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PROGRAMME : CSM / DMM / ADMM / GDM / GDMC / DSM / PDM / DBM INTAKE : ______66_____

MODULE CODE / TITLE : __ DSM402 Marketing Communications________

PROJECT TITLE (If any) : __AXE “Click” Launch Marketing Communication__

TYPE : INDIVIDUAL / GROUP

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1. Leader : Ng Seok Huay S8501330J 9380 5346

2. Member : Truong Manh Quang, Richard S8382309G 8102 7579

3. Member : Lee Siok Lin S8239009Z 81881082

4. Member : Tan Li Ling S8225011E 9385 4802

5. Member :

All members of the group hereby declare that the project submitted is their own work, and has not been copied or otherwise from external sources.

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Overall Percentage : __________ out of 100%

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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Lecturer: ____ Mr Jason Tan_____________ Signature of Lecturer: _________________________ Date : _____ 20

th Dec 2010________

Please stamp received date within box.

NJKR Group Member: Ng Seok Huay Lee Siok Lin Tan Li Ling Truong Manh Quang, Richard Words Count: 3100

TABLE OF CONTENT

1 Axe Company Overview Page 1 - 3

1.1 Axe Brand Origins Page 1- 2

1.2 Axe Facts Page 2

1.3 Axe Milestone Page 3

2 Axe Competitor Analysis Page 3 - 5

3 Axe Customer Analysis Page 4 - 5

3.1 Axe Product Background Page 5

4 Axe Market Challenges - SWOT Analysis Page 5 - 6

4.1 Strengths Page 5

4.2 Weakness Page 5

4.3 Opportunities Page 6

4.4 Threats Page 6

5 Axe Campaign Objectives Page 6 - 8

5.1 Axe Brand Identity Page 6 - 8

6 Axe Campaign Selling Idea Page 8

7 Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Page 8 - 10

7.1 Traditional Media Channels Page 8

7.2 Television Page 9

7.3 Outdoor Advertising Page 9

7.4 Magazine Advertising Page 9

7.5 E-Active Marketing Page 9

7.6 Alternative Channels Page 10

8 Axe Evaluation Page 11

10 Referencing Page 12

1

1 Axe Company Overview

Axe was launched in France in 1983 by Unilever. It was inspired by another of Unilever's

brands, Impulse.

Unilever was keen to capitalize on Axe's French success to the rest of Europe from 1985

onwards, and later introducing the other products in the range. However, they were unable to

use the name “Axe” in the United Kingdom and Ireland due to trademark problems hence it

was launched as Lynx.

The European launch of the deodorant was followed by success in Latin America and

moderate impact in Asia and Africa. In the new millennium, the brand has launched with

great success in the United States and Canada. The company has also consolidated its

deodorant portfolio by migrate other overlapping male deodorants into the Axe brand such as

South Africa's Ego brand.

Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's

consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.

Unilever is a dual-listed company consisting of Unilever N.V. in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

and Unilever PLC in London, United Kingdom. This arrangement is similar to those of Reed

Elsevier and Royal Dutch Shell prior to their unified structures. Both Unilever companies

have the same directors and effectively operate as a single business. The current non-

executive Chairman of Unilever N.V. and PLC is Michael Treschow while Paul Polman is

Group Chief Executive.

1.1 Axe Brand Origins

Axe is a deodorant body spray from Unilever that is famous for its attention grabbing

advertisements that have introduced the two phrases "The Axe Effect" and "Bam Chica Wah

Wah". The body spray released in North America in 2002, but has been available around the

world since 1974 when it was introduced in South Africa under the Ego brand.

With its aggressive advertising campaign, Unilever has made Axe the best selling body spray

in the world.

2

In the United States there are 14 fragrances available with Unilever stating they have a goal

of introducing one new fragrance a year. Limited Edition scents are also periodically released

that are only in restricted quantities. Around the world there are dozens of different scents

though it's unknown how many are common with one another and are simply named

differently.

The brand‟s popularity (market share, brand preference, positioning- perceptual map)

Axe takes the 'red pill'

With its coolly seductive fragrances and packaging, the brand has established itself as the

world's top male grooming brand by coming up with a constant stream of new ideas to keep

guys a step ahead in the mating game. Each year, for example, we launch a new deodorant

fragrance.

Adventurous & unconventional

We've also taken the brand into a number of new areas, including shower and hair gels. Our

award-winning ads and marketing are equally adventurous. In Colombia, for instance, a

female Axe Patrol visits bars and clubs, frisking guys and applying body spray.

Unconventional media channels are also being used.

