The solution
Shake things up by creating a fun, engaging, and humorous campaign inspired by the classic horror movie genre that would convey CPQ as the mouse casting the monster's shadow. By shining a light on the CPQ "monster", we would illustrate that fear and apprehension would be unfounded, and conquering CPQ would lead to a sense of pride and achievement.
We would accomplish this in three stages.
Scary as #&%!
STAGE 1 – Leading up to GKO
This stage of the campaign featured headlines and visuals in a style resembling vintage scary movies to create a “this is going to be super scary” feeling. The design was intended to be so “over the top” that the communications would come across as humorous and engaging, while acknowledging the fact that real anxieties over the new tool may exist.
We had to get our sales associates around the globe to become familiar, accepting, and curious about the new tool pre-launch. We knew having sales leadership on board would be very important to the campaign. So, we asked a couple of them to do some acting in our movie, along with King Kong (more on that later).
We created multiple communications carrying the “Scary” theme.
Emails, Yammer posts, and poster clings were used to create awareness that the new CPQ tool is coming, and to drive associates to action by going to the CPQ Microsite to gain insight into benefits, contacts and timelines.
OMG! Run for your lives!
STAGE TWO – During GKO
For the event, we created a vintage horror video – again playing on the “Scary” theme – that utilized actual sales leaders and scenes from classic scary movie flicks, like King Kong. Environmental signage included cardboard cutouts of horror movie characters and posters featuring vintage visuals that also reinforced the “Scary” theme.
Since King Kong was in our movie,
we dressed up a top-level sales associate in a gorilla costume to interact with the audience and the presenter. Using a t-shirt cannon, (yes, a t-shirt cannon), the gorilla launched t-shirts into the audience. At the end he took off his mask to reveal himself as one of the sales leaders in the movie further reinforcing the idea that sales leadership was behind the change 100%.
We created a "Survival pack" that was stuffed with lots of goodies. Giveaways included awesomely designed, colorful screen-print t-shirts, small clings that associates could put on their computers and desks and temporary tattoos.
Welcome to a better way!
STAGE THREE – Post GKO
Entering the final stage of the campaign, which was focused on training and implementation, the headlines and visuals transitioned to resemble vintage 1950s and 60s color ads. They conveyed the feeling that “everything is wonderful” and portrayed the new CPQ as a “life improving” tool.
We created multiple communications carrying the “Better Way” theme including emails, Yammer posts, and posters to create awareness that the new CPQ is here, and again drive associates to action by going to the microsite to gain critical information on training.
