JUUL, the leading e-cigarette brand in the United States, went to Limelight Platform with a problem: a lack of first-party data. To solve the issue, JUUL wanted a software partner to help them implement a discreet and secure, in-field experiential-marketing system that could scale across the U.S., UK and Canada. The goal was to compile the world’s largest opted-in database of smokers aged 21 and older—ambitious to say the least.
So, with Limelight’s integrated software solution powering the campaign, that’s exactly what JUUL began doing, starting in the U.S. The idea was a two-part retail play that used on-demand digital and direct-mail couponing to entice people to offer up a little information about themselves.
Sure, they could purchase second- and third-party data, but JUUL was making a long-term play—spend more money up front on a bespoke martech system that could gather, analyze and report on quality data in actionable ways, knowing the info would be much more accurate and lead to higher conversion rates.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Although vaping is less harmful than conventional cigarettes, the long-term effects are still largely unknown. E-cigarettes are addictive and can be a gateway to other tobacco products.
As with any potentially harmful activity, knowledge is power. Get the facts here.
E-cigarettes is not the easiest business to market. It is, after all, a nicotine-delivery system, and nicotine marketing is highly regulated. That meant the entire program had to begin with a qualifying journey.
The first activation was in the Traveler's Post Smoking Lounge at the Nashville International Airport—a captured audience, so to speak. JUUL branding abounded, and as people entered, they were greeted and had their ages checked via ID scan on a tablet as per normal regulations.
Upon gaining access, Limelight’s software kicked in by prompting people to answer questions around their smoking and vaping habits. In exchange, they were offered a $15 coupon that could be printed on demand and used to purchase e-cigarette products in the lounge.
The second aspect of the campaign was much more a boots-on-the-ground operation. Brand ambassadors were deployed to thousands of stores in multiple states. While there was no JUUL branding involved, the BAs approached people who purchased cigarettes and asked if they would be interested to learn about a better alternative and receive an on-demand incentive, again redeemable at the point of sale. If the answer was yes, the BAs would take the consumer through Limelight’s age-verification technology and then a blind survey.
No matter which activation, every coupon came with a unique, serialized code—a key security feature to counteract fraud—that could then be tracked back to the specific consumer when an account was opened on JUUL’s e-commerce site. Meaning whether adult consumers took advantage of the deal immediately or later, everything could be traced to the activations via Limelight’s software.
Nashville International Airport smoking lounge
Brand ambassadors in thousands of stores in multiple U.S. states
While pandemic lockdowns threw a monkey wrench into the campaign, JUUL is back to building a robust database, with the in-store/person activation proving more successful—not surprising considering the fast-paced nature of any airport lounge.
What’s the next level for JUUL or any brand running a similar campaign? That’d be Meshh, Limelight’s spatial analysis platform. Imagine the top-of-the-funnel data that could be had.
In the Nashville airport lounge, for instance, JUUL could know how many people stopped to browse its products and/or signage—whether they completed the survey or not—and which proved the most engaging. In-store/person, JUUL would know how many people entered the store and the percentage of them who engaged with the BAs—which would also relay the percentage of patrons who purchased tobacco products. Combine that information with the unique coupon activations, and a much more robust set of data appears.
If you’re planning a live-marketing campaign with multiple activations, you need as much data as possible to prove ROI and get actionable insights. And a single, CRM-integrated, full-funnel partner is your best bet. Contact Limelight Platform today to discuss scalable solutions with one of our experiential marketing experts.