Giving guys the edge in dating game

First launched in France in 1983, Axe is now giving guys the edge in the mating game in

more than 60 countries. It holds the number one position in several European and Latin

American markets, with an increasingly powerful presence in Asia and the US, where it was

launched in 2003.

1.2 Axe Facts

World's most popular male grooming brand

Excellent track record of advertising awards, including 10 Cannes Lions

Established leaders in Europe and Latin America

Developing strong positions in new markets, especially in the US and Latin America

Sold as Lynx in the UK, Ireland and Australia

3

1.3 Axe Milestone

AXE has increase sales since its launch; the yearly fragrance variant has played a key part in

the success of the brand by offering something new each year. The type of fragrance variants

have evolved over time. From 1983 until about 1989, the variant names were descriptions of

the fragrances and included Musk, Spice, Amber, Marine, and Oriental.

2 Axe Competitor Analysis

Competitor List of

products

Strengths Weaknesses

Procter &

Gamble Co

Old Spice Old Spice launched the

fastest growing online viral

video campaign ever,

garnering 6.7 million views

after 24 hours, ballooning

over 23 million views after

36 hours. Old Spice's agency

created a bathroom set in

Portland, OR and had their

TV commercial star, Isaiah

Mustafa, reply to 186 online

comments and questions

from websites like Twitter,

Facebook, Reddit, Digg and

others.

Old Spice pulled off a terrific

online/offline video strategy

around its Isaiah Mustafa Old

Spice Red Zone campaign

and consistently impressed

with its social media

programs. But Axe slam

dunked the media with a high

reaching and comprehensive

TV and magazine program,

complete with imaginative

and relevant events and

content, delivering a deeper

brand media campaign. Axe

wins in extra time.

4

Competitor List of

products

Strengths Weaknesses

Procter &

Gamble Co

TAG Body

Spray

The marketing campaign

focuses on what the company

describes as the "teenage boy

fantasies" of being

approached by attractive

women. The product's

packaging, which is

charcoal-grey and depicts

silhouettes of women, uses

fragrance names evoking

success in dating. The

product launched a line

called the TAG Signature

Series in July 2009, which

reintroduced three scents

with new packaging which

featuring basketball star

Carmelo Anthony,

skateboarder Rob Dyrdek,

and rapper Ludacris.

TAG Body Spray was

discontinued in October of

2010 as TAG Fragrance

Company was part of Global

Gillette, until Gillette was

bought out by Procter &

Gamble and dissolved.

3 Axe Customer Analysis

Customer Needs - consumers are looking for low maintenance, high quality, and long lasting

products. They are also looking for the product to be readily available and to the people who

sell the product to have some education on the material. The need for it to be a good price,

does not mean it has got to be cheap. However, they do want comparable pricing to other

composites out in the market. Consumers have expectation on how the product will perform,

so a good warranty is always something that is essential to a good product.

5

3.1 Axe Product Background

Axe (or Lynx) is a brand of male grooming products, owned by the British/

Dutch company Unilever and marketed towards young males. Lynx Click Deodorant Body

Spray is a citrusy scent with woody notes. The special packaging includes a click, which is a

system in which customers turn the top round bringing it down to reveal the spray and

allowing them to release it. The click will also allow customers to keep count of the number

of times used. Lynx Click will give customer the best results when spraying under the arms

and over chest. The product comes in a black can with the Lynx logo in white; underneath

this are pointed arrows in electric blue. Around the back of the can it has the directions of use,

pretty standard hold 15cm away, as well as the health warnings telling customer not to put it

near a fire. The design is simple and easy to hold, it is very difficult to release the spray when

the top is up so the customers do not need to worry if it is stuffed in their bag.

4 Axe Market Challenges - SWOT Analysis

4.1 Strengths

AXE Click has a unique value proposition in the market. It enjoys the position of the market

leader as well. “The AXE Effect” portrays AXE deodorants as not just a product to be used to

smell good but it actually is a feeling to be experienced. AXE has campaigns that are

frequently talked about and keep their consumers engaged like the “Call Me” and “Click”

campaigns. AXE has always associated itself with adventure and thus attracting its primary

audience. AXE is now also venturing new areas other than the urban cities in search of its

secondary audience.

4.2 Weakness

AXE Click has always targeted the young males from the age group of 16 to 30 and that is

very limited looking at the macro view. Even the new products from the AXE stable like the

hair gels and other creams target the same segment. Hence its promotion campaigns though

loved by a large number of people; the product caters only to a few. Even its adventurous

style of advertising is gaining the brand some negative publicity, especially in a traditional

country like India.

6

4.3 Opportunities

AXE can find an all new market segment to cater by introducing products for women, fairer

sex being more involved in beauty related products. It can enlarge its customer base by giving

products for other age groups too.

