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Product/Service Publicity: Consumer Campaign BREWING NATIONAL AWARENESS FOR DUNKIN DONUTS: Building Buzz as a Local Favorite Becomes a National Brand Submission from: Client:
SITUATION ANALYSIS For nearly 60 years, Dunkin Donuts has been as much a part of the fabric of New England as the Red Sox, autumn foliage and candlepin bowling. But outside the Northeast, the company is often seen merely as a small, regional doughnut shop and not the worlds largest coffee retailer and a rapidly growing force in the quick service restaurant category. People didnt understand what makes Dunkin Donuts so special and different from a Starbucks, Krispy Kreme or even the local convenience store. As a result, Dunkin Donuts was losing the competitive battle on many fronts. As the company launched the most aggressive national expansion in its history a push to triple the number of Dunkin Donuts restaurants and bring the brand to the West, Southwest and Midwest changing perceptions quickly was absolutely vital. Faster than you can eat a Munchkin, Dunkin Donuts needed to make potential customers AND top media covering the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry recognize Dunkin as a powerful national brand that is uniquely positioned to grow and succeed, and to understand how Dunkin, more than any other quick service restaurant, meets the needs of consumers who dont have extra time to spare getting their daily cup of coffee. RF|Binder, Dunkin Donuts national agency of record, was asked to help Dunkin Donuts brew an aggressive campaign to reinvigorate the brand nationally. Our goal was to ignite the coffee and breakfast wars to show customers, media and key industry thought leaders how Dunkin is growing while others are struggling, overtaking Starbucks, McDonalds and every other quick service restaurant as THE place busy people want to go for great products, fast, fresh and at an excellent price. Our campaign was also a crucial part of the companys drive to sign new franchisee agreements in new markets.

RF|Binder Dunkin Donuts

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES Given Dunkin Donuts demands of its PR campaign to generate brand awareness to change perceptions, the primary objective was simple. Dunkin Donuts needed persistent and creative media relations to secure a consistently high volume of story placements in all top print and broadcast outlets. It was imperative that influential media were convinced to take a new look at the old brand, and to include Dunkin Donuts in any discussion about top coffee retailers and growing, successful companies. We outlined our priorities as follows: Position the company as experts on coffee and the number one retailer in the coffee industry. Elevate Dunkin Donuts to the national level as a major competitor in the coffee and quick-service area. Communicate the evolution of the Dunkin Donuts brand from a regional breakfast player focused on donuts to a national brand focused on quality, convenience and service beyond just the breakfast hour. Support overall expansion plans in America by create buzz for Dunkins growth on a national level in addition to key new markets.

PROGRAM PLANNING AND STRATEGY As a first step, RF|Binder performed a communications audit of key reporters and industry influencers to determine both Dunkin Donuts and its competitors positioning tactics during previous marketing and public relations campaigns. We also initiated daily media monitoring to ascertain an ongoing overview and analysis of the brands competition. These research programs presented us with a better understanding of how key audiences perceived Dunkin Donuts, and also shaped our plans for correcting misconceptions and devising fresh stories and information to pitch to media. In developing a program to shine the spotlight on Dunkin Donuts, this research indicated that RF|Binder faced several challenges in positioning Dunkin as a major competitor in the coffee space and demonstrating the companys evolution from regional breakfast player to a national brand.

Catching a rising Star. Starbucks is clearly considered the worlds coffee leader, and is the focus of almost every major coffee-related story. Almost no media considered Dunkin a serious challenger. Without violating Dunkin Donuts policy of not commenting on competitors, RF|Binder needed to find ways to show that Dunkin is poised to actually overtake Starbucks, and that Dunkins differentiators (price, speed, variety) will help Dunkin grow and succeed while other brands struggle. Telling the hole truth. In new markets where Dunkin was aiming to expand, brand awareness was low. The common comparison was to Krispy Kreme, a doughnut brand perceived for a failed growth strategy. Dunkin needed to persistently educate the public about why it was a very different company from Krispy Kreme and why its own expansion was poised to succeed and fill local market needs. Putting the quick back into the quick service restaurant. Media appreciated that Starbucks, McDonalds and other top QSR brands were providing information and perspective quickly and often. Dunkin Donuts needed to match this speed and volume, while finding more creative ways to grab medias attention.

