Emirates NBD, a United Arab Emirates bank, won the Stevie® Award for Marketing Department of the Year in the marketing awards categories of The 2011 International Business Awards.  (The 2012 IBAs are now accepting entries. Get your entry kit here and submit your entries by the 11 April early-bird deadline for discounted fees.) Here we outline their innovative 360-degree marketing approach to building the leading banking brand in the UAE.

Launched in November 2009, Emirates NBD had two objectives:

• become the leading banking brand in the UAE by 2010 and,
• become a top 100 global banking brand by 2013.

With the world in the middle of a financial crisis, however, the timing was a little challenging.

Overcoming Challenges
In order to accomplish the bank’s objective of becoming a leading UAE banking brand, the Emirates NBD Group Marketing department had to build a new and powerful brand value proposition.

Based on market research of over 1,200 respondents across the Emirates, Group Marketing developed the “Enriched Banking Experience” as the reference frame for all its marketing activities. This value proposition is all about providing customers with the best possible banking experience, while at the same time engaging them in experiences beyond banking through a stronger emotional appeal.

360-Degree Marketing Approach
Led by Vikram Krishna, Head of Group Marketing at Emirates NBD, the marketing division was responsible for developing an innovative 360-degree marketing approach to implement the bank’s value proposition across all customer touch-points.

The 360-degree marketing activities included:

1. Customer Insights
Emirates NBD transitioned into an organization driven by its customers’ insights with:

• New internal publications to inform management about business/brand news, competition insights, innovations;
• Regular market research to support all major business decisions;
• A comprehensive online brand value management system.

2. Product innovations
Emirates NBD launched a number of product innovations and linked them to experiences.  For example, its DNATA and Skywards credit cards made the travel experience for their users much more rewarding, and its Gold Certificates were linked to a concert by a famous Indian singer.

3. Digital Marketing
Emirates NBD gave its website a new look and feel, with new tools and content and improved search engine optimization (SEO).  There were tangible results from these improvements:

• The bank became the second fastest-rising search term in the UAE on Google;
• The number of visitors increased from 0.4 to 1.5 million per month within 18 months;
• The newly designed website generated five times more leads.

4. Events & Sponsorships
Group Marketing carefully selected a number of events, based on the experience they provided, for Emirates NBD to sponsor. The 360-degree approach was applied by analyzing all potential customer touch points from A to Z.  Branding and interactions with the customers in different formats were based on this research.

5. Brand Activation
The ideal brand activation is where the brand becomes part of the customer experience. This was the case with Emirates NBD’s innovative branding of the Dubai Aquarium, a core attraction in Dubai Mall.

6. Internal Branding
A brand has to come to life from the inside out. A number of initiatives were started to transform all the banks 7,000 employees into brand ambassadors. One of them was an internal campaign called “I am Emirates NBD.” Six employees who best represented the bank’s core values were featured in the campaign.

7. External Communications
Group Marketing launched a major advertising campaign called “Truth and Reality.” The campaign implemented the bank’s value proposition: Truth is a fact linked to a banking experience, whereas reality is what people make of it—and their personal experience beyond banking. 

The results of this campaign were that:

• 90% of people in the bankable UAE population saw the ad
• 44% responded to the ad
• 6% became new Emirates NBD customers

Achieving Aspirations
Using the 360-degree marketing approach to implement its new brand value proposition, Emirates NBD has successfully reached its objective of becoming the No. 1 banking brand in the UAE. In the YouGov BrandIndex (a widely used tracking tool in the UAE) Emirates NBD improved its score from 17 to 26, while its competitors stayed at around 16.

According to The Banker magazine, Emirates NBD increased its brand value by US $295 million. It is now ranked in 130th position globally, and in first position in the UAE.

“We in Group Marketing are immensely proud that our efforts at building the leading banking brand in the region have succeeded in positioning Emirates NBD on a par with brands of international distinction,” said Krishna. "The past year has been a particularly successful one for Emirates NBD with many national, regional, and international awards, among which the coveted Stevie Award stands out. This award is a recognition of the effectiveness of our brand strategy and an important step forward into the international arena.”

About Vikram Krishna:
Vikram Krishna is Head of Group Marketing at Emirates NBD. He is a senior banking professional with in-depth knowledge of Retail Banking, Retail Assets, and Mortgages. Krishna has a rich and varied sales and marketing experience across financial products and brands.  Before joining Emirates NBD, Krishna was Senior Vice President Marketing-Retail Assets at HSBC India. Prior to that, Krishna held the post of Vice President, Head of Mortgages for North India at CitiFinancial. Communicate Magazine (in association with Advertising Age) recently named Krishna one of the 50 most powerful media, advertising, and marketing executives in the Middle East.Krishna has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Studies from Delhi University and an MBA in marketing from Bharatidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.

