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Client list
Simply Nutrilite
Working with Amway's parent company, Alticor, we developed and launched Simply Nutrilite, a line of nutritional bars, drinks, and supplements.
Key questions included how to position the product line to compete in the firmly established, and rapidly growing market for nutritional products for the family? How to win Mom's trust while still appealing to the rest of the family? What should the core aspects of the product line be? Should it be an entirely new brand or should it leverage other Amway brand assets? And how to maximize support among Alticor's vast number of IBOs (Independent Business Operators)?
Our work began with strategic positioning, then moved into naming, product development, brand ID, packaging, contact strategy, website design, print and online advertising, events, and PR.
Strategic insights were gathered and synthesized under the Governing Brand Idea of "Eating better made simple."
This core thought then informed development of the entirety of the product line, including unifying the various dimensions of the resultant brand experience and communications program.
Our model not only allowed us to deliver an entire brand development and launch in record time, but helped us orchestrate one of Alticor's most successful product introductions in recent years.
Tapped to lead an accelerated product and brand development process, we created and launched one of Amway's most successful new brands ever.
Fallon Community Health Plan
In late 2007, FCHP approached Mechanica with what they believed was an advertising problem. The millions they were spending on TV, radio, print, and out of home were having no measurable impact on their member acquisition efforts.
Mechanica took a detailed look at the situation and concluded that less than relevant advertising was only one small part of the problem. FCHP's broad range of highly differentiated benefits hadn't yet been marshaled under a unifying thought with the power to translate its myriad of benefits into audience-spanning relevancy.
Coming out of a series of worksessions, internal interviews, and qualitative and quantitative research, Mechanica arrived at the Governing Brand Idea of "More you".
This defining idea has successfully demonstrated the power to challenge the healthcare marketing status quo through directly engaging prospects in this highly mediated sale.
Our work included DR TV, print, online, PR and working to extend the core idea into every aspect of FCHP's customer and prospect relationships.
Importantly, Mechanica's network-based approach allows us to tap a media-buying partner with the direct response clout, and analytic skills required to significantly increase the efficiency and impact of FCHP's media investments.
The "More You" rallying cry is infusing everything FCHP does, and membership results as well as awareness are trending steadily upwards.
Through building awareness while also generating leads, we've been helping this regional health insurance provider significantly and efficiently grow their business.
Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises, one of the nation's leading real estate developers approached Mechanica with a unique problem: how to redefine the way high-end urban rental properties are developed and marketed?
Employing our network model, we partnered with IDEO, the leading product design firm. Together, we systematically designed every aspect of FCE's brand experiences -- spanning Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Dallas -- around the complex realities of the lives of today's urbanites. The focus was on creating highly lifestyle relevant luxury living experiences tailored to the needs of a number of very specific customer segments.
Our work included an innovative approach to segmenting the urban luxury rental audience (less than 10% of all renters ). Pushing the limits in relation to how interior space is utilized to support modern lifestyles. Rethinking the role of the rental office. Elevating the role a website can play in the decision-making process. More efficient utilization of PR and thought-leader events. Lifestyle specific viral marketing. Innovative way-finding programs. And community-specific site-based social networking programs designed to elevate the personal relevancy of a development's neighborhood.
Our highly successful collaboration with FCE and IDEO has resulted in significantly faster lease-ups, with far fewer concessions than the industry norm. Additionally, our groundbreaking work has garnered all of the significant industry marketing and product development awards.
Together with this innovative developer of high-end urban living spaces we've been redefining the way real estate brands are created and marketed.
Saucony
Our ongoing relationship with this running and apparel brand is focused on growing awareness among dedicated runners, while expanding the brand's presence in the broader fitness community.
Boingo Wireless
We helped this pioneering wireless internet provider transform their technology brand into a leading wifi service for frequent travelers.
Chemistry.com
Challenged by eHarmony's rapid rise, Match.com asked us to drive a brand and product development process resulting in the fastest growing premium online dating service.
Pronto.com
Working closely with InterActive Corp's brand incubation group, we created a brand that fully reflected and expressed the benefits of this breakthrough shopping service.
NBC
Partnered with McKinsey, we focused on understanding how to best deploy NBC's content assets, ultimately contributing to the highly successful launch of Hulu.com.
Gifts.com
Driven by InterActive Corp's desire to win share in the online gifting space, we collaborated with their brand incubation group, creating a brand that has grown to become the category leader.
