AN AD CAMPAIGN BY

OLYVIA E. NODSLE
FOR

ILFORD PHOTO HP5 PLUS FILM (35MM FORMAT) MAY 2012

PRODUCT ANALYSIS
THE COMPANY According to a timeline on the clients website, Ilford was founded in 1879 as Britannia Works, going through name changes, it finally became Ilford Limited in 1902. Initially, the company produced photographic plates and soon grew to occupy a large site in the center of Ilford (the city in the UK). In 1989 Ilford was acquired by International Paper company (A USA-based company that also owned Anitec, a company that manufactured graphic arts materials). It is now traded as Ilford Photo although the company is technically called Harman Technology Ltd. According to the clients website, ILFORD PHOTO is Passionate about Black and White and intends to continue this commitment, which is a good thing for film shooters everywhere. Also on the website the company claims to have re-established its primary position in the global photographic market and has led the worldwide resurgence of blackand-white photography. The phrases and words that stand out in the various pages of its website: quality, passion, tradition and quality. The company also says that it has a dedication to education and that it Recognise[s] that education establishments are very important to the future of photography (About us). Ilford only manufactures monochrome film in several formats, papers, processing chemicals for both film and paper, and a small number of specialty accessories. The company makes special mention on its website of a listing of competitor equivalents to help customers match the Ilford product they need to the one that was discontinued by Agfa or Kodak. Considering data released by ICC Information Limited, Harmon Technology Ltds total sales amounted to GBP 22,627,000 (about $36 million) and the companys total profit for the 2010 fiscal year was GBP 7,744,000 (about $13 million) both of which were slightly higher than the same categories in the previous two years. Ilford is known for its high quality products. To many, from casual film-shooters to professional photographers Ilford is synonymous with quality black and white films. Even today when the topic of Ilford comes up on internet discussion boards, the company is praised. One such example from a user on the APUG.org (Analog Photography Users Group) forum: I think that somewhere in Ilford's business plan, it understands that a honest and continued dialog with its customers ensures that it will stay in business for some time they have been straightforward with information that concerns us as consumers of

their product (dphill, 2006). Its that sort of dedication which pulls customers and keeps them for years. THE PRODUCT
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND POSITIONING FEATURES:

According to Ilfords online product catalogue, HP5 PLUS is offered as both 35mm and 120 roll film and as sheet film. It is rated at ISO 400, making it suitable for many lighting situations. This film yields negatives of outstanding sharpness and fine grain under all lighting conditions according to the product catalogue. It responds very well to push processing, getting very usable results when treated as ISO 3200 (this is unique).
BENEFITS:

Shooting film as opposed to digital photos forces the photographer to slow down and consider what they are doing. The product would provide benefits such as allowing the user to stand out from the crowd; allowing them to take authentic black and white photographs. The versatility of the film allows more creativity and allows photography to happen in many situations, even some where digital cameras couldnt compete (such as extremely dark locations). On Maslows hierarchy of needs the features of the product allow it to fulfill needs on the fourth and fifth sections, esteem and self-actualization. The high quality of the negatives leads to better quality photos which could in turn lead to respect from others along with increasing self-confidence. Spontaneity, creativity, and problem solving are all part of the last part of the hierarchy and these things can all be fulfilled by the product. Problem-solving skills are pushed when taking photos, and with film one has to think for the camera and picture how the photos will turn out. Spontaneity could arguably be taken into account. The versatility of the film allows it to be used in a variety of situations even those that one is unprepared for. Creativity is obviously fulfilled since it allows the user to consider the world around them through the medium of photography and it promotes the creation of art as well as encouraging the photographer to capture their artistic vision. The DIY aspect of developing black and white film might appeal to people who like to experiment or who consider themselves non-mainstream. Once one uses traditional photo chemicals for a while, they notice that there are many alternatives (such as caffenol which is essentially coffee and vitamin C) that can be brewed up (literally) in ones own kitchen. This adds to the magic of developing photos and adds an aspect of personality to the process.
DIFFERENTIATION