About Emirates NBD:
Emirates NBD is a leading banking Group in the region with over 133 branches and over 750 ATMs and SDMs in the UAE. Emirates NBD employs more than 7.000 employees with over 50 nationalities. The Group has operations in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Jersey (Channel Islands), and representative offices in India and Iran. For more information go to www.emiratesnbd.com/en/.

We have added two new sales achievement categories to The 2012 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service to honor marketing individuals for their sales excellence. Showcase your organization's best marketing practices and submit your entries today. (Be sure to submit your entries before the January 18th deadline; request your entry kit here.)

Our new marketing awards categories are:

• Outbound Marketing Program of the Year
  Recognizing marketing programs that use advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.
• Inbound Marketing Program of the Year
  Recognizing marketing programs that rely on content generation, lead development, and prospect cultivation.

The following information should be included in your marketing award submissions:

• An essay of up to 500 words describing the nominee’s accomplishments since July 1, 2010 in the area covered by the category;
• A brief biography (up to 100 words) of the leader of the nominated team or department; and
• Links to online news stories, videos, photographs, press releases, etc. that support your nomination (optional).

All Finalists will be announced on January 25. Finalist benefits include:

• Free Networking Opportunities
  Those who attend the 6th annual sales and customer service awards banquet will have several opportunities to meet other business leaders as well as celebrate business success. 
• Opportunities to Gain New Clients
  Gold Stevie Award winners will have the opportunity to make a 30-second acceptance speech before an audience of hundreds of executives from across the globe during an awards dinner that will be broadcast and streamed worldwide over the Internet - a great opportunity to gain new clients.
• Free Publicity
  The publicity that comes with winning a Stevie Award is well-worth the low entry fees.

Starting in 2012, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the start of the Stevie Awards movement, all Finalists will be recognized as Gold, Silver or Bronze Stevie Award winners. Winners will be announced at the 6th annual sales and customer service awards banquet on February 27th at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

Which of your organization's marketing programs will win a Stevie?

We've just updated our 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the Stevie® Awards tipsheet for 2012!  Get it here.

We want to help you recognize your organization’s marketing efforts, so we’ve updated our 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the Stevie Awards tipsheet to help make the most of your submissions!

There are several benefits to downloading our 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the 2012 Stevie Awards Tipsheet: 

1. View an array of marketing categories in one location
   We’ve made it simple for you! Our tipsheet organizes the Stevie Award programs and marketing awards categories in one easy-to-read document.
2. Increase your chances of winning a Stevie Award
   Get insider tricks to help you choose the best marketing categories for your organization.
3. Get a first look at our new 2012 categories
   We are continuously adding categories to our awards programs: Check out our newest additions!

The 2012 marketing tipsheet provides helpful information on all four Stevie Awards programs:

• The American Business Awards℠ (Entries are now being accepted. Request your entry kit here.)
• The International Business Awards℠
• The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service (Entries are now being accepted. Request your entry kit here.)
• The Stevie Awards for Women in Business

There are several categories to recognize marketing departments, campaigns, teams, and individuals, categories for work such as produced tools including web sites, blogs videos, and much more. 

Which 2012 marketing tip did you find most helpful?

Aprimo of Indianapolis, Indiana, won the Stevie Award for Best Marketing Solution-New Version in the 2011 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world's top sales awards and customer service awards. (Entries for the 2012 Sales & Customer Service Awards are now being accepted.) Here we look at what Aprimo has achieved in the niche area of Integrated Marketing Management.

Unlocking the Value in Online Data
Commenting on the recent acquisition by Teradata of Stevie Award-winning marketing software and services company Aprimo, Suresh Vittal of Forrester Research highlighted the increasing importance of Integrated Marketing Management: “Besides being a growth category—our last forecast estimated that this market is growing at roughly 17%—campaign management is mission critical. It is the fundamental technology that allows marketers to use customer data to develop relevant, multichannel communications.

“Simply put, it unlocks the value in customer data. This is particularly timely given the unprecedented growth in data volumes, driven primarily by the popularity of online, social, and mobile channels.”

A Single Marketing Solution
It’s clear that today’s marketing professional has to deal with many challenges, not the least of which are the number of new social media channels that appear on an almost daily basis. He or she also experiences the demoralizing effect of churn in senior marketing positions and the constant pressure to improve return on investment (ROI) while doing more with less.

With its aim to be a catalyst of marketing innovation, in 2010 Aprimo added to its suite of Integrated Marketing Management solutions by introducing Aprimo Marketing Studio®.   According to Bill Godfrey, co-founder of Aprimo: “From day one, Aprimo's vision has been to give B2B and B2C marketers a single solution to integrate all of their marketing, including people, processes, channels, and technology.”

