TNH Begins Work with Hudson Grove & Co.

-Katie Stirn, project director

This semester TNH is launching a social media campaign for Hudson Grove & Co., a high-end jeweler based in NYC that provides engagement and wedding jewelry for the LGBT community. After receiving the client briefing, I was already excited to start working on such a unique product. Working on a product marketing to the LGBT community provided valuable lessons in uncovering the behaviors and characteristics of an unknown target demographic.

My team kicked off the semester with extensive research into both the LGBT community and the jewelry industry. We discovered that by engaging the online community, Hudson Grove & Co. could potentially become the industry leader, as there are not many jewelers out there that cater specifically to this market. What was even more promising for Hudson Grove was the finding that the LGBT community utilizes social media and engages in the online world at a significantly higher level than the heterosexual community. Specifically, they reported frequently interacting with websites that both cater to their community and take an activist stance, promoting gay marriage and LGBT equality.

This finding was key to our social media strategy for Hudson Grove. At the core of the campaign will be a blog where Hudson Grove will ignite conversation about the fight for LGBT marriage rights and social equality. By posting news articles and issues within the community, Hudson Grove’s blog will serve as a platform for the community to talk about the movement. Furthermore, as conversation spreads online, Hudson Grove will be forging relationships with potential clients who will turn to the brand when in need of wedding jewelry. To supplement the blog, TNH will also be setting up the brand’s Facebook and Twitter pages to further direct consumers to the blog and increase their presence online.

photo taken from wordpress.com

Keep your eyes out for the blog and social media sites soon!

Only ONE condom

-Leah Drewnowski, project director

What type of condoms do you use? Personal question I know, but when you think about condoms what are the first three brands that come to your mind? Let me guess …

Trojan, Durex and Lifestyles

That’s what everyone says. Not anymore. ONE condoms is taking on the big boys and they are starting this journey with the help of TNH. If you haven’t heard of ONE, take a look. ONE condoms are unique. They come in circular wrappers with over 250 witty designs and are packaged in tin cases. What’s your favorite saying?

Last semester our team conducted research in order to position ONE in the market and develop a strategy to most efficiently build brand awareness and loyalty. We analyzed MRI data, did netnography studies and conducted several focus groups. The findings helped us develop two campaigns, based on the common theme of empowering women. We decided that the competition effectively targets men, so why not take advantage of targeting women? Plus, when it comes to sex, women are most likely going to make or break the decision. That’s right boys, like it or not, she has the final say. So, in order to build awareness for this relatively new brand, we decided to reach out to women and reassure them that they have the power when it comes to sex, and that ONE will provide them with the extra confidence needed when making condom-related decisions. Also, while creating a relationship with females ONE indirectly targets men – if she wants ONE I’m sure you guys will have no problem using ONE. Great strategy.

This semester our team moved on to two other projects. The first project was a website makeover – ONE was in need of major renovating. After in-depth research on both ONE and the competitions’ websites, we developed an inclusive report, explaining ONE’s weaknesses and opportunities, while our creatives went to work building website templates.  The second project, which is currently under way, is a social media strategy. We’ve already conducted the research, now we are working on the strategy. Overall, this semester has been extremely hands on and our team has produced great work full of great ideas!

So next time you are in Target, pick up a package of ONE condoms – Even if you do not plan on using them, the innovative sayings will be sure to make you laugh. And, if you think you’re creative enough to design a better wrapper, submit your idea to the Design ONE contest. 

The meaning of logistics

A few brands have been going retro with their campaigns. I'm talking song or a jingle retro. Nationwide Insurance is by my side. Like a good neighbour, State Farm is here. The scene is getting pretty crowded if you ask me! UPS stands out thanks to its excellent cinematography and the great insight that went into the ad - no one knows or cares about whatever the hell "logistics" means. With this commercial, UPS defines it for you in an emotional way, and hence now owns that word in your dictionary. Pretty brilliant! Unfortunately they don't seem to be maximizing the potential of this strategic idea. I see so much more that can be done to turn this into a social campaign and build more hype around the services! Here are a few keywords to work off of: simplifying life, cross-border relationships, support for small businesses, stories, stories, stories...

-Yang Yang, Director of Strategy

The NewHouse and the Memorabilia Industry Leader

-Adam Rubin, Project Director

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably heard of Steiner Sports Memorabilia – they’re the industry leader in memorabilia.  You can’t watch a Yankees game on TV without hearing their name, and you’ve probably noticed Steiner signs at the Carrier Dome.  So when I found out that the man who started it all, Brandon Steiner, is a Syracuse alum and wanted our agency to do some work for them, I was ecstatic at the opportunity.

Last semester, our team created a full social media campaign for Steiner Sports’ holiday sales.  You can get a little snippet here.  We wanted Steiner Sports to help women “Beat the Game Face.”  The overall premise of the campaign was that every year, guys are forced to put on a fake game face when they receive a boring present.  But if you get your man a Steiner gift, they won’t have to fake anything – and you’ll “Beat the Game Face.”

This semester, we’re continuing to work for Steiner Sports, but with the holiday season over, we’re starting some new projects.  Look out for this in the coming months, but we will be running some sort of “pimp-my-room” competition for the Syracuse fan that bleeds orange the hardest.  Additionally, we will continue to help Steiner Sports from a social media/tech aspect – building the brand’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. will be key.

But if you need any ‘Cuse gear and can’t wait until we run our contest, head on over to the Steiner Sports website and start shopping.  After all, lax season just started up, so I recommend checking out the lacrosse collection.

And keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming projects…