RF|Binders campaign for Dunkin Donuts featured several components to position Dunkin as unlike any other QSR brand:

Pouring it on. RF|Binders goal was to guarantee that NO article about the coffee industry or coffee drinking trends would appear without Dunkin Donuts prominently included, not just Starbucks or other leading coffee retailers. To accomplish this, RF|Binder initiated an incredibly aggressive campaign (a coffee groundswell) to educate media about Dunkin Donuts coffee excellence. Leveraging a mix of proactive and reactive announcements, informational materials, interviews and mailings, we contacted key media on an almost daily basis to remind them that Dunkin is the number one retailer of regular coffee, and an alternative for customers who are tired of long waits and high prices associated with the competition. Its the economy. Dunkin Donuts PR policy is to never reference specific competitors or comment on others activities. Without ever mentioning Starbucks name in any materials or pitch, we helped media to compare the two brands by providing research, conducted by both Dunkin Donuts and thirdparty sources, showing that customers are tired of paying high prices for coffee and are wary of QSR brands that dont provide the flexibility and speed busy working people demand. Media began to cover that Dunkin Donuts brand essence matches best with todays customer and todays economy, highlighting Dunkins recent success and Starbucks recent struggles.

A look behind the counter. RF|Binder worked with Dunkin to grant media a greater degree of access for a look behind the scenes at how Dunkin is trying new and innovative strategies to support growth and meet customer demands. For example, when Dunkin became the first major chain to introduce a zero-grams trans fat donut, reporters were brought to Dunkins kitchens for a step-by-step review of the entire process, from creation to testing to launch. When the company unveiled a new afternoon menu, media were introduced to new Dunkin Donuts technology that made the new items possible. Dunkins two top leaders, Jon Luther and Will Kussell, were made available for interviews on everything from new partnerships to franchisee contracts to market launches. Adding a dash of delish. Celebrity chef Rachael Rays philosophy of creating quality meals quickly and without pretense for people on the go is the same driving force behind the Dunkin Donuts brand. RF|Binder arranged appearances featuring Rachael Ray to keep the Dunkin Donuts brand in the spotlight and help to promote the companys national events. Leveraging Rachael also helped Dunkin establish new relationships and secure its first significant placements with top national consumer media such as People, Star, TV Guide, Entertainment Tonight and Hollywood Extra. Perk media interest via events. RF|Binder created a series of fun, unexpected events specifically geared to entice media coverage. These included The Running of the Cups, a takeoff of the Running of the Bulls to promote iced coffee; The Gingerbread Express to provide free trolley service throughout New York during the holiday season and Toasty Tents to help people escape winter and enjoy Dunkins new oven-toasted menu items.

RESULTS RFBinder assisted Dunkin Donuts in meeting each of its goals. The media consistently cites the company as the hottest coffee chain in America challenging Starbucks. The business world is continuously watching for which markets Dunkin Donuts will expand into next as the chain moves across America. Consumers are also noticing Dunkin Donuts resurgence; they recognize Dunkin Donuts as the place to refuel on affordable, quality products. System-wide sales for the company passed the $1 billion mark as the company expanded successfully. As their marketing campaign asserts, America is running on Dunkin.

In 2007 alone, the campaign earned coverage equaling more than 400 million media impressions. Top national media has covered the revived brand including WSJ, New York Times, USA Today, Time, Reuters, MSNBC, CNBC, Fortune, US World News Report, Business Week and others. Dunkin Donuts set an industry record for number of new franchisee agreements secured in one year, including the biggest store development agreement in company history (150 new stores in Pittsburgh.) An Associated Press feature story on Dunkin Donuts new afternoon menu was picked up by more than 180 newspapers and led to interviews for chief brand officer Will Kussell with Fox Business News, Bloomberg, Conde Nast and Forbes. An Associated Press feature story on Dunkin Donuts new trans-fat free menu was picked up by more than 150 newspapers and led to a Today Show interview for president Robert Rodriguez. Live interviews for brand spokesperson Rachael Ray were secured on Good Morning America and Fox & Friends. Dunkin Donuts local expansion earned front-page feature stories in markets top newspapers, including Dallas Morning News, Arizona Republic, Nashville Business Journal, Dunkin Donuts earned its first significant placements with top national consumer media such as People, Star, TV Guide, Entertainment Tonight and Hollywood Extra. During a Free Iced Coffee Day in New York, NBCs Meredith Vieira was so impressed by Dunkin Donuts efforts that she came out to visit with the sampling team to personally thank them for helping her run on Dunkin. Craig Ferguson also mentioned the event in his CBS Late Show monologue. A February 2008 PR Week column claims "Dunkin' Donuts has been on a roll over the past year. They have been steadily improving their buzz scores over the past eight months, and the longer-term indicators of brand health have risen over that time period as well."