Aprimo Marketing Studio® On Demand
Four of the ways that Aprimo Marketing Studio® (AMS) On Demand can help marketers to improve their ROI are by:

1. Accelerating time to market for revenue-generating campaigns, product launches, and strategic brand initiatives;
2. Enabling smarter decisions across the enterprise by leveraging data to
   gain insights, recognize emerging opportunities, and respond quickly;
3. Optimizing and delivering successful campaigns seamlessly across all digital
   channels; and
4. Streamlining operations to drive more effective marketing.

A Complete View
Aprimo takes a holistic view of marketing from the planning and operational stage through execution to reporting and optimization. AMS™ On Demand supports this approach as it allows customers to keep all online and offline marketing activities, the associated attachments, supporting documents, costs, and marketing assets in one knowledge base.

This complete view is required to evaluate a company’s marketing portfolio, manage resources, and optimize marketing ROI. AMS™ On Demand helps to create a true partnership between various departments in an organization, which in turn makes companies more efficient.

Aprimo Mobile
In the past year, Aprimo also launched a new offering, Aprimo Mobile, which
enables marketers to manage critical initiatives like campaigns, activities and
reports generated in AMS™ On Demand from any smartphone device, including the iPad™, iPhone®, and BlackBerry® and DROID™ devices.  This is the first mobile marketing solution that lets marketers keep campaigns moving, regardless of location, and make better, more informed decisions from the road.

Global Marketing
Aprimo’s cloud-based Integrated Marketing Management solutions now have more than 150,000 professional users worldwide, including over one third of Fortune 100 companies and nearly one quarter of Global 100 companies, more than all other integrated marketing software vendors combined.

Merger with Teradata
In January 2011, Aprimo was acquired by Teradata, a company focused on data warehousing and enterprise analytics.  Aprimo co-founder Bill Godfrey commented: “[The acquisition] is a significant step forward in our successful journey in being the recognized leader of Integrated Marketing Management solutions. The combination of our teams and solutions will enable us to continue accelerating growth, fueling innovation for our customers, and rapidly expanding our global presence. With these combined assets, we look forward to delivering world-class applications that will greatly benefit our customers and partners, and provide a vibrant environment for Aprimo’s team.”

Aprimo will remain located in Indianapolis.

About Bill Godfrey:
William (Bill) Godfrey is the visionary driving Aprimo's strategic direction and integration with Teradata Corporation. In 1998, he co-founded Aprimo as the first software company focused on digitizing the end-to-end marketing value chain. Under Bill’s leadership, Aprimo has created the market now known as Integrated Marketing Management. His passion for customer success and innovative solutions has led to Aprimo's continuing market leadership as rated by Gartner, Forrester Research, and other top research firms.

About Aprimo:
Aprimo, a Teradata company, is a leading global provider of marketing software and services that enhance the productivity and performance of marketing organizations. Through the use of Aprimo’s integrated marketing software—Aprimo Marketing Studio® for B2C, Aprimo Marketing Studio® for B2B, and Aprimo® Relationship Manager—marketers can integrate their organizations, get control of budget and spend, eliminate internal silos with streamlined workflows, and execute innovative multi-channel campaigns to drive measurable return on investment. Founded in 1998, Aprimo is headquartered in Indianapolis with offices worldwide. For more information call +44 (0)121 380 1670 or visit www.aprimo.com.

About Teradata:
Teradata Corporation, Aprimo’s parent company, is the world’s largest company focused on raising intelligence through big data analytics, data warehousing, and integrated marketing management. Teradata acquired Aprimo in January 2011. For more information, visit www.Teradata.com.

BrainJuicer Group PLC was named Company of the Year in Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations in The 2011 International Business Awards. (The IBAs are the world's top business awards program, open to all organizations and individuals worldwide. The 2012 IBAs open for entries in January - get the entry kit.)

We asked BrainJuicer founder John Kearon for some insight on what's new in marketing research.

What are your top 3 tips for new marketing research methods?

OK, here’s a thought experiment for you: If you had shares in every market research approach and were prepared to create a portfolio to hold for the next decade, which market research methods would you be buying and selling?

I’d start by shedding my entire portfolio of classic research approaches that rely on people’s post-rationalized beliefs about why they do things and what they say they like, asked in environments unrelated to the behavior in question. I’m not saying they won’t continue to be important in MR, but I am saying I believe they will be declining rather than growing.  So my top 3 “sells” would be:

1. All current pre-testing and concept testing approaches.  They have a notoriously bad record for predicting failure for some of the best-known and commercially successful adverts and new product launches. Adverts such as the Cadbury Gorilla and Stella Artois’ Jean de Florette—both reassuringly expensive campaigns—were punished in classic pre-testing; and new product launches including Bailey’s Irish Cream, cash point machines, and the Sony Walkman also fared badly in classic-concept testing research.

