Client: BooBooLoon^® Protective Petwear
Start Date: November 2010
Completion Date: On-going

The BooBooLoon Story
Like most great ideas, the BooBooLoon^® brand Protective Petwear inflatable collar was invented to fill a void not satisfied by traditional pet care products. After much frustration with existing protective collars on the market the creator of the BooBooLoon decided to develop her very own inflatable collar that would not only be more functional, but also be more comfortable for the pet using it; the BooBooLoon^® Protective Petwear recovery collar is a modern veterinarian-recommended inflatable collar for your pet that eliminates the problems associated with previous, dated product designs such as Elizabethan cones.

The BooBooLoon^® prototype underwent several rounds of production, testing and real world application before it was brought to market. However, the company struggled to compete with the existing products, despite the stark difference in comparisons to competitors already in the market. This is when BooBooLoon^® came to helium creative, and it was our recommendation to completely rebrand the product.

A Brief Overview – Strategy & Tactics
Our research of current competitors in the market showed that their products were usually very sterile and lacked the fun and humor that built the very foundation of the BooBooLoon^® brand. We felt it was important to keep the product playful and appealing, especially in a market where it is easy to fall into a very rigid, clinical design aesthetic. We took an alternative approach that would help BooBooLoon^® maintain an original brand identity in the pet industry.

Competitors used a predominantly stark white color pallete that lacked life, luster and that personalized edge that makes a product stand out. helium wanted to use a vivid blue that is playful yet would encourage a consumer to trust the product. The color is fresh and adds life to the product without being too predictable.

The most important element added to the BooBooBrand has been humor. Taking a generally not so laugh out loud product and finding ways to engage our audience. This was accomplished by catchy tag lines or promoting completely unrealistic uses for the BooBooLoon^® both in print and through non-traditional mediums such as social media, these additions have aided in enhancing the overall product.

The rebranding endeavor included:

• A complete website re-design
• print collateral
• targeted direct mail
• targeted e-blasts
• search engine optimization (SEO)
• new product packaging
• Social media focus

Tangible Results
Once the brand was solidified and all key components were in order we were ready to run a campaign that targeted BooBooLoon's^® market. After extensive research we acquired a list of 10,000 – 15,000 veterinarians nationwide. We sent out one direct mail piece and three e-blasts to our target market with great response.

• A direct mail piece to 10,000 vets received a
  response rate of 7.6 %
• 3 Eblasts were sent out to 15,000 vets with a
  response rate of 5.6 %
• Our total response rate for the
  entire campaign was 6.4%

Social Media is a new resource available to helium creative clients and has proven to be very successful for BooBooLoon^®.

• Social Media reach of more than 1,000 dedicated followers across several social outlets
• Daily interaction with fans and followers has increased and continues to grow exponentially
• Interest generated in the product online with bloggers and industry partners such as Dogster and Modern Dog Magazine

Client: Burger King – Supplier Diversity Program
Contract Amount: $173,000

The Difference
Our success with a wide variety of clientele centers on the fact that we recognize each company has its own identity and specific needs. We understand there are set budgets, therefore, we strive to stretch the impact of client dollars through strategic advertisement placement. We assisted Burger King with their ongoing “Real People, Real Success” Supplier Diversity Program campaign.

A Brief Overview - Strategy & Tactics
With initial input from the client, we defined the situation, target market, media recommendations and budget. We worked hand-in-hand with the project manager, public relations firm and creative agency to make sure the media strategy coincided with launch dates and campaign goals.

The ultimate objective was to highlight Burger King’s Supplier Diversity Program’s success stories, as well as encourage relationships with new suppliers.

Local, National and International Focus
For the selection of recommended media, we focused on diversity publications, coupled with the most widely circulated publications for African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Women. Publications researched had local (South Florida/Florida), national, and international distribution. Other publications were also considered yet excluded due to high costs, not being audited, insufficient information or inadequate circulation.

The yearlong media campaign consisted of full page, 4-color ads in magazines such as Diversity Business Magazine, Professional Woman’s Magazine, Black Enterprise, Hispanic Enterprise, Asian Business News, and the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce National Directory.

We negotiated off of rate card with each vendor and arranged for added value when available (for example, free ads with a frequency buy, BK’s logo on vendor websites with hyperlink, editorial in Supplier Diversity issues/features, booth space at conferences and events, such as the 2008 NBA Players Association Summer meeting).

In addition to a print campaign, we also informed the client of relevant dinners, conferences, symposiums, etc. wherein BK could become a sponsor and/or receive coverage in programs distributed at events. Our media team assisted with BK having a presence in over 20 organization events.

Some examples include:

• CAUSE (Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment) 17th annual conference in Los Angeles, CA
• 100 Black Men of America’s 22nd annual conference in Orlando, FL
• LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) 79th annual national
  convention in Washington, DC
• USHCC (United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) Business Expo in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Citizenship and Education Convention in Chicago, IL

Results
The approaches and tactics discussed herein met Burger King’s objective of supporting their diversity efforts by highlighting some of their success stories (franchisees and suppliers) in compatible media and venues.

Client: The Cabot Homes Group
Start Date: September 2008
Completion Date: On-going

Brief Overview - Strategy & Tactics
Cabot Edewaard’s family has a deeply-rooted history in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Five generations of the Cabot family have played a significant role in the development of the region. Conveniently located in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, The Cabot Homes Group is a full-service boutique real estate agency dedicated to providing clients with exceptional customer service.

At the onset of the downward shift in the real estate market in September 2008, Cabot Edewaard approached helium creative to initiate a rebranding effort to include logo and signage creation, website development and search engine optimization (SEO). The relationship was established in September 2008. The campaign launched just two short months later.

In terms of the visual components, we felt it was important to embellish the long-standing history of the company’s namesake within the Ft. Lauderdale area. Given current market conditions at the time, adding the legacy aspect to the campaign’s look and feel, promoted consumer confidence by associating the company’s products and services with a name that would immediately conjure feelings of trust and comfort.

Tangible Results
The Cabot Homes Group has confirmed that revenues during the first eight months of 2009 have doubled those earned for the entire year in 2008. Furthermore, the search engine optimization initiatives are generating more qualified leads than ever before. Prior to the launch of this campaign, the sales team would receive about one lead per month via the website.