Cashmere Bathroom Tissue

Packaged Goods–Food/Other (SILVER)
Sustained Success (SILVER)

Client Credits: Kruger Products L.P. (formerly Scott Paper)
Nancy Marcus, Corporate Vice-President Marketing
Stephen Blythe, Category Director – Bathroom Tissue
Alex Amon, Director – Marketing Research

Agency Credits: john st.
Angus Tucker and Stephen Jurisic, Co-Creative Directors
Nellie Kim, Associate Creative Director/Art Director
Chris Hirsch, Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Stuart Campbell, Art Director
Jennifer Rossini, Copywriter
Emily Bain, Director of Strategic Planning
Sarah Henderson, Sr. Strategic Planner
Heather Crawley, Team Leader
Ali Reid, Account Director
Madison Papple, Account Executive
Michelle Orlando, Executive Broadcast Producer

Crossover Notes:
Crossover Notes: All winning cases contain lessons that cross over from one case to another. David Rutherford has been identifying these as Crossover Notes since CASSIES 1997. The full set for CASSIES 2012 can be downloaded from the Case Library section at www.cassies.ca

Crossover Note 1. What a Brand Stands For.
Crossover Note 10. Conventional Wisdom—should it be challenged?
Crossover Note 14. Refreshing a continuing campaign.
Crossover Note 17. Turning a liability into a strength.
Crossover Note 25. Brand Linkage (when should the brand name appear).

To see creative, click on the links that are embedded in the case.

Section I — BASIC INFORMATION

Business Results Period (Consecutive Months):	May 14, 2004 – May 7, 2011
Start of Advertising/Communication Effort:	September 2004
Base Period as a Benchmark:	52 weeks ending May 13, 2004

Section II — SITUATION ANALYSIS
a) Overall Assessment
In 2004, when the Scott Paper marketing team contemplated the next several years, they knew they were going to be the most challenging they had ever faced in the bathroom tissue category.

At this time, bathroom tissue was a $315 million business in English Eastern Canada. Category volume was growing at 2-3% annually with three strong branded competitors: Cottonelle, Charmin & Royale. (Footnote 1.)

Cottonelle was the lead strategic brand in the Scott Paper portfolio, commanding the number one share in the bathroom tissue category (23%) and delivering 67% of Scott Paper’s household paper dollar volume, making it the primary contributing brand to the company’s bottom line. (Footnote 2.)

But, after 35 years, Cottonelle Bathroom Tissue was about to lose its name and all the associated icons and equities. Kimberly-Clark was reclaiming the license to the name effective June 2007 and would re-launch the brand in Canada shortly thereafter.

In addition, both Charmin and Royale had well-established brands and trade relationships and were well-poised to take advantage of the opportunity. There had already been signs of increased marketing activity, spending and trade support in anticipation of the battle that lay ahead.

b) Resulting Business Objectives
First, to transition from Cottonelle to Cashmere without losing market share, and defend our leadership position in Eastern Canada.

Second, (because we would be competing against the equity we had ourselves built when Kimberly-Clark returned to the market with Cottonelle) to come out of this transition with a stronger, more compelling and more differentiated brand idea, laying the groundwork for long-term success. [Crossover Note 17]

c) Annual Media Budget
Over $5 million

d) Geographic Area
English Eastern Canada (Ontario and Maritimes)

Footnote 1: ACNielsen MarketTrack, 52 weeks ending May 13, 2004
Footnote 2: ACNielsen MarketTrack, 52 weeks ending May 13, 2004

Section III — STRATEGIC THINKING
a) Analysis and Insight
In the extensive consumer research conducted leading up to transition, we established that there was an opportunity for a more feminine and sophisticated approach when speaking to our target, women 25-54.

Category advertising portrayed an artificially cute and dated world populated by kittens, puppies and animated bears. We believed that by speaking to women as women (rather than moms) we could break through and create a more meaningful connection. [Crossover Note 10]

This was one thing in which the existing Cottonelle brand already had some equity. It was viewed by the target as a women’s brand, while the competitors were seen as family brands. We saw this as a significant but largely untapped advantage.

Recognizing that for women our product was about personal care and taking care of themselves, not just practical wiping, opened up a whole new sophisticated approach to communication that would engage them in a meaningful way.

This insight led to the “softness women notice” brand idea. This positioning and the new Cashmere name was a match made in heaven. Women have a unique, tactile relationship with fabric, and by all accounts cashmere sets the benchmark for the ultimate in softness.

b) Communication Strategy
The first two years of transition (2004 and 2005) were dedicated to communicating the name change in a direct way, leveraging the existing equity of Cottonelle but also introducing elements of the new Cashmere brand in order to elevate it above Cottonelle and ultimately make KC’s re-introduction of the brand more difficult.

In 2006, we completed the launch of the Cashmere brand. Now, with no further Cottonelle reference in our advertising, we were able to focus on our creative strategy in earnest.

The creative idea was born from a deeply seated truth: women adore cashmere. Simply put, our strategy was to equate the luxurious, feminine and exquisite quality of cashmere fabric with Cashmere Bathroom Tissue. [Crossover Note 1]

Executionally, there was no better place to stage this messaging than in the world of fashion. It was relevant and compelling to our target, and set the brand apart in a substantial way.

Section IV — KEY EXECUTIONAL ELEMENTS
a)Media Used
– television
– magazine
– out of home
– online promotion
– public relations
– media integration

b)Creative Discussion
The Transition (2004-2005):

As mentioned earlier, the objective of these first two years was to introduce the new name and set the stage for our new creative strategy.
Television presented the benefits of Cashmere over Cotton (aka Cottonelle) while print made the connection between cashmere the fabric and Cashmere the bathroom tissue.

The Launch (Fall 2006-early 2008):

In the Fall of 2006 we launched the new Cashmere brand with advertising unlike any that had been seen in the category before. See Model Tear :30. [Crossover Note 25]

A multimedia campaign including television, magazine, outdoor and online advertising launched the new brand using the archetypes and imagery of fashion advertising and featuring the tagline “Cashmere: Now in a Bathroom Tissue.”

A successful public relations program had been initiated in 2004 by Strategic Objectives that involved the use of well-known Canadian designers creating fashion from exclusive white cashmere fabric, and this was supported with a media event and targeted media relations. In 2006, the program was expanded and evolved to a student design competition, this time working with the Cashmere Bathroom Tissue itself. This initiative was extended online at cashmere.ca and also served as the foundation for the very successful Vote Couture online promotion, where consumers could vote for their favourite design and get the opportunity to win a trip to Fashion Week in New York City.

The Sustaining Years (2008-2010)

The feminine, fashionable advertising for Cashmere continues to this day and has become an integral differentiator for the brand and a huge part of its success. [Crossover Note 14]

The television advertising in 2008 captured the making of a dress from Cashmere Bathroom Tissue in reverse order at a photo shoot. (Undress :30) The magazine and outdoor advertising featured three different Cashmere Bathroom Tissue designs from notable Canadian designers such as Marie Saint-Pierre and Christian Chenail that had been featured in the 2007 White Cashmere Collection.

At this time, having entrenched our new positioning, we could introduce a very competitive brand tagline “Nothing Feels like Cashmere” which continues to be the signature for our advertising today.

In 2009, we took a more direct approach, making the link between the softness of fashionable cashmere items to the bathroom tissue. (Grab Pack :30)

The ad featured an original music track which created so much interest that a full length version was created and made available for download from the Cashmere website. The online response was impressive, with 30,000 people engaging/listening to the song and over 15,000 downloads.

Our latest campaign was launched in Spring 2010 and took Cashmere to the catwalk both in television and print, returning to a more hardcore connection with the fashion world and reinforcing our #1 product benefit, softness. (Catwalk :30)

Over the years, our campaign continued to be supported with the White Cashmere Collection, giving Canadian fashion designers the opportunity to develop stunning runway fashion from the product and garnering huge success and exposure from a public relations perspective. In recent years, the event has evolved to support Cashmere’s commitment to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, offering and introducing a “touch of pink” by way of inclusion of the Cashmere Pink product that was sold during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This program has also been extended annually through online promotional activity linked to the Collection, and all designs have been displayed in high traffic windows of The Bay in downtown Toronto and Montreal.

Additionally, Excelerator Media secured high profile media integrations that further supported Cashmere’s creative strategy including the long-term sponsorship of CityTV’s most popular program, City Line’s Fashion Friday. In addition to advertising in this highly viewed program, it also included an on-air segment, allowing the brand to engage with the audience and integrate the White Cashmere Collection.

Another exciting and highly fashionable integration was the unique sponsorship of Canada’s Next Top Model. One of the components was the episode that featured the popular runway coach, Miss J, teaching contestants how to walk the runway wearing very delicate bathroom tissue dresses from the White Cashmere Collection. Cashmere’s V.P. Marketing, Nancy Marcus, also appeared on the program as a guest judge, integrating the brand voice into the program. This episode delivered 9 million consumer impressions with our target and prompted additional press for the program featuring Cashmere.

Finally, a sponsorship of the Fashion segments of the very popular Steven and Chris show also provided a great opportunity to connect Cashmere with fashion. This was further reinforced when Nancy visited the program and presented Steven and Chris with their very own tailored jackets made entirely of Cashmere bathroom tissue.

c)Media Discussion
The bathroom tissue category is more heavily supported in advertising than the low-interest, price-driven, commoditized nature of the category would suggest. The primary players have traditionally focused on television and print, with online taking on a greater role over the past 6 years.

Awareness of the new brand name and positioning was, and still is, a key priority, leading to television, print and occasionally out-of-home as the primary elements of the campaign.

In addition, from commencement of the transition in Fall 2004 through 2010, online and other unique initiatives and extensions have played a role in distinguishing Cashmere from the rest of the category.

Section V — BUSINESS RESULTS
a) Sales/Share Results
The transition from Cottonelle to Cashmere was a resounding success.

Following completion of the launch in 2008, Cashmere had increased market share by 7 points, taking the brand to a historical high of 30.3%.

The subsequent 3 years have seen success surpassing that record, adding another 3 points of share and enabling Cashmere to reach an unprecedented 33.4% share. In fact, Cashmere has now become the number one selling bathroom tissue in Canada despite only being available in Eastern Canada. (See Cashmere Market Share Chart; Footnote 3.)

This success is not limited to market share. Since the start of transition in 2004, Cashmere case volume has increased by 114%, delivering an incremental $51 million in annual sales. (See Cashmere Volume Growth Chart; Footnote 4.)

The success of this long-term campaign is also evidenced by an increase in household penetration. As you would expect, there are not a lot of fluctuations in household penetration in the bathroom tissue category. During the past 7 years, Cashmere has increased household penetration by 10 points. (See Cashmere Household Penetration Chart; Footnote 5.)

The new brand idea and advertising has been successful at differentiating Cashmere from the rest of the category. Cashmere has taken ownership of the key brand attributes of feminine, sophisticated and luxurious, ensuring it stands out from the kittens, puppies and bears. (See Brand Image Ratings Chart; Footnote 6.)

Finally, the advertising has had a positive impact on consumer perception of product quality. (See Cashmere Brand Attribute Ratings Chart; Footnote 7.)

b) Consumption/ Usage Results

c) Other Pertinent Results

d) Return on Investment

Footnote 3: Cashmere Market Share, ACNielsen MarketTrack, Equiv Case Volume, Ontario + Maritimes, 52 wks ending May 2004-2011
Footnote 4: Cashmere Volume Growth, ACNielsen MarketTrack, Dollars + Equiv Case Volume, Ontario + Maritimes, 52 wks ending May 2004-2011.
Footnote 5: Cashmere Household Penetration, ACNielsen HomeScan, 52 wks ending December 2004-2010
Footnote 6: Brand Image Ratings, Burak Jacobson, Bathroom Tissue Tracking Research, Fall 2007, Spring 2011
Footnote 7: Cashmere Brand Attribute Ratings, Burak Jacobson, Bathroom Tissue Tracking Research, Spring 2011

Section VI — CAUSE & EFFECT BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND RESULTS
a)General Discussion
In addition to the sales success during the advertised period, a key indicator of the link between the advertising and brand success is the steady increase in advertising recall over the years. Since 2007, when tracking started for the standalone Cashmere brand, we have seen an increase in recall in every year with the exception of 2009, which was quickly more than made up for in 2010. (See Cashmere Prompted Ad Recall Chart; Footnote 8.)

Interestingly, the year that saw the blip in ad recall was also the year in which we departed, to some degree, from the world of fashion. This decrease in recognition demonstrates how ownable and differentiating our positioning has become. When we went back into the fashion world with Catwalk in 2010, our prompted ad recall numbers rebounded and then some.

b)Excluding Other Factors
Spending Levels: During the course of the campaign, Cashmere share of voice actually decreased, with increased spending by existing players and the introduction of a new one when Cottonelle returned under the ownership of Kimberly-Clark. It has rebounded to some degree in recent years, but is still 10 points behind where it was prior to the campaign launch. (See Category Share of Voice Chart; Footnote 9.)

Pricing: Price promotion has always played a very big role in this category, and did ramp up in recent years, but all competitors have participated to an equal degree, leveling the playing field. Further, the improvements in dollar volume for Cashmere demonstrate that this was not a circumstance where increased volume and market share were the result of “buying share”. (See Cashmere Volume Growth Chart; Footnote 10.)

Distribution Changes: Since 2004, there have been no dramatic changes in trade support or distribution for Cashmere. In fact, the introduction of K-C Cottonelle made getting access to display activity and shelf space more difficult.

Unusual Promotional Activity: There were no additional activities outside of the norm that could have been responsible for Cashmere’s success.

Other Potential Causes: There are no other product, economic or consumer factors during this period that could have positively impacted sales.

Footnote 8: Cashmere Prompted Ad Recall, Burak Jacobson, Bathroom Tissue Tracking, English Canada, Fall 2006-2010
Footnote 9: Category Share of Voice, Nielsen Media Canada, Bathroom Tissue Category Spending 2004-2010
Footnote 10: Cashmere Volume Growth, ACNielsen MarketTrack, Dollars & Equiv. Case Volume, Ontario + Maritimes, 52 wks ending May 2004-2011