In order to increase awareness of its new Colgate Optic White Express White toothpaste, the company adopted this mantra, overhauling its marketing strategy and focusing more on digital platforms, with YouTube as the core of its integrated media and creative campaigns, adding after this, it ‘will never look back.’
"In the past, we've tried to hit millennials over the head in TV and print. When we looked at reaching and connecting with them where they really are, YouTube was the logical place to go," says Philip Durocher, vice-president and general manager of Colgate Palmolive NA Oral Care.
Colgate says that getting attention in the always-on, media-saturated digital world is harder than ever, and that to reach a broader and younger audience, it realised it would need to rethink its strategy.
Digital campaign
That led to Colgate turning to its integrated media and creative agency, Red Fuse, and Google BrandLab to strategize how to connect with the target audience, ditching the idea of a TV and print-based campaign and adding digital elements, to put digital at the core.
The decision was made to make YouTube the hub for the campaign a enthusiasts watch beauty video tutorials, seek out the latest trends in fashion, and engage in real conversations with YouTube creators.
To get the most out of the platform and earn legitimacy and relevance with the target audience, Colgate teamed up with two rising YouTube influencers: Andrea Brooks and Blair Fowler, who created ‘The Smile Show,’ a series of videos featuring the product that have amassed 24 million views and counting.
Because the YouTube influencers know their audiences so well, they can produce content that is both relevant and useful to engaged consumers.
The YouTube-driven creative was then carried over into traditional TV and print ads as the company says it connects the traditional with the digital in a meaningful way and lets people know that it is turning to these influencers not just as spokespeople, but also just as triers and commentators the product.
Never look back…
According to Scott Campbell, general manager, Colgate Palmolive NA Integrated Marketing Communications, who was involved in the project, this new approach is the way forward for Colgate.
"We'll never look back. The BrandLab and Red Fuse approach and the content framework that YouTube has given us is a great, simple way to organize and promote our content,” he says.
“In the future we are going to be looking at content and YouTube media as an incredibly important part of all our big campaigns."
Durocher adds that given the results in this campaign, Colgate will continue to approach more digital projects in the future, ‘especially digital video.’