The Brief

The task was to find a creative way to get past secretaries; they are hired to screen their C-level employers' mail for them. So getting this audience to learn why Tata Communications was important to their business needs was difficult. We also had to take into consideration how time-poor these business leaders are. The target audience was drawn from a mix of new prospects and an audience with which TATA had previously engaged.

Creative Execution

CEOs are inundated with mail and gifts from lots of brands on a daily basis. By changing the way the category problem was addressed, we ensured that it would get noticed amongst the clutter. The originality of the idea ensured that TATA was singled out amongst the other competitors and offered the potential for more word-of-mouth. Having a follow-up piece that completes the puzzle also gave TATA an opportunity to be seen as a true solver of a category problem.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Instead of offering a traditional direct piece which might get thrown away, we decided to offer an irresistible idea which couldn't be ignored - a cake. At teaser stage, we sent out a cake with a slice taken out. The missing area had a message stating what TATA wanted the audience to consider - never settle for less. Once the cake was consumed, a second call-to-action message was revealed. This was followed up by another package sent out after the first one. It contained yet another surprise - the missing piece of the cake.

Results

Two weeks after campaign implementation, we received a positive response. There was a 45% DM open rate by CEOs, an unprecedented improvement on industry statistics. Of these, 20% passed on the information to their CIOs to investigate further into TATA products – from one decision maker to another key decision maker. Even though the remaining 55% were not seen by the CEOs, TATA’s branding and information were successfully passed on (and enjoyed thoroughly) by 100% of the companies!