MARKETING SOCIETY AWARDS for EXCELLENCE 2012: Finance directors' award

Introduced for the first time this year, the finance directors' award is assessed by a panel of finance directors and is given to the work that judges believe best demonstrates the effective use of marketing expenditure.

Various criteria were used to assess the shortlisted entries, including objectives, marketing concept, creativity, presentation, results achieved and financial impact.

The winning entry, Coca-Cola's The Pepperhood campaign for the Dr Pepper brand, was singled out by judges, who said it 'managed to revitalise a somewhat forgotten brand on a very limited budget.'

Soft drink Dr Pepper wanted to increase sales by encouraging levels of loyalty, but its target audience of 16-18 year old boys were notoriously fickle. The brand also had a limited budget to contend with. It decided to create a game - 'The Pepperhood' - which could be played out across the web, mobile, Facebook and the real world. Instant reward and quick progression, key elements for gaming success, were features built in from the start, to encourage not only a big number of game plays but frequent return visits every time a new game was launched.

To ensure variety in gameplay, agency Zone worked with Dr Pepper to deliver games in a wide variety of formats, including flash games, user-generated content, puzzles, quizzes and choose-your-own-adventure challenges. Merchandise and giveaways were used to incentivise participation and included everything from Xboxes to Pepperhood sweatshirts and enormous foam hands.

The game delivered 25,700 sampling coupons to non-users. Based on a recent Facebook/Nielsen study showing that brand communication exposure quadruples purchase intent from 2% to 8%, an additional 2.3 million people are more likely to buy Dr Pepper after being exposed to the game, which translates to one in 10 buying the drink.

Judges said the work demonstrated a clear articulation of budget and return in line with the brief and they praised its use of digital.

'We were impressed with a very creative digital solution to a classic problem of low budget in the very heavily advertised soft drinks sector,' they said.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Hotels.com (Agency: Fetch Media)

Hotel accommodation provider Hotels.com wanted to develop a global mobile strategy, including an app for the iPhone and Android operating systems and the launch of new products in each market it operates in. It also wanted to improve tracking and increase global traffic through its mobile channels.

Fetch Media advised on the design of an in-house app, created content and worked on the search engine optimisation to maximise organic downloads after the launch. This included copy translated in 16 different languages to suit Hotels.com's global markets. The campaign yielded substantial financial results and grew Hotels.com's user base significantly, with the brand surpassing its initial global traffic goals.

ALSO SHORTLISTED FOR FINANCE DIRECTORS' AWARD

• British Gas, Nectar award
• Johnlewis.com
• Sainsbury's, Little Ones Baby & Toddler Club

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk