Toothless Grinder” Charlebois

 And you are…
• Creative Director for Western Region of
GolinHarris
• Work on Toyota, Nestlé, Purina, Nintendo etc.
• Backseat Art Director
• Worked in Toronto, New York & Los Angeles at
BBDO, Digitas, Ogilvy #NoMoreMoving
• I still say ‘eh’
A single, integrated, cloud-based,
on-demand, business management
solution designed for small or
midsized businesses that way the
benefits of a large-scale application
without the need for IT
infrastructure.
A single, integrated, cloud-based,
on-demand, business management
solution designed for small or
midsized businesses that way the
benefits of a large-scale application
without the need for IT
infrastructure.
- Marketing to SMB
- Product benefits not intuitively
easy to understand
- SAP: jumbo faceless company
- Need to raise awareness
- No pre-existing assets to
leverage
 The Silver Linings…
• Take a good long look at your product/service
• Everything has a story…seriously everything
• Don’t be afraid of “in their own words”
• Beg, borrow, or steal some interest
• Remember all B’s are still C’s
• Don’t be afraid of no
Melinda “The Fiercest Writer”
presents:

Beyond mundane.
Worse than boring.

CANCER INSURANCE
 Challenges to Overcome
• Fear (“I don’t want to think about it.”)
The very word “cancer” inspires a degree of fear that “heart attack,”
“stroke” or even “kidney failure” do not. - Maggie Mahar, Health Beat

• Denial (“It won’t happen to me.”)

…unrealistic optimism undermined interest in risk reduction indirectly by
decreasing worry… - Weinstein ND.J Behav Med. 1982 Dec; 5(4):441-60.

• Lack of knowledge (“I don’t need it.”)

Cancer is already covered by most health plans.
 Our Solution

If people don’t want to hear about the product…

we won’t talk about it.
 #10 Outer Envelope
• Looks important but not scary
• Emphasizes the trusted AAA relationship
• Shows a personalized membership card through the second window
• No mention of the product
 Personalized Letter

Overcomes FEAR with:

• An optimistic tone
• No insurance-speak (policy terms
and features)
• Emphasis on the big dollar
amount to maintain interest
Delays talking about the product
 Personalized Letter

Overcomes DENIAL with:

• Statistics stated in a factual tone
• 100% Return of Premium benefit –
there’s no risk
• A solution for every problem—but
no product details
 Personalized Letter

Overcomes lack of knowledge with:

• Examples of costs not covered by
medical insurance
• Examples of financial hardships
beyond medical costs
• A solution for every problem—but
no product details
 Personalized Letter
Also in the letter:
• Affordable rates
• Guaranteed coverage
• No medical exam required
• No need to send money now
• 30-day risk-free review
• An answer for every objection—
but no product details
 What do you know about the plan?
(Hint: Not much.)
What you know:
• Cancer is scary and expensive—and chances are good you’ll get it.
• If you do, you’ll get up to $250,000 to spend as you choose.
• If you don’t die from cancer, your premiums will be returned.
• There’s absolutely no reason not to respond.

What you don’t know:

• What is the $250,000 paid for?
• What’s covered, and what’s not covered?
• What are the age limits, if any?
• How much does it cost, and will my premiums increase with age?
• Etc., etc. etc.
 Brochure
Primary message:

• Chances are good that

you or a loved one will
get cancer.
• If you don’t, all of
your premiums are
refunded.
Brochure
Buckslip
Primary message:
• It’s easy.
• It’s urgent.
• There’s no risk.
 How’d we do?

231% higher response rate

278% lift in the TAP/MC ratio

Silver Award Winner, PIMA

 Credits
Client: Transamerica
Agency: Anderson
 Now it’s your turn!
Who will win the coveted World’s Greatest
Creative award?

Now it’s time for YOU to vote…

Whose campaign are you most impressed with?

Clap hands, even cheer, for the one you feel is the winner!
We’ll measure the applause –

But they ALL deserve applause for their amazing work!

 Thank you!
Nancy Harhut Nancy.Harhut@WildeAgency.com
Follow me: twitter.com/nharhut

Lisa Charlebois Lisa.Charlebois@gmail.com

Follow me: twitter.com/LisaChuckwood

Melinda Risolo Risolo@aol.com

Follow me on LinkedIn

Moderator: Carol Worthington-Levy

CWL@Worthington-Levy.com
My articles: http://www.WorthingtonLevy.Wordpress.com