By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: A new ad campaign designed to help consumers get the most out of their DSLR camera will commence this Sunday night, with Canon using a new series of television commercials to direct users to its new World of EOS website.
Although the campaign is being officially launched on Sunday night, Current.com.au received a sneak peak at what it will involve during a private briefing session yesterday.
Unlike most advertising campaigns, which seek only to encourage consumers to purchase a product or service, Canon is promoting both the purchase and the experience of its cameras, with the local office investing considerable funds – $3 million plus – to assist users, both experienced and new, get the most out of the DSLR camera.
Once users have made the leap into DSLR, Canon invites them to journey into the World of EOS. Since the creation of this world in May 2009, the website has had 4 million page views, delivered 200,000 tutorials and has 20,000 card carrying members.
These tutorials, in particular, are important, as they help users get the most out of their product, which in turn reduces the risk of customer dissatisfaction. Because the purchase of a DSLR is often worth more than $1,000, there is an increased chance of customers feeling unsatisfied if they can’t maximise the product’s capabilities. These tutorials help consumers learn how to use light settings, select the right lens and take better pictures, hopefully resulting in fewer returns and good word of mouth.
The first TVC from this campaign will this Sunday night. In the creative, which was designed by Leo Burnett, real Canon users talk about some of the more tricky and impressive images they have captured using an EOS camera. Viewers are then advised to visit the World of EOS website to learn more about the technology.
Unlike other Japanese companies with offices in Australia, the local Canon team has an enormous amount of creative freedom to formulate and design marketing campaigns to target the local user. This campaign has been designed to promote the brand and to promote consumers interest in the technology. Canon corportate communications manager Andrew Giles said the needs of retailers were central to this strategy.
Canon is also investing significantly in outdoor and point of sale marketing as part of this campaign. In total, Canon will be spending up to $11 million across consumer and trade promotions, making this EOS campaign the richest in its trade spend history.