The products flexibility when it comes to pushing and pulling the film is quite fantastic. It is considered one of (if not the) best in its category for manipulating film speed.
PRICE

The price of a roll of HP5 PLUS tends to fall slightly above the equivalent competitor(s) offerings for example, a single roll of HP5 PLUS from B&H photo sells for $4.75 at the time of writing while a comparable film from Kodak sells for $4.00 and a similar offering from Fuji goes for $4.50. HP5 PLUS falls above its competition but I believe in this case that it works in the products favor. It adds to the perceived value. The fact that it costs just a few cents more gives one the feeling of splurging or of treating yourself when one chooses Ilford over the competition.
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

Because most of its competition went out of business in the early to mid-2000s Ilford is now claiming to be the only manufacturer that provides a full range of film, paper, photochemistry and ancillary products for this sector. Another point to consider is: given Kodaks current instability and questionable commitment to monochrome film photography, very few current users (of any frequency) of Ilford products are going to be switching to Kodak from Ilford. Additionally, Fuji is raising prices on its film.
PRODUCT SALES:

Annually (for the 2010 fiscal year), Harman sold GBP 22,627,000 (or about $36 million). Of that number, I am not exactly sure what proportion is made up of film or even just Ilfords sales. However I would deduce that due to most of the other manufacturers of B&W film going out of business and based on the trouble that Kodaks been having recently, Ilford stands fairly strong in the market, however I cant find many actual figures that might tell where it stands compared to Fuji. However, based on some informal primary research (mainly reading discussion forums for film photographers, such as photo.net and APUG.org) it appears that Ilford stands above Fuji popularity-wise. People are on both sides when it comes to the Kodak vs. Ilford debate. However, I think that Ilfords dedication to the black and white process will yield more customers in the long run than any of its competitors. Not that this may be the best indication of where it falls in the market, but a single 36-exposure roll of HP5 PLUS ranks as the eighth best-seller in Amazon.coms film category. Kodaks Tri-X ranks at number 11. The rest of the products in the top 20 are color film and instant film or bulk packages of HP5 PLUS or Tri-X. THE MARKET

CURRENT CUSTOMERS (WHO, WHERE, WHEN AND WHY):

Current customers (based on Amazon.com user-submitted reviews for the product) seem to be photo students, photo teachers, a small number of professional photographers, and a fairly decent number of amateur photographers. Usually these amateurs tend to be old enough that they have been shooting film since its golden age (any time before the late 1990s) or they went digital in the early 2000s but are migrating back to film in order to reconnect with the process of photography as opposed to the process of sitting at a computer all day. Current customers most likely tend to go one of two ways when it comes to buying film. The serious (or those with more available capital) will tend to buy from local specialty camera shops because they believe that the film has been stored properly and can in fact confirm that fact by seeing the film come from a freezer when they purchase. Many shooters though, tend to do whatever they can to save a few cents per roll and if that means buying online, they are prepared to do so. It would seem that, due to the nature of the film industry (and its questionable future according to some individuals), many photo enthusiasts and pros alike are buying film in large quantities and storing them in their freezers for the (possibly) eventual day that the supply dries up or for the day that their favorite film is discontinued (again). Photographers are all about brand loyalty. There has always been a Mac vs. PC-like debate in the photo world; whether its Canon vs. Nikon, Kodak vs. Fuji or digital vs. film. This brand loyalty is a slight bit different when it comes to film though because unlike buying into a new computer ecosystem or camera system its easy to test a new brand of film. This means that people usually stick to one brand not because its hard to switch to a new one but because they genuinely like their brand the best. Photographers recognize the features and benefits listed above and generally cite those as reasons for shooting HP5 PLUS (APUG.orgs B&W section of the forum has many posts about what the best film is for any number of purposes and the above benefits are brought up constantly).