4.4 Threats

AXE faces threats from products like „SetWet Zatak‟ which try to follow AXE in its

promotion strategy. AXE also sees competition from imported products that spend less on

advertising campaigns but have an increasing market share on account of „change‟ that

customer demands

5 Axe Campaign Objectives

AXE acknowledges this trend and uses several communication components to establish a

place in young male consumers‟ minds for the product. The goal is to persuade men to think

about the advantages of smelling nice. Ladies like men who are clean and smell great. To

surrender the smelly, masculine image is to give women what they want, and subsequently

women will give men what they want in return. This is where AXE finds its creative

advantage – rather than selling a product, they are selling an identity.

AXE created edgy, memorable, and creative advertisements centered on sex to resonate with

male viewers. To sustain its position, AXE is doing more than just resonating with

consumers, it is creating desire. AXE‟s message is connecting to men in a way that compels

them into action. The concept sex sells is the driving force behind the extensive advertising

campaign that has put AXE at the top of its market.

5.1 Axe Brand Identity

AXE uses a psychological appeal to make it distinctive in the marketplace. It is positioned

by differentiating the product from the rest of the male grooming market, conveying a

competitive advantage to be gained by using AXE. This campaign is a clear example of

advertising shaping societal trends rather than mirroring them. The campaign immediately

communicates a distinct perception of the brand identity – AXE is the only product for men

who desire to have women lust over them. Through repetitive exposure to AXE‟s brand

image, advertisements are able to get the audience‟s attention and allow them to experience

the brand personality.

7

The ultimate goal was to secure AXE as a lifestyle product, which would allow it to dominate

the market share by motivating users to become loyal. By effectively positioning their

campaign, AXE has made its first $100 million in sales faster than any other retail brand in its

category, retaining 80% of the market share for male body sprays.

The main objective was to start a social phenomenon called “Clicking”. It was a pan-global

campaign that was mainly targeted at young males. In addition to gaining sales and market

share, were to reinforce the Axe brand image, recruit new customers among teenage

consumers, and build brand equity by enhancing awareness and conviction for Axe. It was

hoped that the campaign would result in Axe Click achieving the top rank within the Axe

range.

For the Axe Click launch, it starts a so-called “click attitude” trend, bringing a new

expression and interaction into young people. Distribution of free “clicker” and suggested to

the males that they could keep running count with the clicker each time a woman gave off

positive signals of interest (for example, a smile, eye contact, or other flirtatious behaviours),

then compare their total click with those who have the clicker.

Website had been developed as a teaser to introduce the clicker and the brand attitude.

Consumer can order a free clicker at the Website, paying only postal fees. It created a

phenomenon and more than 400,000 clickers were distributed.

Axe Click campaign also included an element of event marketing, which proved extremely

effective in triggering buzz about the Axe Click concept. The attendees had been treated like

“stars” which resulting in a high level of enthusiasm for the cool clicker and the “one click”

craze. By partnerships with popular radio stations, a running count of votes was revealed by

Axe clicker posted at the site and vote counts were regularly updated throughout the day.

Celebrities who were recruited to endorse Axe Click were encouraged to wear the branded T-

shirt and with the message. The TVC advertisement communications provided direct

reference to the product. The humorous campaign turned the conventional tactic of relying on

the movie star good looks of the celebrity to sell the product. In this TV campaign, the ads

effectively provided the link between the “click more” phenomenon and the deodorant, and at

the same time reinforced the brand benefit, “Axe makes me feel, look and smell great and it

help me play on top of my game.”

8

The brand used editorial advertising within the magazine, comprised of a fake, humorous

article about a group of friends who were clicking experts and who offer tips on how to

accumulate a high number of clicks.

Using the live marketing approach, the Axe Click campaign highlights the way and campaign

can combine various elements of traditional and non-traditional approaches to enhance

engagement with consumers, build awareness, generate excitement for the product, and

evolve brand image and brand equity. This successfully exploits the power of influential‟s

and peer-to-peer networks.

Axe has the right storytelling element and the video reinforces the brand's provocative and

contrarian personality, without constraints from TV and radio censors. Axe as always

projected its products as cool, fashionable and stylish.

The internet, television, print, and poster ads all convey the consistent message that drives

AXE‟s brand awareness, image branding, and brand equity (valuable reputation as the

leading body product for young males) by motivating audiences to believe in their message

and take action.

6 Axe Campaign Selling Idea

Perfect solution just for you.

7 Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

IMC can be defined as a management concept designed to make all aspects of marketing

communication, such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing

work as one.

IMC media tools include traditional media channels, E-Active Marketing, and other

alternative channels.