2. Perhaps controversially, I would also be selling Focus Groups. Yes, they can reveal powerful insights in the hands of a great researcher, but all too often they are just the lazy default of unquestioning research buyers and produce little or no insight on the subject at hand.

3. My final sell would be Brand and Advertising Tracking. As far as I can see, this is dead from the neck up, offering little or no insight, direction, or positive contribution beyond the comfort blanket of a monthly number. If this sort of research were banned, businesses would suffer withdrawal symptoms for a couple of months, after which they’d never go back.   Instead, they’d spend the money on the sort of research techniques outlined below that can actually help companies grow.

Now to what to buy. I’m interested in those research approaches most closely tied to Behavioural Economics. BE is finally explaining how people really make decisions and showing it to be quite different from what current market research believes. My top 3 “buys” would therefore be:

Any “We Research” techniques, such as prediction markets.  These techniques are increasing the accuracy of concept testing by tapping our ability as social animals to predict the behavior of other people, yet doing it better than we can predict our own.

I would also be buying shares in Ethnography and Netnography, as anything based on observation of what people really do is massively more accurate than what people say they do—or the reasons they give for saying it.

My final pick would be Game-Based Research. This can help put people into the context, mood, or hot state they would actually be in when choosing a response, so it elicits far more accurate research results than the vast majority of current, non-contextual research.

What item of news recently caught your eye and why?

In the UK, the quality newspapers’ reaction to Steve Job’s passing was sadly revealing of our liberal intelligentsia’s dismissal of the significance of anything they see as commercial. Some of the commentaries bordered on the Pythonesque in their “What have the Romans ever done for us?” tone.  Sure, Jobs invented the computer interfaces we take for granted; sure, he shaped the devices we use to play our music and changed the way we buy music and media; it’s true he redefined what a mobile phone is for and generated a global lust for beautiful and functional technology … but what did he ever do for us? The journalists urged us to get a little perspective. Jobs was hardly Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu, he was really just a good marketer and surely not deserving of the eulogies erupting around the world. I am saddened by the anti-commercial attitude that still survives in Britain towards the entrepreneurs and inventors who through creativity, boldness, and perseverance bring great products to a grateful public. I sincerely hope attitudes change and that we start to finally appreciate people like our own Jonathan Ive (selected by Jobs as his design guru, now SVP of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. and the conceptual mind behind everything from the iMac to the iPhone and iPad) and the engineer James Dyson, who has reinvented the way we clean our homes.

Do you have a favorite business app?

I love technology … but the wonderfully friendly, long suffering, Wayne Nightingale—who meets me off transatlantic flights with a cup of tea and drives me home to the kids—has to be my best business app. Thanks, Wayne!

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?

I’d be busy blowing up current approaches to education and setting up highly alternative schools whose motto might have to be: “You’d be mad to send your child here.”  Education must be the only field of life where a Victorian child transported in time to the present day would essentially recognize the experience. Now, that means either that our education system was perfected long ago, or—more likely—that there hasn’t been nearly enough progress since. You just have to compare it to the advances in medicine over the same time period to wonder how our education system could have looked. I hope I’ll get a chance to make a contribution to the system before I pop my clogs.

What quality or qualities do you most value in your business associates?

The passion and perseverance to be really good at the thing they do best; the integrity to be true to themselves; the tolerance to know what it takes to work well with others; and the playfulness to enjoy their work.

What do you think is the worst bad habit to have at work?

To think work is just the dull chore we’re forced to do before we retire. Don’t be boring, don’t be too serious, make sure you enjoy what you do, take some risks, have some fun … and see what you can achieve!

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?

Caffeine and alcohol help … as well as a contrarian spirit that enjoys change for change’s sake.  I like to question market research dogma and to invent exciting new ways to better understand and predict human behavior. 

About John Kearon
John Kearon, dubbed "the Steve Jobs of Market Research", is Chief Juicer and Founder of BrainJuicer Group PLC. John has been recognized by Ernst & Young twice for his entrepreneurship: Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 and the London region’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009. BrainJuicer has been a two-time winner of the ESOMAR Award for Best Methodology (in 2005 and 2007), and John was awarded the Advertising Research Foundation’s Gold Award for Great Mind/Research Innovator in 2008.

John’s recipe for success is: creativity, resilience, determination, perseverance, stamina, drive, imagination, resourcefulness, courage, commitment, ability to go without sleep, and a touch of madness.