TARGET MARKET
Based on my research, it seems that the best market to target is going to be the young adults categorized by Nielson as Generation C (those born between 1977 and 1994); specifically the hipster/indie sub-culture. These people tend to be college educated, many of them come from middle-or-upper-middle class backgrounds and they are equally likely to be of either male or female. Additionally, they usually are found in large concentrations in urban locations more than rural ones. I think that the connection between countercultural consumerism stated by Aresel (2010) and the indie/hipster group is what drives them to seek ways of defining themselves based on consumption. From an article in the Journal of Consumer Research, the hipster is defined as such the millennial hipster increasingly came to be represented as an ber-consumer of trends and as a new, and rather gullible, target market who consumes cool, rather than creating it (Arsel, 2010, p.10). Also according to Aresel, this group shops at thrift stores and has a sort of do it yourself ethic. This would be a fantastic behavior to take advantage of due to the nature of black and white film and the fact that its easy to develop film in your bathroom if youre so inclined. It takes advantage of both the do it yourself ethic and the non-mainstream mentality that this group subscribes to. The difficult thing about this particular group, though, is that one has to be subtle about targeting it. The reason behind this is because as Arsel (2010) notes, nobody likes hipsters, not even hipsters. They do whatever they can to differentiate themselves from that demographic group. So the ad campaign has to appeal not so much to the group as to the individuals who make up the group. If they believe that the advertiser is trying to appeal to hipsters, theyll run from the product, or at least dismiss the ad as hipster bait. On the VALS framework, this group would be considered to be made up primarily of Experiencers and Makers. Theyre all about expressing themselves through brands, bands, products and ideas. Many are artists or musicians. From the VALS site, [Experiencers] seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky, while Makers express themselves through working in their world. They tend to be suspicious of big business however some of their other traits dont fit perfectly with the market Im going for. Makers tend to value value over luxury and are not very into material possessions.

PRODUCT SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS:

Ilford photo has a strong passion for continuing to produce B&W film and photographic products. The company supports the education of new photographers. The employees at Ilford are passionate about the products they manufacture/sell. Ilford encourages all levels of expertise with a range of films using different levels of technology.
WEAKNESSES:

Ilfords film is slightly more expensive than the competition. It can be hard to find a place to process B&W film unless a customer wants to process it themselves. If they do find a place to process it, the expense and time consumed can be draining on resources. Traditional color process film (meaning C-41) is cheaper to process and can be dropped off at one of the surviving local film-processing locations such as a local drugstore if price is the deciding factor.
OPPORTUNITIES:

The current instability of Kodak, one of Ilfords top competitors could be a very profitable opportunity for the company. The current renaissance of interest in film photography could lead to more people trying Ilfords film. Increasingly competitors are dropping products that are equivalent to those of Ilford (such as black and white papers) which could be a great opportunity for the company to pick up new film customers (as a photographer, there is something appealing about the harmony of having all of your chemicals, papers and film coming from one company). Kodaks current instability and questionable commitment to monochrome film photography means that very few current users (of any frequency) of Ilford products are going to be switching to Kodak from Ilford.
THREATS:

The continued use of digital could still be a threat to Ilford and the film industry. The increased use of cameras in cell phones and apps such as Instagram could also hurt the company as people might turn to their cell phones for that authentic black and white look instead of to their film cameras. Additionally, the current market is made up of many customers who are getting fairly old and it is possible that losing those customers could be detrimental for the company if it doesnt do something to draw in younger customers.HP5 PLUS

ADVERTISING OBJECTIVES
CREATE AWARENESS

Primarily, it is important that consumers know that film is not going anywhere, even in the longterm. Companies like Holga and Lomo are producing analogue cameras and Ilford makes film that works with those cameras (HP5 PLUS definitely does). It is key that the public knows that film has not died and that Ilford is dedicated to making that remain true. It would also be worth making it known that HP5 PLUS is a great film for many uses and that its not really all that expensive.
CONVERT NONUSERS TO USERS

Those who currently do not use Ilford film need to be persuaded that Ilford is the film for them. HP5 PLUSs combination of versatility and fair price might be exactly what theyre looking for in a film. For future customers who dont use film at all, its a fantastic, extremely forgiving film for beginners and is great for every-day use for more advanced photographers.
HOLD PRESENT CUSTOMERS

Howard Hopwood, marketing director at Ilford in 2007 wrote, Now that the industry has recognised that rather than competing for market share, digital and film have each settled into their separate, though often complementary, niches, they can be viewed as parallel markets. It is vital that Ilford makes an attempt to hold on to its present customers, however, because digital is always a threat, even if Kodak isnt.