7.1 Traditional Media Channels

Examples of traditional media channels are, media strategy, media planning processes and

roles of media planner and buyer, advertising objectives, media choices based on advantages

and disadvantages of medium, and the media selection in B to B and international settings.

9

7.2 Television

Axe uses television as one of the marketing tools by hiring one of the Hollywood famous

actors, Ben Affleck to endorse for the product. In the TV commercial, Ben clicks on the

clicker whenever a woman or even man looks at him with interest. There is humour in the

commercial ad especially when the lift operator, an average looking person showed Ben that

he has gotten more clicks then Ben did. And the message of the ad was delivered when it

showed the lift operator using Axe/Lynx Deodorant to spray all over himself.

Axe also sponsored one of the well known variety shows, “Big Brother”, in Australia, and

also participated in the “Handycam Click TV” in Argentina. These in turn boost up and

increased the exposure of the brand and product.

The use of this media concept delivers high reach towards the audiences. A creative ad like

Axe Deodorant captures audiences‟ attention. However, the high cost is there.

7.3 Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising can include billboards, videos in locations and shopping malls or

buildings.

Axe uses pictures of Ben Affleck, and other men holding the clicker, to promote the

fragrance in the outdoor. Though it was not specified in the video where those pictures were

placed, it delivers the message of Axe fragrance and conveys the message that even if you are

not good looking, you can get “clicks”.

Posters of hot models were also circulated in Holland.

In Argentina, Axe came up with “the clicker attention centre” hiring hot model looking ladies

to help promote their products and in Australia; they get the ladies to distribute clickers to

guys.

The advantages of using outdoor advertising are that one can select his ideal geographic areas

and it‟s a low cost form of media.

7.4 Magazine Advertising

Using magazines as one of the media exposure, Click partnered with FHM by sponsoring free

clicker with each magazine purchased. By using this media, Axe is able to reach out to their

10

targeted customers as FHM readers are often men who probably would consider smelling

nice and drawing attention as one of the important aspects of being a man.

7.5 E-Active Marketing

E-Active Marketing refers to the process of marketing a brand using the Internet and a range

of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers.

Axe uses website as a platform for media by creating a website for their products. Not only

can they learn about the products, consumers can also interact and to see who has gotten the

most clicks during that particular week.

In Holland, Axe also invited the guys to enter the click battle online. The winner was

crowned the “King of Clicks”.

Many consumers today rely heavily on the internet to research products, to shop, to do

comparisons among related products, and to read comments and testimonials of other

consumers before purchasing.

7.6 Alternative Channels

Other alternative channels rely on buzz, word-of-mouth, and lifestyles and times when

consumers are relaxing and enjoying hobbies and events.

For Axe, they got top German celebrities and sports stars to design limited edition clickers in

Germany to seed the notion of keeping scores.

By associating the clicker to their products, Axe is using Guerrilla Marketing which involves

interacting with consumers. The idea is to create excitement that will spread to others by

word-of-mouth. Axe provoked the desire of men to keep score and it created a buzz for them

to own a clicker.

Thirteen gigs were performed across Australia and New Zealand and clicking were fully

integrated in the performances and song lyrics.

Axe came up with four million of branded clickers for their campaign, and in Germany, they

advertise on clothing with the “T-Shirt City Attack”.

11

8 Axe Evaluation

The three-phase campaign was a success. It had obtained it objective during the second

month of the campaign; the “Click more” website received 300,000 unique visitors. By the

end of the campaign, the new deodorant had obtained 10.4% penetration and become a

popular culture and the brand had risen as the top variant within the Axe range, with 1.5% of

the market. Within 6 months, the Axe deodorant segment had obtained 12.5% growth when

compared to figures during the previous year.

12

References:

Book

Allan J, “Connecting with consumers”, 2010, Oxford University Press Inc., New York

Internet

Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever>>, (Accessed on 5th

November 2010)

Unilever, <http://www.unilever.com/brands/personalcarebrands/axe/index.aspx>, (Accessed

on 5th

<November 2010)

Pierce mattie,

<http://www.piercemattie.com/blogs/2006/02/dial_agrees_to_buy_pg_deodoran.html>,

(Accessed on 10th

November 2010)

Scribd, <http://www.scribd.com/doc/27164264/AXE-Report>, (Accessed on 12th

November

2010)

Associated Content,

<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1346144/example_of_customer_analysis_for_a.ht

ml?cat=35>, (Accessed on 12th

November 2010)

Slideshare, <http://www.slideshare.net/anafts/plan-marketing-axe>, (Accessed on 15th

November 2010)

Quirk, <http://www.quirk.biz/resources/88/What-is-eMarketing-and-how-is-it-better-than-

traditional-marketing >, (Accessed on 15th

November 2010)