Bayer Consumer Care launches virtual march against breast cancer initiative

NEW YORK It’s simply not good enough to stock a company’s “better mousetrap” on a store shelf, especially in a commodity category like multivitamins, and expect that product to move off the shelf with any degree of regularity. There is a need to develop an emotional relationship with the consumer — a relationship that creates a more loyal shopper with a greater investment in the brand.

And Bayer takes that relationship-a-la-cause-marketing one step further with the creation of an interactive web site that gets consumers involved on a personal level. If you go to www.oneaday.com and click on the “One A Day Take a Stand” link in the lower right corner, there is a parade of avatars featuring an animated body and a consumer-supplied face picture and personal message on the virtual march.

And in registering for the march, Bayer captures the demographics of customers (names/location/age) and email address with an opt-in option to receive future Bayer One A Day offerings. It’s a win-win-win-win — supports a cause; trades on that consumer-brand relationship; brings that consumer to a branded web page where a company’s complete offering can be communicated; and captures some marketing intelligence around that brand.

Consumers who visit the virtual march site are rewarded with a $1-off coupon. The site also ties into social marketing — when creating the personalized avatar, consumers can access their pictures using their Facebook account.