Departmant of State
New
Recently tapped to develop global climate change strategies and tactics.
Blockbuster
Mechanica was retained by Blockbuster's online business to help with a positioning and website redesign directed at providing their online business model the necessary traction versus Netflix.
Our research and strategy work, encompassing existing business analytics, consumer ethnographies, qualitative, and quantitative research revealed that the problem was in fact more fundamental than the initial online user experirence.
As a result, an opportunity was identified to transform the product experience vis-á-vis the Governing Brand Idea of "Total Access," combining the online and offline product to uniquely appeal to a key segment capable of driving business growth.
Blockbuster had a long-standing relationship with its ad agency, Donor. Mechanica's network-based business model allowed us to add value on day one, collaborating closely with Donor, while contributing our unique brand of solution-agnostic thinking in a way that contributed to the overall Blockbuster Online solution.
Ultimately executed by Donor, the Total Access product and program grew subs by +2MM in the first six months, resulting in +$100MM in profitability of Blockbuster's online business by end of year.
With Blockbuster's online offering significantly under-delivering on expectations, we identified an industry leading product and brand strategy that dramatically impacted the business.
Nutrisystem
Ongoing project helping this weight management leader reposition itself to maximize appeal.
Animal Rescue League
A total brand redesign for this important New England non-profit organization resulted in a greater understanding of the organizationâÂÂs mission, yielding an uptake in fundraising commitments.
Trulia
New
Newly awarded an initial strategic development project for this leader in online real estate.
Healthy Child Healthy World
New
Newly awarded a brand communication project to help this non-profit's message break through into the national dialogue.
RCN
Mechanica was brought in by the executive team at pioneering cable/phone/internet provider RCN to drive a comprehensive re-positioning and re-branding effort, beginning with the task of uncovering a differentiated reason for being in the face of rapid commoditization and larger, better-funded competition.
Throughout our four-year relationship with RCN, Mechanica played an important role in identifying key business issues and opportunities related to RCN's new positioning, while working with numerous internal and external partners to craft and execute a wide range of communications efforts. Including overarching Brand ID, segmentation-driven DM, on-air promotions, product naming, and event and presence strategies.
Mechanica's network based approach to execution was especially relevant for this client because as they grew and expanded, the nature of their needs changed significantly.
In the early days of the relationship we worked with low-cost internal creative teams to execute the strategy. As their needs outgrew internal resources, we brought in and tightly managed carefully selected direct response partners, each chosen for their particular areas of expertise. For example, segmentation driven programs were highly important initially. Then the needs evolved to expertise in delivering efficiency at scale.
Our contributions contributed to a dramatic decline in CPA for RCN through providing a highly relevant point of differentiation, coupled with a segmentation driven direct marketing program.
Coming out of chapter 11, we helped to identify a freshly relevant strategy and new brand identity for this upstart cable/internet/telephone provider.
Travelzoo
As this online travel deals leader worked to expand its service offering, we identified a strategy able to fuel their next round of product and business development.
Virgin HealthMiles
Created marketing programs designed to help this cross platform, employer-focused health incentive brand broaden their acceptance.
Brahmin Leatherworks
In 2005 we began working with high-end handbag manufacturer Brahmin Leather Works. A family run business in the process of judiciously bringing in some outside leadership, they had achieved strong recognition amongst a core following through their signature Croc leather and good product quality.
With extremely aggressive growth goals and a desire to take their business to the next level, Brahmin needed to move from the limitations of being defined as a manufacturer employing a single material, to the broader possibilities afforded a more relevant fashion brand.
Mechanica led a strategic process that included research with customers and buyers in numerous key cities, thought leader interviews, and analysis of box-loads of customer comment cards. The resultant learnings were applied to crafting a position for Brahmin built on the company's strengths but transcendent at the same time.
The key finding for the Brahmin woman was that she wasn't someone who was defined by her choice of handbag. Instead, she wanted a bag that reflected her values: high quality, classic, and utilizing fine materials. In a marketplace flooded by of the moment, trend-driven fashion statements, the bag of the moment wasn't relevant to her.
The resultant positioning reflected what many found appealing in Brahmin's style at the time. But rather than being defined as the "Croc leather" company, Brahmin now had a much lager and more relevant space to occupy in the minds of retailers and customers.