About Brainjuicer
BrainJuicer Group PLC, a thriving international marketing consultancy founded in 1999, provides fresh, validated, consumer-driven insight to 11 of the world’s top 20 consumer companies, their creative agencies, and many others. BrainJuicer specializes in helping clients with innovation, focusing on ideas, insights, concepts, communications, and the measurement of customer and employee satisfaction.  Learn more at BrainJuicer.com.  

This week we're recognizing the contributions of the more than 200 professionals worldwide who participated in the judging process of The 2011 (8th annual) International Business Awards.  We're already recognized the preliminary judges and the PR awards category judges.  And today we honor the contribution of the final judging committee for the marketing awards categories.

Members of the marketing awards judging committee this year included:

Sanga Bunchongprasert, Director, Nielsen Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
Chaiyod Chirabowornkul, Senior VP - Head of Distribution Division, Total Access Communication, PLC, Bangkok, Thailand
Dr. Rojanasak Chomvilailuk, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, Thailand
Waraporn Kulsawatpakdee, Managing Director, Integrated Communication Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
Montira Limpanarom, Executive Director, Sony Music Entertainment Operating (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Klongton, Thailand
Somporn Mauthorn, General Manager, Spicy H Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
Teeraphan Totachawattana, Senior Managing Director, Dentsu (Thailand) Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand

The committee was chaired and formed by Praphan Phornthanavarsit, Chief Operating Officer, Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Samutprakarn, Thailand

The average scores of Praphan and his committee determined this year's Stevie Award winners in the following categories:

• Marketing Department of the Year
• Marketing Team of the Year
• Marketing Executive of the Year
• Marketing Campaign of the Year for a Product
• Marketing Campaign of the Year for a Service

Among the marketing award winners in this year's IBAs are Accenture, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Emirates NBD, Finansbank A.S., and Jeju Free International City Development Center.  See the full list here.

What do you think of this year's IBA marketing awards judging panel and their choices?

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The rate of change in the world of marketing is constantly increasing.  Just when you felt comfortable with the Web, along came Second Life, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, smartphones, tablets, and a slew of other communication channels all claiming to be the future of consumer engagement. Some have crashed, some have prospered, and the jury is still out on many—but what's next? Let's take a look at three technology innovations that will once again change the way brands engage consumers.

Interactive Billboards
Two emerging trends will change the world of outdoor advertising forever: Smartphones, and 4G.  In the near future, expect to see more and more digital billboards that leverage wireless technologies to create two-way interactions between displays and consumers. Imagine a scenario where a consumer can customize a shoe on a billboard using their mobile phone; share the shoe on their social networks; and have a link to purchase the shoe sent directly on their phone. Or imagine a virtual scratch ticket that can personalize rewards based on past purchase behaviors, time of day, or proximity to a particular store.  With wireless-enabled interactive billboards, consumers no longer have to remember what they see—the transaction happens right there.  Moreover, marketers can leverage the technology to better track the results of their outdoor advertising efforts.

Touchtables
Touch-screen phones and tablets seem to be all the rage, but what about taking the concept of a personal device and integrating it into the in-store experience? For example, imagine a table that combines what is great about being in a store—actually interacting with the merchandise—with the power of interactive technology. What if you could take a piece of clothing off the shelf, place it on a table, and interact with it to see product information, as well as related items and where they are located in the store? With touchtable technology, customers will soon be able to build virtual product collections and instantly send selected items to their mobile devices for sharing, saving, or purchase.

Connected TV
From Apple TV, Google TV, and Yahoo TV to Boxee, Roku, Samsung, and Sony, just about everyone is trying to get into the Connected TV space—and with good reason.  The next few years will bring a complete transformation in how people use their televisions. More and more people are watching TV while using their mobile phones or tablets. They’re already creating an interactive TV experience, but it's not directly linked. Expect to see much stronger interaction between your TV and your mobile device in the very near future.

These are just three of the many innovations that will reshape consumer engagement in the near future, but no matter what the technology, one thing is certain: Consumers expect engagement.  The technology is here, and the time is now to create consumer experiences like never before … are you ready?

About Bryant Shea
As Vice President of Innovation for Isobar, Bryant Shea is responsible for devising and applying cutting-edge technologies that not only facilitate the fulfillment of consumers’ needs, but also introduce them to fresh, new ways of interacting more meaningfully with brands. Among the global brands he has counseled are Nikon, Adidas, and Staples.
 
Previously, Shea was vice president of content and mobile for Molecular, now part of Isobar, where he established the company’s content management practice as a nationally recognized leader in the space through innovation and world class delivery, and managed projects for Fortune 500 companies.  
 
