Overview

Baileys Boutique / Unexpected Blends

Challenge

“To contribute to and enhance the lives of the millions of spirited women in baileys online community.”

The Baileys product was big news. It had a huge sales footprint, was the number one cream liqueur in the world, and in the top ten premium spirits globally. But sales were down – the marketplace needed revitalising.

Its heritage was built on challenging convention, in doing something different. It championed women... But it had taken a back seat in recent years to occasion-based campaigns – it has been out of date and has lacked modern relevance beyond festive drinking.

Delivering this information was challenging, but all research and data supported it. We took great care in presenting this message to ensure it was received positively rather than negatively. Our insights work told us that Baileys was in a strong position to reinvent the market.

Approach

Build on Baileys’ audience research to understand who is the consumer in the digital space, and how her digital media consumption differs from market to market

Develop a strategic approach which finds a natural meeting place for the brand and its consumers, and puts that opportunity at the heart of a social presence

Create content and activity which aligns with the audience’s needs and behaviours so that engagement is natural and intuitive

Use digital to enhance the brand’s positioning, blending premium style with genuine warmth and a sense of real community

By implementing a data-driven research approach that maximized budget efficiency, we conducted comprehensive market research in the USA, GB, Nigeria, Kenya, China, Mexico, Poland, Russia, and Germany. After completing this global research, the resulting data revealed that our approach needed to reflect a wide spectrum of sophistication; one size could not fit all. Key considerations included varying levels of device penetration in different markets. This was to be key when implementing a global digital campaign

Mobile first - based upon the research telling us it’s not about THE technology, but the behaviours it enables. In the US, 66% have performed a search on their smartphone after seeing an offline add – making smartphones critical to conversion.

User profiles and stories were developed to exemplify Baileys women. Through research of global cultural differences and user preferences, profiles and user stories were compiled, reflecting the global market, varying social statuses, and identifying goals and objectives. These goals and objectives were then translated into motivations.

Considering the community, we identified key motivations affecting them. The analysis revealed a clear bias towards intrinsic motivations. Additionally, internet literacy, online usage, and brand awareness were taken into account for the proposition. Personas for each market were built and tested, and journey maps were created, allowing each idea to be evaluated for penetration, reach, and effectiveness before build and delivery. This level of evaluation was essential to maximize a budget stretched across global territories. Rigorous evaluation and delivery were vital, along with the client’s confidence and trust in allowing us to dictate not only the message but also the target markets for delivery.

As part of our creative approach, we led design efforts to ensure content was culturally relevant and socially acceptable in each market. This involved designing in multiple languages and considering local nuances. As a player/coach, I guided a team of designers to create a cohesive, flexible visual strategy that resonated across diverse regions.

We tailored our designs for various digital platforms, ensuring optimal user experience across devices, social media, and web. For mobile devices, we prioritied responsive design and touch-friendly interfaces. Social media content was platform-specific, engaging users on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other channels with visually compelling elements. For web platforms, we created an intuitive navigation experience, incorporating localised content and language support. This ensured consistency in brand messaging while meeting the specific needs of our diverse audience.

Once we controlled the conversation and understood the technical and regional constraints, we aimed to build ownership of a creative territory between Baileys and the identified "Spirited Women." Our strategy: LIVE A LIFE OF “Unexpected BLENDS.” We believed that mixing amazing things creates surprising and unique results, embodying the spirit of “unexpected blends.”

Delivery was a major part of the project. We ensured a global-to-local delivery system by designing a guidance, not governance, model. This operational approach allowed flexibility in managing content and creative across different markets, streamlined contact points for the global Baileys team, and created a seamlessly managed community of agencies by the global Edeleman team.

Outcome

We built a global platform called Unexpected Blends, designed for an engaged and enthusiastic community of spirited women to contribute and share rich, multifaceted content that inspires women to shine.

Management outcomes included establishing global guidance for visual and strategic direction, centralising program creation, reporting, processes, and monitoring & evaluation. Additionally, we developed and cascaded branded visual toolkits and developed a design system to streamline operations, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all teams.

Throughout the execution of the campaign, we meticulously planned and executed project phases, designed and built components, developed and translated content, and ensured quality through rigorous testing. We tracked progress, managed risks and changes, facilitated a smooth user acceptance testing process, and established clear escalation channels for efficient conflict resolution.

We created a centralised platform to unite spirited women, driven by user input and personalised to each individual. Users curated content through likes, comments, and engagement, making it an honest reflection of their conversations and interests.

Users provided rich and premium content that drove engagement - over 1 million pieces of individual content created by users globally across campaign life-cycle

Established exclusive brand and ambassador partnership programs for each region

17% Increase (aggregated from all markets) in offline sales, duing period of campaign.

Average 13 new connections and 7 messages between spirited women within the Boutique eco-system - driving exponetial growth in online conversation around brand of 156.9%

The insights uncovered through research were pivotal in opening up new opportunities for additional projects and in securing and maintaining Baileys’ long-term engagement with Edelman.

Role

Creative Director / Art Direction / UI / UX / Client management

Team

x11 Digital Experts / split across Design team / Content team and suport services