2011 Silver Best online display advertising

Client RSPCA

What is wonderful about this work? We moved from static digital advertising to focus on a single dog scratching at the screen to appeal for help. ROI rose threefold during the campaign period, reaching 1.0 (more than double the industry average). Donors are new to RSPCA, younger and more affluent than traditional supporters.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? This was a real challenge as we had to reach a new younger audience but adhere closely to the communication values and tone that has put the RSPCA at the forefront of animal welfare. Digital offers the RSPCA new growth and new donors. Digital display, integrated with DRTV campaigns, motivates donors who have seen TV, but will not respond, as well as reaching unique audiences. The campaign was hard hitting without being too contentious, using both contextual and targeted websites with creative that was impactful without detracting from the call to action. Animals are the motivator for all RSPCA donors.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The messaging has at its heart the insight that motivates all animal lovers: the need they see in fellow creatures. The creative uses all the benefits of the medium: the audio-visual power of TV, along with the individual relationship a PC user has with their screen. ‘Scratchy dog’ wasn’t a long narrative; it instantly caught the attention and brought the need to the screen. By being confrontational and grabbing attention it helped ensure a captive audience. Our media strategy had three elements: Initial relevant “moments of consideration”, e.g. targeting those who’d just bought pet supplies on eBay, at the point of payment when we knew they had their credit cards out. We then ‘stalked’ those who responded but did not convert, dropping out of the donation process. Finally, we used sequential targeting for frequency, with a series of ads and not the same creative repeated. We optimised placements as the campaigns progressed, based upon granular performance reports on each site.

Results The banners delivered over 81 million impressions, achieving our objective to activate potential donors who saw the DRTV but didn’t respond. We saw higher click-through, higher click-to-donation rates and larger gifts. ROI jumped from a fairly respectable level to 1.02, more than double the standard the RSPCA sees across all media in year one. We also

identified the most effective networks to use, the best creative within the campaign theme, and optimisation of the re-targeting process.

Team Ian Prager, Bodhi Morrison, Alex Prout, Catherine Cottrell, Virginie Kan, James Self.