CREATIVE BRIEF
BASIC PROBLEM

Consumers should be experiencing the magic and authenticity of the traditional process of photography. They should be putting down their Instagram filters and picking up film and analog cameras instead. The magic of film cant be replaced. There is no magical feeling that comes from shooting a digital photo; one does not have to wait at least an hour to see the photos theyve taken; one does not ever have the chance to drop a piece of paper in the water and watch an image form, they simply press control+P. We have become so disconnected from photography with all of this new technology that its losing its magic. Everything has a shortcut or a Photoshop action so people are quick to just shoot as many photos as possible now, and fix the best ones later.
THE BRAND: WHAT MAKES ILFORD, ILFORD?

Ilford addresses this shared need because the market cares a fair amount about supporting brands solely based on the brands philosophy (for example, brands that are concerned about their impact on the environment). Ilfords philosophy is that as long as there are people using black and white film, the brand will try its hardest to make sure that there are supplies available. Ilford is a smaller company and not a big corporation like Kodak or Fuji so the company appeals to people that are not fans of such large corporations or feel that these corporations are out of touch with the needs of existing film photographers. The Ilford experience is according to a current user, ...an experience of quality and nostalgia, of not being coddled and patronized but being encouraged to ford your own way and express your creativity how you want to. It's an experience of being able to capture the finest moment in a medium steeped in history. The personality is that of passion, simplicity and authenticity. The brand is dedicated to its users. The brand personality is one of high quality professionalism, of using a product that wants to be used creatively. The ads can be simple and clean to reflect the modern proficiency of the companys products, and monochrome to pay tribute to both how it acts and reference the historical quality of the film.
BENEFITS

Shooting film as opposed to digital photos forces the photographer to slow down and consider what they are doing. You cant be sloppy when you shoot film. Theres no room for it. The product would provide benefits such as allowing the user to stand out from the crowd; allowing them to take authentic black and white photographs. The versatility of the film allows more creativity and allows photography to happen in many situations, even some where digital cameras

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couldnt compete (such as extremely dark locations). On Maslows hierarchy of needs the features of the product allow it to fulfill needs on the fourth and fifth sections, esteem and self-actualization. The high quality of the negatives leads to better quality photos which could in turn lead to respect from others along with increasing self-confidence. Spontaneity, creativity, and problem solving are all part of the last part of the hierarchy and these things can all be fulfilled by the product. Problemsolving skills are pushed when taking photos, and with film one has to think for the camera and picture how the photos will turn out. Spontaneity could arguably be taken into account. The versatility of the film allows it to be used in a variety of situations even those that one is unprepared for. Creativity is obviously fulfilled since it allows the user to consider the world around them through the medium of photography and it promotes the creation of art as well as encouraging the photographer to capture their artistic vision. The DIY aspect of developing black and white film might appeal to people who like to experiment or who consider themselves non-mainstream. Once one uses traditional photo chemicals for a while, they notice that there are many alternatives (such as caffenol which is essentially coffee and vitamin C) that can be brewed up (literally) in ones own kitchen. This adds to the magic of developing photos and adds an aspect of personality to the process. Again, one thing to consider is that this market does not like to be labeled as hipsters. They will dismiss the ad if they recognize that the ad is targeting hipsters.