Shea is a seasoned speaker on the topics of digital technologies and has presented at many conference nationwide, including the Internet Retailer, ECM West, Gilbane and the AIIM Conference & Expo.

About Isobar
Isobar is a modern communications agency that brings people and brands together in new ways. Isobar fuses creative thinking with technology know-how to uncover the best ideas and execute them across any platform or channel anywhere in the world.  Isobar’s unique combination of creatives and creators ensures the best ideas never end up on the cutting room floor, enabling the company to consistently deliver innovative and intensely relevant brand experiences for the world’s largest brands. With locations in Boston, New York and San Francisco, Isobar US is an Aegis Media Group Company and part of the global Isobar network of over 50 offices in 30 markets.  For more information, please visit http://na.isobar.com.

The final entry deadline for The 2011 American Business Awards is April 27.  Learn more at www.stevieawards.com/aba.

Want to win website awards as Isobar did for adidas? Read our tipsheet, 10 Tips for Winning Web Awards in the Stevies.

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Ay Ay Ay, Me Gusta!
That’s what they’re saying in Turkey about Efes Beer Group’s Gusta brand after
an innovative marketing campaign spurred a major boost in awareness and sales.

Obstacles: Market and Societal Forces
Turkey’s beer sector is relatively young, and is dominated by Efes Beer Group, a subsidiary of the Turkish conglomerate, Andolu Group.

Efes had a major challenge to grow sales of its Gusta brand in 2009.  There is a ban on advertising alcoholic beverages in Turkey, and the increasing influence of the country’s religious right added social pressures.  At the same time, with the global economic downturn, unemployment in Turkey was increasing and consumers were tightening their belts.

Two-step Marketing Strategy
The Gusta brand managers at Efes responded by devising an innovative marketing campaign targeting young urban consumers and aimed at getting them involved with the product. The highlights of the campaign were:
• Gusta Map: a web-based involvement program
• Gusta Expert: an on-site sampling program

Objectives
The overall aim of the Gusta marketing strategy was to increase sales by winning customers in a social way through brand experience and product sampling. Further objectives were to increase brand awareness, to strengthen the brand image, and to reach new consumers for the Gusta and Gusta Dark beers.

There was some risk to this marketing strategy in a society that discourages young people from mingling in bars. To overcome this, the two-step marketing program first involved people via their computers, and then in person, facilitated by wholesome, young—but not too young—women who were the hosts of the program, delivering the brand promise: Gusta!

Gusta Map
First, Efes created Gusta Map, an online social networking platform designed
to appeal to web-savvy young people. As its name implies, Gusta Map was a site to share experiences, music, recommendations—and to find real-time locations where Gusta was served and rated by other Gusta Map users.

Gusta Expert
To make the experience real, the Gusta Expert program recruited and trained Gusta girls who were placed in selected restaurant and bar outlets. They worked as servers and invited customers to try Gusta. They also recommended menu items that were compatible with Gusta. To reinforce the fun of Gusta, consumers were offered branded gifts, including beer mugs (33cl), coasters, trays, ice buckets, and bottle openers.

Outcome
Even Efes exclaimed “Gusta!” when the brand’s daily sales average increased by 38%.
In the first three months, Gusta Map attracted a whopping 61,000 page views, plus 300 Facebook fans and followers. The popularity of the site motivated more restaurants and bars to apply for inclusion. The launch of the Gusta Expert marketing program was so successful that it was expanded to include the Gusta Dark brand. For Gusta Expert, the initial three locations quickly mushroomed to one dozen. The program has been so popular that there are now five permanent Gusta Expert locations.

Gusta is the talk of the town in big cities across Turkey where “Ay ay ay, me
Gusta!” can be heard in the wee hours of the morning…

About Meric Aksoy
Meric Aksoy has risen through the ranks at Efes Beer Group to become Product Manager for Gusta.  He started out working on the popular Efes Pilsen brand in 1999. At that time, he served as a sales representative, advancing to sales supervisor until his promotion to his current position in 2004. He earned his B.A. in business administration from Dogu Akdeniz University in Turkey.

About Efes Beer Group
Efes Beer Group was founded in Turkey in 1969, and today consists of sixteen breweries in Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Georgia, and Serbia, with headquarters in Istanbul. As the 8th most popular European brand by sales volume and the 5th largest European brewer on combined production basis, the group is ranked 12th in the world beer market.

About Anadolu Efes
Anadolu Efes Biracilik ve Malt Sanayii A.S. undertakes the beverage operations of Anadolu Endüstri Holding A.S., one of Turkey's leading conglomerates. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009, Anadolu Efes, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a system of companies that produces and markets beer, malt, and soft drinks across a wide geographic area including Turkey, Russia, the CIS countries, South Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

Want to win marketing awards like Efes did? Read our tipsheet, 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the Stevies.

