As part of Marketing’s feature on whether brands are taking more control of their interconnected campaigns and dispensing with the ‘lead agency’ concept, Dr. Martens’ marketing director, Simon Jobson was asked, is this a better way to make great marcoms or will it create a dangerous vacuum?
The ongoing drive toward achieving an interconnected approach to managing every aspect of a brand is leading a growing number of businesses to shift the control of interconnected marketing (once known as integrated marketing) in-house.
True, there are still those achieving marketing ‘interconnectivity’ by devolving responsibility to a designated ‘lead agency’. And others, which have established hybrid agency/client teams, are making considerable strides.
However, for the likes of Dr Martens, EE and Land Rover, a firm belief that in today’s always-on, digital marketplace the most-powerful brands start and end with just one person, the consumer, means the only way is a tightly controlled, central approach, closely managed from conception through development, implementation and evaluation in-house.
For these companies, the first step to achieving the interconnected results desired was to get the internal structures, systems and processes in order.
Now, a year or two on, fresh challenges are coming from rapidly evolving technologies in the new-media landscape. They must identify how to capitalise on social media’s potential to act as a glue – binding together different elements within an interconnected marketing strategy.
An interconnected approach to marketing is the only way to connect effectively with a varied consumer base like Dr Martens’ in a digital world, says Simon Jobson.
“Our consumers are diverse and come to us by diverse means. But all are united by the fact they
use our boots and shoes to reflect their personal identity, a rebellious spirit and what they want to stand for,” he explains. “We are very conscious of and keen to ensure all we do is rooted in relevance so that our consumers can identify themselves in all our communications. So, everything we do must work across brand communications, PR, retail marketing at point of sale, local proximity and music activation, as well as digital, including social.”
However, it was not always so.
Over the years, Dr Martens’ branding had grown fragmented, with marketing devolved to separate teams with differing strategies in the US, UK and Asia. The result was that the brand had become diluted and its messaging unclear.
Then, in 2011, Jobson appointed ODD London, an agency with which he had worked in two previous roles, to help produce an overall creative identity and image, tone and messaging for the brand that would be easy to control. A critical next step was the decision to switch the emphasis in brand communication from models to real people.
I’d like to think #standforsomething will become Dr Martens’ equivalent of Nike’s ‘Just do it’. In my view, it’s certainly something with more than just a one-to two-year shelf life
Today, Dr Martens’ marketing approach is interconnected and characterised by two key features. First, the centralised creation of all core marketing assets, which are then given to the local teams, by market and region, for grass-roots activation. Second, marketing department culture.
“By this I mean giving everyone clear guidelines from the centre,” says Jobson.”Top-level creative is briefed by me. Specialist creative is briefed with direct involvement from the lead creative agency to ensure clarity and consistency. We also have an internal creative team responsible for high-volume, quick-turnaround creative.”
Jobson adds: “We are very tight on everyone who works with us – both internal people on the marketing team and external agencies – to ensure a clear understanding of our business and values, which enables each to clearly translate what’s right for the Dr Martens brand.”
Jobson oversees a 25- to 30-strong marketing team, comprising a central marketing unit plus teams that are dedicated to the UK, US, France and Asia, as well as in-house creatives.
As well as Dr Martens’ lead creative agency ODD, the company works with agency specialists across a range of disciplines.
“Today’s media landscape is always-on, very networked and highly social, so there is a need for very consistent, clear and focused messaging,” observes Jobson. “One particular challenge we face is that ours is an organisation that encourages an entrepreneurial spirit – especially at retail – so, as marketers, we must tread carefully [so as] not to stifle creativity, while ensuring people who work with us do not go off-brand.”
Social media is of growing importance to the brand’s marketing strategy.
“It cuts across everything we do,” explains Jobson. “Once customers have been acquired through pure brand communications, they are funnelled down to social channels and retail platforms.” He adds: “Our emphasis is to build networked conversations with them and, where possible, use them and the content they create as brand advocates.”
To make the most of social, however, it is vital that brand content is authentic, relevant and, ultimately, simple. “A personal belief is in not over-engineering things,” adds Jobson. “Our recent campaign – #standforsomething (see information below) – is a great example of this, because it’s simple and makes sense.”
Dr Martens’ spring 2014 #standforsomething strategy built on the success of its award-winning #firstandforever campaign, also conceived by ODD.
#firstandforever, featuring English models Agyness Deyn and Ash Stymest, ran across print, outdoor, digital, film and retail. In the TV ad, Deyn narrated her first heartbreak. Social media was then used to invite consumers to share their first moments – from their own first heartbreak to their first gig. The campaign’s reach exceeded 10m.
#standforsomething directly tapped into the shared desire among Dr Martens’ consumer base to stand out from the crowd. Centre stage in this campaign were real-life Dr Martens customers wearing their boots and shoes with passion and pride and sharing their own stories about what they stand for.
“The aim was to bring the brand to life across all paid-for and non-paid-for channels, including music activation,” says Jobson. “I’d like to think #standforsomething will become Dr Martens’ equivalent of Nike’s ‘Just do it’. In my view, it’s certainly something with more than just a one-to two-year shelf life.”
To read the full feature, click here.