COMMUNICATIONS EXCELLENCE As Dunkin Donuts PR agency of record, we are proud that we achieved a successful media campaign that delivered such an impressive quantity and quality of coverage, and that all key company messages were emphasized so prominently. Dunkin Donuts is a true PR partner, supporting and encouraging the agencys creativity and outside-thebox thinking to shine the spotlight on the brand. Beyond straight media relations, some of our favorite activities we created and implemented, and the ones that ultimately made perhaps the biggest impact, were born from a shared drive to think differently and try new and exciting ways to generate interest and awareness. For example:

The Culinary Dream Team. Stan Frankenthaler, one of the countrys leading chefs and a best-selling author, directs Dunkin Donuts Culinary Development. Dunkins Pastry Chef, Christopher Boos, is captain of the U.S. Team in the prestigious Coupe de Monde competition. Dunkin chef Philip Kafka helped run the food court at Harrods. We urged Dunkin Donuts leaders to allow these culinary artists to step away from their duties in the kitchen to travel the U.S., serving as a brand spokespersons and demonstrating how the company approaches the quick meal experience differently from other brands. Leveraging the Culinary Dream Team (as we dubbed them) was extremely effective in highlighting Dunkins commitment to innovation and meeting customer needs. For example, Stan conducted on-air cooking segments on top TV morning shows across the country to promote Dunkin Donuts autumn menu. These segments were key to generating broader coverage for Dunkins expansion, coffee excellence

The Gingerbread Express. Dunkin Donuts sampled its seasonal Gingerbread Lattes at its Gingerbread Express event at the New York Waterways Terminal in December 2007. Brand ambassador Rachael Ray assisted CEO Jon Luther in unveiling a one-ton coffee donation to United States military personnel serving at home and abroad. The company also offered free shuttle service to top holiday shopping destinations throughout Midtown. The event solidified Dunkin Donuts commitment to serving those who serve others while recommitting consumers to its high-quality latte products, especially important as new competitor McDonalds had just expanded into the espressobased beverage business. The Running of the Cups. Dunkin Donuts partnered with the Leary Firefighters Foundation to promote Dunkin Donuts as a summer iced beverage destination and serve those who serve others: the unsung local heroes across America. The event was held in prime locations across New York City and in subsequent national markets. At the July national kick-off event, Dunkin Donuts and Rachael Ray announced the launch of the Dunkin Brands Community Foundation Serving Heroes program, an ongoing program in which customers across the U. S. can nominate a hero who serves their community, especially in times of crisis. Survey saysInteresting and buzz-worthy surveys have demonstrated that Dunkin Donuts understands the needs and wants of the American public. For example, one recent survey found that moms would rather sleep or have uninterrupted time to themselves than get breakfast in bed on Mothers Day, and a Dunkin Donuts gift card was recommended as a way to help make moms life a little easier when shes on-the-go. Another survey revealed Americas summer secret pleasures (enjoying a summer romance, skinny dipping) to coincide with the launch of Dunkin Donuts Get More Out of Summer contest and iced coffee promotion.

50 WORD SUMMARY New Englanders rely on Dunkin Donuts coffee and baked goods to help them through their day. But outside of the Northeast, Dunkin is too often seen as little more than a small, regional doughnut shop. As Dunkin launched the most aggressive national expansion in its history, RF|Binder was asked to help brew an aggressive campaign to improve brand perceptions and demonstrate why Dunkin matters to hard-working people everywhere.