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With The American Business Awards entry deadline coming up on March 31, we look at Creative Channel Services in Los Angeles, California, which won Stevie Awards for Marketing Team of the Year, in the marketing awards categories, and Best Training Web Site, in the web awards categories, in The 2010 American Business Awards

Since 1995, Creative Channel Services (CCS) has provided retail-marketing support to some of the biggest names in consumer electronics (CE). CCS created and manages the CyberScholar Retail Network, which provides online training to CE and home-appliance retailers across the United States and develops high-impact field marketing teams.

“Retail is a people-driven business, and it’s great to be acknowledged for an incredibly talented, best-in-class group of brand ambassadors,” said Andy Restivo, CEO and president of CCS. “The entire CCS team works hard to help each of our clients win at the critical ‘moment of purchase,’ and we are extremely proud that the team has received recognition for the innovation, creativity, and tremendous results they have produced.”

The agency’s focus on field activities is evident in that fewer than 100 of its 500-plus employees work from the company’s Los Angeles headquarters. The majority of employees work exclusively in the field.

In-store Eyes and Ears
CCS’s Samsung brand ambassador teams represent the manufacturer’s consumer electronics, home appliances, mobile electronics, and information technology products in the U.S. retail market. Performance is measured by how the category-specific field teams increase market share, brand awareness, and product sales for Samsung, the No. 1 CE brand in the world. Team members visit national and regional retailers, engaging shoppers directly, delivering assisted-selling support, providing product-knowledge training, collecting market intelligence, and serving as the in-store eyes and ears for manufacturers.

According to Vida Roozen, vice president and general manager of CCS’s Field Business Unit and leader of the Samsung field team for 11 years: “CCS is successful on behalf of our field clients by building close working relationships with retail salespeople, ensuring that frontline people understand our clients’ products, and reporting store-level trends that help to drive marketing plans and product development."

CCS-Samsung team members leverage relationships and individual creativity to secure millions of dollars of shelf space and to optimize in-store displays. The team also promotes Samsung at industry events such as the International Consumer Electronics Show.

The CCS-Samsung team has provided Samsung for several years with the timely intelligence it needed to move its business forward. It continues to capture thousands of points of market-research data every day at the store level to keep Samsung informed of what is happening at the point of sale. 

Award-Winning Achievements
The eye-popping 2009 achievements of the CCS-Samsung Team included:

• Record home-appliance sales at national and regional retailers
• Digital-imaging sales up by more than double at specific retailers
• 30-percent-higher sales at stores covered by the CCS-Samsung Team versus uncovered stores
• No. 1 market share for LCD and PDP displays, 50-inches or larger
• No. 1 market share for Blu-ray and Home Theater products
• TV sales increased by 16 percent
• Digital A/V products grew by 78 percent
• Online training participation increased by 189 percent

Samsung was ranked No. 1 in a J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey for:

• Refrigeration (five years consecutively)
• Dryers (two years)
• Washers
• Overall laundry pairs (two years)

Training by the Numbers
CCS won the Stevie Award for Best Training Site for the second consecutive year for its retail-training site, CyberScholar.com, which is the flagship site of CCS’s CyberScholar Retail Network. CyberScholar consolidates complex product knowledge into easy-to-understand, always-accessible content that empowers retail employees to assist consumers competently and confidently.   The numbers continue to be impressive:  More than 10.6 million trainings were completed on the network in 2010.

The CyberScholar Retail Network now reaches approximately 250,000 retail salespeople, is a key training element at 13,300 stores, and delivers product information from 50-plus manufacturers.

Want to win Stevie Awards for marketing as Creative Channel Services did?  Check out our free tipsheet, 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the 2011 Stevies.

About Andy Restivo
Andy Restivo is one of the original founders and architects of CCS. Through his leadership and entrepreneurial vision he has fueled CCS’s transformation from small start-up to a leading marketing-services agency with a talented and passionate group of professionals functioning in a culture dedicated to success, a powerful list of world-class Fortune 500 clients, and a member of the world’s largest and most successful marketing communications services conglomerate.

About Creative Channel Services, LLC
Creative Channel Services (CCS) is a leading retail-marketing agency that improves sales and profitability for its manufacturer and retailer clients. Through the company’s proprietary CyberScholar Retail Network® and exclusive retail partnerships, CCS’s unique approach to in-store marketing solutions accelerates client sales performance by connecting brands with 13,300 stores and 250,000 retail professionals who recommend and sell products to up to 3,000,000 customers each day. Established in 1995 and headquartered in Los Angeles, CCS is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), a leading global advertising, marketing, and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. Contact CCS at sales@creativechannel.com or 310-665-9900 to learn more about its field marketing and online training support.

