| Comment from Andrew
Cook, director of sales, at leading prize promotion
specialist, Unmissable:
Synopsis: While it's certainly true
that for some, a comfy wing-backed chair, a skein
of wool and the rhythmic tattoo of the knitting needles
is the only excitement required, others prefer their
lives in the fast lane, hurling themselves into the
unknown at every opportunity and storing up a lifetime's
memories in the process… all of which is why,
with the right market research, adrenalin promotions
work so well.
Who are Unmissable?
Focussing on travel, lifestyle experiences and consumer
goods, Unmissable specialises in creating brand led
solutions for in-store, on-pack, print, radio, TV
and Online consumer promotions. Working in partnership
with the UK’s leading marketing agencies, commercial
radio stations and consumer brands, we understand
that delivering “stand out” for your brand
is paramount to a campaigns success.
Are adrenalin promotions only for the blokes
… at that, only for those blokes who write macho
with a capital M? What can women expect in the way
of thrills and spills – do you tailor specific
experiences or do you find that, with one or two exceptions
they appeal across the sexes?
No definitely not, it's not a question of fitting
the experience to the gender, but more a case of tailoring
an activity, that will be relevant for the specific
target market and more importantly the age demographics.
What is perceived as adrenalin fuelled to an 11 year
old will obviously differ to that of a 30year old.
For example, playing in a game of Quidditch organised
by the stunt experts from the Harry Potter films would
appeal to the younger market whilst driving a Porsche
around the Arctic Circle or horse drawn skiing in
St Moritz is more likely to suit an older target market
profile.
There are also family activity weekend breaks across
Europe which include kayaking, mountain biking etc...which,
are suitable for young beginners or elder intermediates,
the beauty of working with an expert is that they
can build a bespoke experience tailored to your exact
needs, rather than having to try and fit a promotion
around an off-the-shelf package.
In terms of tailoring adrenalin fuelled experiences
for the female audience quite simply there is just
no need, statistics suggest for example that women
are just as likely to buy exhilarating driving days
or go shark diving as their male counterparts, we
don’t live in the Dark Ages anymore so any notion
that women aren’t just as motivated as their
male counterparts to feel the adrenalin rush these
experiences provide are simply outdated.
Both corporate clients and consumers have become
far more adventurous in their approach to 'experiences'.
A higher percentage of people in today's society now
fall into the category of 'thrill seekers' as they
look to spend their valuable leisure time experiencing
something different from the normal hum drum of daily
life. People want to create memories that will last
forever and we provide them the opportunity to do
that. The world has become a far more accessible place
and as such opportunities to experience new and exciting
activities and holidays are proving very popular.
What was hot during 2005?
The last 12 months have seen Unmissable provide a
record number of adrenalin, high-octane themed experiences
for a cross section of target markets ranging from
a days stunt training for a group of journalists to
support the launch of The Incredibles on DVD to two
people jetting of to Oman for a ‘Living on the
Edge’ desert safari adventure.
There was no single product or experience which proved
more popular than others during 2005, it was the sheer
number of adrenalin themed promotions and incentives
that we worked on which allowed us to create so many
fantastic products. These are just some of the experiences
we provided during 2005:
- Ice rally driving in Lapland with the official
Swedish Ice Rally Team
- Powerboat racing
- Space Academy training
- Super car weekends
- Extreme skiing trips
- Stunt training events in the UK & Europe
- Dune surfing
- Spying weekends in Moscow
…and what do you see as the big draw
for 2006?
Having established some excellent contacts in the
stunt world I would envisage this area to continue
to grow during 2006, with more events and activities
available to allow clients to experience life as a
stunt person.
There is also likely to be an increase in extreme
sports with more coverage in the media via satellite
TV and the extreme sports channels. There has been
a dramatic rise in popularity for certain sports such
as kite surfing, abseiling, inline skating and extreme
snowboarding many of which can involve expert tuition
from a professional. Combining these sports with destinations
such as The Dominican Republic and Maui provides a
huge potential to create adrenalin packed tailor made
holidays that will live long in the memory.
In addition to the growing number of stunt experiences
and extreme sports available, there is also a growing
opportunity to get back to nature with a number of
exhilarating experiences. Adrenalin led experiences
are not just defined by those incorporating some type
of physical activity, the adrenalin rush felt from
throwing yourself out of a plane at 3,000 feet can
also be applied to less strenuous activities.
Trips ranging from canoeing through the rain forest
in Borneo, to tracking lions & leopards in Africa
and living with the Masai don’t require the
same levels of physical exertion, but they are no
less exhilarating.
Adrenalin experiences are increasing in popularity
all the time, with trends such as working longer hours
and higher levels of stress in the workplace, people
are looking for ways to let off steam. The opportunities
are limitless and the boundaries to what is achievable
are broadening all the time, our biggest challenge
is not to create all these amazing experiences but
to convince clients that what we provide in our creative
really can be achieved.
Are adrenalin promotions big budget campaigns?
As with any type of promotion or incentive, budgets
are a necessity, they are not meant as a hindrance
or a constraint but are merely an essential characteristic
of any brief. Adrenalin promotions are no different
from any other theme the skill is to create innovative
and engaging solutions for our clients regardless
of budget. Our bespoke approach allows us to work
to a specific budget and tailor solutions across several
price levels without loosing sight of the brand or
the theme of the activity.
Is a lot of planning involved or can a promoter
pick up the phone one day and be breaking the lap
record at Brands Hatch the next?
The degree of planning required is dependent on both
the location of the activity and the number of people
taking part. In essence a day at a racetrack driving
a sports car in the UK can be organised at very short
notice whereas organising a group of ten people to
experience wing walking in Budapest will take more
planning.
The key to any successful adrenalin based promotion
is to take advice from experts and to ensure that
individuals organising the experience on the ground
are registered with the necessary industry bodies,
and that all instructors are fully qualified.
First, and by far the most important rule, is to
always use experts in their fields. Due to the very
nature of what is involved in adrenalin based experiences
there are specific requirements such as additional
insurance, age restrictions, health and medical forms
which all need to be considered. By using an expert
all these potential obstacles can be overcome from
the outset without any problems occurring, alleviating
any initial concerns the client might have.
As a company Unmissable has a very rigid policy of
only trading with those people registered with their
respective professional bodies and who therefore carry
all the required insurance and professional qualifications.
Are promotions of this type bought 'off the
shelf' or can you accommodate a client's requests?
Whilst Unmissable can provide a number of solutions
‘off the shelf’ we specialise in tailoring
specific experiences and activities to the individual
requirements of our clients briefs. Generally we will
take a theme and create a number of concepts around
it. Our in-house creative expertise allows us to extend
the brand proposition and consistently deliver bespoke
solutions, which compliment the brands identity.
Case Study
- Campaign: Spy Game Toy – Product
Launch
- Client: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- Agency: Unmissable
- Objective: To create an experience to
compliment the ‘Spy’ element of the
product.
Activity: Unmissable created
a super spy weekend in the wondrous surroundings of
the Arctic. Having flown into Reykjavik our prizewinners
were given VIP treatment throughout with go karting,
a super jeep safari, snowmobiling, sleigh riding and
trip to one of the famous Blue Lagoons. We couldn’t
let our super spy’s go cold so we even provided
all the essential spy kit and clothing to combat the
hostile conditions!
Comment: “By creating
such a unique experience which was able to extend
the brands identity through its promotional activity,
we were able to deliver a solution which allowed our
client to achieve the required ‘stand-out’
and ensure a successful campaign” Andrew Cook,
Unmissable.
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