67 / 116
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Jay Deutsch
BDA
Heads Up
Beer promotion scores big with help from
bobbleheads, courtesy of BDA, Inc.
Beer supplier Constellation Brands wanted
a way to increase in-store visibility and boost
sales for the Corona beer brand, so it turned
to longtime promotional partner Bensussen,
Deutsch & Associates, Inc. for a head-turning
idea. Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder
of BDA, Inc., shares how the Woodinville,
Washington-based distributor applied its
expertise in bobblehead promotions to turn
heads in the marketplace.
PPB
When Constellation approached BDA,
what were their goals for the program?
Constellation has been a client of BDA for
years, so when they decided they wanted to
increase Corona beer sales during football
season, they turned to BDA to create a
promotion to gain floor space in stores and
ultimately increase beer sales. The only
limitation was the fact that the promotion had
to be within a budget of $200 per bobblehead.
PPB
How did you come to select Jon Gruden
and bobbleheads as the focal point of your
product development? What was the process
like for obtaining permission to use his likeness,
and where were the bobbleheads produced?
Deutsch
[Former pro football coach and
current ESPN analyst] Jon Gruden is the
current spokesperson for Corona, so it
seemed only fitting to use him for this
promotion. Once we decided we wanted
to involve his likeness, we worked with the
Corona brand team to get his approvals.
BDA is the largest producer of
bobbleheads and we were on track to produce
3.8 million bobbles last year. However,
this is the first time we created a four-foot
bobblehead for in-store promotion which
makes it so exciting for consumers.
The bobbleheads were distributed to nearly
4,500 stores nationwide. Now, here’s the really
cool thing our team did. It typically costs up to
$350 to ship one of the Gruden bobbles across
the country. But by managing the distribution
ourselves, our team sent product to seven
different distribution points, bringing shipping
costs down to $55 per unit.
PPB
How long did the development of
the promotion take, from initial meeting
to delivery of product? How long did the
promotion run in stores?
Deutsch
The initial proof of the concept was
created in May 2015 and then we showed a
sample of the physical product at the national
Gold Network Summit (GNS) in March 2016.
And, as they say, the crowd went wild. As soon
as Constellation gave the green light on the
promotion we went into production from March
to June and the first deliveries were made in
July and early August. BDA has offices in China
that allow us to work directly with a factory for
some custom projects. The promotion ran in
stores for 30 to 60 days. The biggest lesson we
learned from this project is that we must plan
ahead. Even with a six-month lead time, we
maxed out production on nearly 4,500 four-foot
units and 15,000 seven-inch units.
PPB
Beer seems to sell itself pretty
well during football season, so how
did the bobblehead promotion affect
Constellation’s sales?
Deutsch
Beer is a crowded category,
and the success of this promotion brings
attention to the Corona brand during
football season. This promotion was all
about gaining share of eyes and having
something in a unique place with creative
displays. Constellation was also able to
drive this program throughout distributor
networks to drive share of market. The
never-before-seen, four-foot Gruden
bobblehead also generated a lot of organic
social media buzz. Corona was successful
in driving nearly 4,500 new placements this
season alone.
|
JANUARY 2017
|
69
THINK