Go where the customer is - a great example

Meet Barb Doud of Topeka, Kan., champion of the Bunco Regional Tournament in Kansas City, who won $1,000 and a trip to the Bunco World Championship in Las Vegas this March.

P&G co-hosted the first Bunco World Championship, held in Las Vegas. The Oxygen cable-TV network aired an hourlong special on the two-day championship, showing players rolling dice on purple tablecloths identical to the purple of Prilosec's packaging.

According to the WSJ, bunco "likely began in the U.S. during the Gold Rush, when swindlers came to San Francisco with the fast-paced game, then played with dice or cards, to con laborers out of their money. Bunco parlors eventually formed, leading to the use of the word "bunco" as a synonym for financial scams."

But why do P&G and Prilosec care about Barb and her hobby, bunco, today? Why the sudden interest in this sleepy, ordinary game? This super article in today's online WSJ (reg. req'd) explains how P&G is using bunco games to get in front of Prilosec's core segment, called "Joanne." (BTW, the WSJ piece has a super interactive component with videotape of bunco players in action, equal parts fascinating and terrifying).

According to the WSJ, bunco is  "a natural fit for Prilosec OTC, whose ads have long focused on a certain core consumer: the middle-aged woman who loves to socialize. "That's where her passion -- and her heartburn -- lie," says Mauricio Troncoso, Prilosec OTC's marketing director. P&G figures that 70% of frequent-heartburn sufferers are women. And, one-third of women who regularly play bunco suffer from frequent heartburn."

But it's just a game - how on earth can it have any marketing potency? Check the stats: according to the WSJ, about 59 million women in the U.S. have played bunco, with 21 million playing on a regular basis. So there's reach. And, six out of 10 women said they made buying decisions based on recommendations from members of their bunco group - which is where the marketing opportunity starts to sound interesting.

I was particularly interested in how P&G is activating the bunco sponsorship - the insight got my hopes up that they are doing something really unique. But I was a tad underwhelmed. WSJ: "Earlier this month, Prilosec OTC began its "Bunco World Tour" with a tournament in Kansas City, Mo., attended by 135 players. P&G had a pharmacist on hand to answer questions about heartburn and pass out samples of Prilosec OTC. Another P&G brand, Folgers, passed out free coffee, including its indigestion-friendly line, "Simply Smooth." Bartenders started pouring drinks around 11:30 a.m."

So Prilosec is on site with bunco players,  which is super. But, why aren't they actively trying to engage "Joannes" - e.g., seeding messaging with buzz leaders at each table. Why aren't they try to work Prilosec into the game somehow (logos on dice?) Why aren't they helping "Joannes" identify foods to bring to the event that don't cause heartburn (one version of "marketing as a service")? Net net, I love the insight and how they got there, I just think they have a ways to go in fully activating the idea's in-market potential. Thoughts?

Comments

[makethelogobigger]

Coupla thoughts:

I like the idea of additional tactics like recipes that don't promote hearburn, but might stop short of branding all the game elements and such. Feels like it's hitting the consumer over the head too much in that instance if everywhere they turn they see a logo.

I'd much rather do something for them and make them want to return - such as the healthy recipes - than plaster logos and hope they may act simply because of the additional impressions.

Without looking at any of the research, another thought is whether bunco is the only game 50-year old women both play AND suffer heartburn while doing that the brand might leverage. I'm assuming the heartburn stems from the sedentary nature of the game, so then my mind goes to what similar games are there that can be utilized/promoted in the same way.

(A small concern is also the risk the brand took associating itself with a game that's become synonymous with illegal gambling activity, although they obviously didn't let that stop them.)