Mecanica then assembled a team of creative and media buying network partners with relevant fashion experience to efficiently execute this brand idea across a wide range of contact opportunities. Including advertising, retail experience, PR, product design, as well as a new e-commerce site. This new positioning and its execution contributed to more than doubling sales in less than a year.
Assisted this small, high-end handbag manufacturer in uncovering a positioning that we then executed across a wide range of contact opportunities to more than double sales.
Tribe Hummus
New
Developing strategies and programs to gain share in the rapidly growing hummus category.
Ticketmaster
We've been working with Ticketmaster over the past several years. Specifically our work has focused on strategic, product, and brand development initiatives designed to help them thrive in a rapidly changing live entertainment competitive and consumer context.
There are several key questions much of our work has been focused on. How to maximize Ticketmaster's brand value to audiences, venues, and performers? What role should Ticketmaster and its collection of brand, content, and technology assets play in the fast-changing music-discovery process? How does Ticketmaster create a successful user experience that includes the rapidly growing ticketing resale marketplace? And what are some of the emotional brand values that Ticketmaster can begin to associate itself with?
Most recently, we've just completed tapping a relevant set of network partners to create Ticketmaster's first ever integrated marketing campaign, including TV, print, outdoor, and online advertising elements driven by the strategy that "Ticketmaster offers more ways to get into the game."
We've been helping this market leader identify strategies and tactics for strengthening Ticketmaster's consumer connection. Including a first-ever major TV-based marketing program.
Next Street
Helped this innovative start-up bring leading-edge financial thinking to inner-city businesses through crafting a compelling brand, spanning every aspect of the customer experience.
Communispace
Communispace is a next-generation customer insight platform. By building online communities of target prospects and customers, customers like Kraft, Best Buy, and dozens of others engage daily with their audiences, unearthing insights, testing new products and messages, and better understanding their motivations. Mechanica was instrumental in recently helping Communispace launch their blog, Verbatim. Other projects include an SMS marketing program, trade show materials, and a direct mail campaign. Finally, we are now beginning a comprehensive web site redesign slated to launch this summer.
We're helping this next-generation customer insight platform develop their B2B marketing.
mtvU
As one of several Viacom projects, we developed the brand and product strategy to expand this campus-based TV property into Campus Daily Guides.
Time Inc. / Maghound
Launching Maghound, their innovative new personalized subscription service.
ChaCha
We worked closely with this Jeff Bezos-backed start-up team, providing the strategy, branding and marketing services required to help them become the fastest growing mobile search service.
Kronos
Kronos has historically been the leader in workforce management hardware and software. They provide the technology tools that allow organizations large and small to productively keep track of, and thereby manage their workforce more efficiently.
The problem we were brought in to help solve is that while Kronos virtually invented the workforce management category years ago, the rapid rise of ERP software providers such as Oracle and SAP threaten to encroach upon Kronos' traditional turf.
Mechanica's strategic and creative assignment started off with a partnership with Bain Consulting, using research to fashion an effective brand positioning strategy. Through qualitative and quantitative research with business decision makers and influencers, combined with a thorough round of internal interviews and work-sessions we arrived at a winning brand position.
One of the key insights revolved around the research-based observation that managing the modern day workforce includes a number of significant challenges. These include using technology to maximize productivity in a culturally appropriate way, with cost-effective solutions that are easy to own and invite acceptance by the entirety of the organization.
The problem is that decision-makers associate tackling this problem with two less than ideal solutions. Either through very expensive and very complex ERP based solutions, or through a fully outsourced ADP solution that requires surrendering control, and escalating costs as their needs grow and change.
Harnessing a carefully selected creative network of experienced business-to-business writers and art-directors we arrived at the Governing Brand Idea of "Workforce management doesn't have to be so hard".
This Governing Brand Idea was then translated across the entirety of the brand experience, including print and online advertising, as well as impacting product and organizational design.
We created a winning brand position and new marketing program we're rolling out right now for this leading provider of workforce management software.
Restoration Hardware
Initiated this high-end home goods retailer's first-ever viral marketing program, resulting in a highly successful event that generated excitement around the brand's re-launch.
Timberland
Responsible for generating the creative ideas - from positioning to in-store design - required to ensure a successful launch of their extensive water performance footwear line.
Chaps/Ralph Lauren
With Kohl's rollout on the horizon, Mechanica began working with Warnaco and Ralph Lauren to craft a brand vision designed to lead both sales and product development teams.