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Thai Yamaha Motor has been a success story since it was established 47 years ago, but the strength of the company was tested during the economic crisis of 2009 when the Thai economy declined by 3%, and industrial sales declined by 9.8%. Despite this, Thai Yamaha Motor achieved record sales and expanded its market share, while at the same time increasing customer satisfaction and improving its operations. Today, Thai Yamaha Motor has achieved a premium brand position in the Thai market by offering innovative products and utilizing lifestyle marketing.

Marketing Achievements
At the time of the economic crisis in 2009, the company recognized that it needed to maximize revenue and reduce costs. The measures that it took resulted in an increased market share from 23% to 28% over the period 2007-2009; a profit level that is among the highest in the industry; and employee satisfaction that has reached a record level of 80%.

So how did Thai Yamaha Motor achieve this?

Launched New Models
During 2009, the Thai Yamaha Motor marketing department launched several new models designed to meet the needs of the economic climate, and their efforts resulted in a 53% market share of the automatic motorcycle segment as well as a rating of 92% in customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Brand Image
The company’s motorcycle retail shops were modernized and improved nationwide to enhance the brand image.

Promotions
The company ran an advertising campaign using popular Korean and Thai celebrities; it sponsored a series of popular sell-out concerts; and the company even set the Guinness World Record for the largest parade of automatic motorcycles when 2,474 Yamaha Finos gathered at an event organized by Thai Yamaha Motor at Khun Dan Prakarnchon Dam, Nakorn Nayok Province, Thailand, in August 2009.  

The result: Thai Yamaha Motor Company received the most publicity in press publications and online news stories for the industry segment that year.

Operation Efficiencies
In addition to their marketing efforts, Thai Yamaha Motor introduced a number of operating efficiencies: Factory operations were significantly improved, achieving the highest level of "complete assembly without rework" in Yamaha’s worldwide operations; recalls were reduced to one of the lowest in the worldwide Yamaha group; and supply chain management was improved, reducing inventory turnover to 14 days.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Thai Yamaha Motor opened a new Yamaha motorcycle safety riding school, acclaimed as one of the best in Asia. The company also received a government award for its safety record in factory operations at the national level.

As a result of improving its employee satisfaction, Thai Yamaha Motor achieved employee turnover rate as low as 3% at a time when the industry rate was at 11%.

Thai Yamaha Motor has received a number of awards over the past few years, and in 2009 the Royal Thai Government recognized its top management for the company’s education and vocational-training support.
  
Continued Growth
Thai Yamaha Motor continues to grow. The company is among the top contributor to Yamaha profits worldwide. It has continued to expand production capacity and to improve ways to better serve its customers.

In February 2011, Thai Yamaha Motor's chief operating officer Praphan Phornthanavarsit said that Thailand's motorcycle market grew by an impressive 20 per cent last year to around 1.85 million units, due to continued economic recovery and increased consumer confidence.

"The Yamaha brand also enjoyed a year of success in 2010, recording the highest sales in 10 years. Total wholesales were 505,000 units, with total retail sales of 486,000 units, total motorcycle registrations of 479,000 units, and total parts sales of Bt1.4 billion," Praphan said.   "These achievements have led Yamaha to enjoy a market share of 26 per cent, which reflects strong confidence in Yamaha's products and outstanding image."

Based on Thai Yamaha Motor's analysis of economic trends and related factors, it expects that the motorcycle market will record sales growth of 4 per cent this year, to around 1.92 million units, he said. Yamaha's sales target for 2011 has been set at 520,000 units. If this is achieved, it will be equivalent to 9% year-on-year growth, achieving a market share of 27%.

About Praphan Phornthanavarsit
Praphan Phornthanavarsit, Chief Operating Officer of Thai Yamaha Motor, is an inspirational leader who has utilized strategic thinking and creativity along with strong management skills to make Thai Yamaha Motors the success it is today. He has had a successful track record in various fields, including the automotive industry, information technology, and business consultancy. Praphan is one of the most respected persons in Thailand’s motorcycle industry and has contributed significantly to the industry’s development.

About Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd
Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is the manufacturer and marketer of Yamaha motorcycles in Thailand. The company employs about 3,200 staff, and in 2009 had an annual sales turnover in excess of 700 million USD with production capacity of 600,000 motorcycles. The company's manufacturing facility is one of Yamaha Motor’s largest and most efficient motorcycle plants in the world.

Want to be recognized for your marketing achievements as Thai Yamaha Motor was?  Get our free tipsheet, 10 Tips for Winning Marketing Awards in the 2011 Stevies.

The early-bird entry deadline for The 2011 International Business Awards is April 12. You'll find the entry kit here.