ITC Classmates Young Author Contest

Marketing Challenge :

ITC had entered into the 4,500 crores stationary market under their 'Expressions -- Classmate' brand name.
Since it was a late entrant in the market, needed to quickly build equity with schools (the largest consumers of notebooks) to ensure a sell--in angle. To accomplish this without mass media support.

EV Strategy :

Create a property which introduced the brand to schools, 'ITC Classmate Young Author Contest' an inter school national story--writing competition which identifies the young authors across the country. Authors get their stories published.
Through the property create a relationship with school authorities which would help in the sales process.

EV Solution :

Direct Mailers were sent to over 8000 schools followed by one-on-one school contact meeting by specially trained School Relationship Managers who "sold" the CYAC competition to each school individually.
Conducted one day event finals across TG cities, top two winners from each city qualified for the National Finals.
All participants were taken through a creative writing workshop and were given a creative writing tool kit before the contest commenced.
National Jury was chaired by Ruskin Bond and had an impressive panel of Jury members who shortlisted the national finalists.
Final winner won an all expense paid week vacation to London (the mecca of the literary world) while all finalists had their stories published by Rupa & Co.

Results :

In 2004, over 2000 schools were contacted with almost 40,000 students participating in the activity across 12 cities.
In 2005, activity scaled to 15 cities where almost 4,000 schools were contacted and 1,20,000 students participated.
Tremendous spin offs in terms of PR & generated word of mouth of brand amongst schools

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• ITC
• Classmates
• Young
• Author
• Contest
• eventus
• india