Strategy
Clorox Brands Shop For More Sponsorships
Packaged goods company finds success with sponsorship as driver of retail promotions and consumer interest.
2/23/09: Looking to forge a deeper, more impactful connection with consumers of its many products, The Clorox Co. is expanding its use of sponsorship.
The marketer of products ranging from Clorox bleach and Glad bags to Hidden Valley dressings and STP auto products has added two major deals to its portfolio over the past six months and has renewed several others.
The latest new deal is on behalf of KC Masterpiece sauces and Kingsford charcoal: co-presenting status for the 50-plus U.S. stops of Keith Urban’s Escape Together World Tour.
That signing follows Brita water filters’ sponsorship of last month’s Sundance Film Festival. The brand teamed with Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc.’s Nalgene, a maker of plastic bottles, to promote reusable drinking containers as a green alternative to single-serve disposable bottles of water.
Clorox also has reupped Brita’s title sponsorship of the Climate Ride, a five-day cycling ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. that raises funds for two environmental nonprofits.
On the motorsports front, the company has expanded its 11-year-old involvement in NASCAR by trading up its involvement with JTG Daugherty Racing to a Sprint Cup Series team from a Nationwide Series team.
The company will title six races on behalf of its flagship brand and six races on behalf of Kingsford. Glad, Hidden Valley, KC Masterpiece and three other brands will serve as associate sponsors on the car for the full season.
Clorox uses sponsorship to accomplish three primary goals:
•Sample and/or promote products in a relevant environment
•Build relations with consumers by enhancing the on-site experience
•Gain platforms for retail promotions
“As we get more involved in entertainment marketing, we’re trying to be efficient and effective and leverage our partnerships as much as possible,” said Drew McGowan, senior group manager, PR and sponsorships, who helps manage the Sundance Film Festival and Keith Urban deals, as well as Brita’s branded entertainment tie-in with NBC Universal, Inc.’s The Biggest Loser.
“We want to make sure our marketing is fully integrated through media, PR, consumer promotions and interactive marketing. We’re trying to reach consumers in a meaningful way that’s not just shouting,” McGowan said.
Brita’s tie-ins are integrated through their joint promotion of the brand’s FilterForGood.com site, where visitors are asked to take a pledge to reduce bottled water waste and where they can link to more information on Brita’s partnerships.
When vetting potential tie-ins, McGowan looks for properties that want an involved sponsor and are willing to be good partners in return.
“We want to get down and dirty, roll up our sleeves and be partners with the sponsored organization. We’re not interested in just paying money for ID on T-shirts and some signs.”
McGowan cited the organizers of the Brita Climate Ride as a property willing to go the extra mile for its sponsors. Brita signed with last September’s inaugural event so that it could promote hydration and being green; it renewed the deal for ’09 based on the property’s over-delivery in servicing.
For example, Climate Ride went beyond the terms of its contract to publicize Brita’s effort to distribute $10,000 grants to help college campuses become more environmentally responsible. The nonprofit sent an email touting the grant program to its database of 50,000 eco-interested individuals.
“It was a new program, and spreading the word and getting people to fill out an application was a challenge,” McGowan said. ”They provided access to a targeted group of people that we wouldn’t have known how to reach. They helped us build our brand and tell our story, not just slap logos on shirts.”
Success Prompts Expanded Use Of Country Music In ’08, KC Masterpiece and Kingsford took their first steps in sponsoring music with a tie to country star Tim McGraw.
“There is a natural connection between country music and Americana and tradition, which is what our brands are all about,” McGowan said.
At each of the 35 stops, the brands hosted the Backstage Barbecue Experience, where consumers could sample product, get recipes and play games.
Clorox also sold branded barbeque aprons on site, donating profits to the Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation, a nonprofit started by McGraw and wife Faith Hill.
Off site, Clorox leveraged the sponsorship with promotions at Costco Wholesale Corp.; The Home Depot, Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and other retailers. The company provided each account with a toolbox of benefits, including tickets, music downloads, access to VIP pre-shows and other assets.
“We wanted to give them lots of options,” McGowan said. “A promotion in San Francisco may not have the same appeal in Arkansas.”
The company also activated through a tour-themed Web site where consumers could enter a ticket sweeps, check out McGraw’s barbeque recipes and join a forum to discuss tailgating activities.
“There was a lot of excitement among consumers, we heard great feedback from retailers, and tons of people visited our Web site,” McGowan said. “We looked at those metrics and it made sense to do it again.”
Clorox will add two programs for the Urban tour. To enhance the on-site experience, it has hired barbecue expert Chris Lilly to serve as the tour’s official pit master.
In addition, the company will tout the sponsorship through KeithUrban.net. “Keith has a tremendous online community,” McGowan noted. “We’re excited about tapping into that, and hopefully bringing something to his fans.”
Clorox also may activate the partnership by selling die-cast models of its NASCAR car at concert stops, said McGowan, noting both Urban and JTG driver Marcos Ambrose are Australian.
Racing Opens Doors To Trade PromotionsClorox uses its decade-long racing involvement solely as a platform for retail promotions.
“Our brands have strong brand awareness, so our main objective with NASCAR is driving retail activation,” said Debra O’Keeffe, manager of sponsorships and event marketing, who oversees the company’s motorsports program.
The team sponsorship drives incremental in-store display and sales, she said. “We wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t working.”
The company involves multiple brands so that it can spread the cost of the deal over multiple budgets, she added.
In addition to its own brands, Clorox also looks for opportunities to bring in suitable products from other companies. For example, Clorox this year recruited Bush Brothers & Co.’s Bush’s Best beans and McKee Foods Corp.’s Little Debbie snacks as team cosponsors.
Also on the racing front, the Armor All brand has had a tie to Sprint Cup star Tony Stewart over the past two years. Although primarily a personal services contract for appearances and image rights, the brand will title the new team owner’s Stewart-Haas Racing entry in the April 4 Nationwide Series race.
How Sponsorship Works At Clorox Brand budgets fund ties. Brand managers work with McGowan and PR and marketing staff to evaluate and manage deals.
Clorox’s NASCAR team deal is funded and managed through the company’s customer sales organization. The program is overseen by Grant LaMontagne, vice president of sales, with O’Keeffe responsible for day-to-day oversight.
Sources
The Clorox Co., Tel: 510/271-7000