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CREATIVE STRATEGY
Since the ad needs to appeal to a market that demands a higher level of quality and authenticity, it is key to show the ways in which Ilford embodies the ideas of authenticity and higher quality. Since one of the key objectives is to convert non-users to users, its paramount that the ad highlight the uniqueness of the traditional black and white process. One way this will be accomplished visually is through the use of photos. The top portion of the ad will show several very fake, colorful, boring photos that look like they were run through a smart phone application. Theyll have fake sprocket holes and frame numbers as well as fake light leaks and vignettes. Basically, we want to show that the things that make people think their photos are unique are the same things that make them all look exactly the same. Part of the appeal of shooting with film is that every photo feels like a work of art. Maybe its because so much time is put into every shot; but even the flaws in a traditional print do not feel like flaws they feel unique in the same way that brush strokes on a painting do; or they way that wrinkles in a watercolor painting do. Film photos have character. The copy will make this distinction a little bit more clear. The headline will say, Dont just take photos, make them while the subhead will go a little bit more into detail about how film is unique and Instagram/other apps are not. The role of the body copy will be to further explain how film is unique and to make the case that if were not all living the same life, if we dont all see it the same way, why should we take photos that all look the same. The reason behind highlighting the uniqueness of film is because the target market wants to stand out and be different from the masses. Essentially what we want to convey is that Instagram is what everyone else is using while HP5 PLUS film is what the people who care about their photos are using.

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PLACE AD ROUGH ON THIS PAGE HERE.

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MEDIA OBJECTIVES
AUDIENCE OBJECTIVES We want to reach young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 living in large cities with lots of culture. These people tend to be college educated, many of them come from middle or-uppermiddle class backgrounds and they are probably likely to be male more than female. They are also part of the hipster/indie sub-culture. They know whats cool and whats not; whats hip and whats over. They appreciate art and music outside of the mainstream ideals. MESSAGE-DISTRIBUTION OBJECTIVES
MESSAGE WEIGHT:

It would be great to reach as many subscribers as possible in the target audience. In the U.S. it may be ideal to reach about 200,000 subscribers per month in print and possibly as many as two million on the web. GEOGRAPHIC REACH The target market is located mostly in large cities in the United States (such as Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Austen and Portland). The product is sold internationally though so it cant hurt to get the attention of people in Europe and the UK TIMING The campaign could run during any time of the year. As someone in the target audience, however I know that I tend to read more magazines in the spring and fall than in the summer. As a photographer, I tend to shoot more in those times of year. As a young consumer, I usually find that I have more disposable income during the summer through the pre-holiday winter months. For this reason, any time during the year could work. I could see ads starting in the March issue of a magazine and running monthly through October. AVERAGE FREQUENCY Each audience member should be exposed to the ad at least four times in print and an additional three times online, ideally.

MEDIA STRATEGY
CLASSES OF MEDIA: PRINT (MAGAZINE[S]) AND WEB MEDIA VEHICLES: VICE magazine (as well as their website) and Lost At E Minors website VICE expresses what Advertising Age had to say in their media kit, Each generation has a smallrun, intensely hip magazine that proves influential far beyond its circulation numbers, be it Wenner Medias Rolling Stone or the independents Spy or Might... VICE is this generations model. VICE is a free magazine. This means that they pass out and distribute issues to people who want them without having to worry about people deciding that they dont want to continue their subscription. Its also distributed internationally (in over 25 countries, in fact) however, Each international edition of VICE is tailor-made for its community, but content is also shared between all territories. So that means that in the future, it would not be hard to move

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to an international platform because one would not even need to change publications. Well over 50% of VICEs audience falls into my target audience. Readers actually like the ads that they see in the magazine. Their website gets 4 million unique views per month. And their print publication has a circulation of 160,000 in the U.S. (almost exclusively in large urban areas). Their July issue is their Photo Issue which appears to be an issue that would be a tragedy for an advertiser of anything photo-related to miss out on. Lost At E Minor is a website dedicated to showcasing art and design and things that are just plain cool. Their readers are mostly creative types. Additionally, they are curious, spontaneous, and actively engaged with culture and technology (56% regularly use the mobile web). They are young (39% 18-25; 36% 26-32) so this seems to be an ideal website for advertising directed at young, creative people as I am trying to. They reach over 27,000 opt-in subscribers with their newsletter that is sent out a few times a week. They dont give any numbers for page views on their website and it appears that they dont do much advertising on their actual website. SIZE OF AD: FULL PAGE POSITIONING: ROB (and wherever Lost at E Minor decides to put the ad in their newsletter) SCHEDULE: Monthly in the magazine, constantly online. Planning to have the campaign run for 8 months (March-October issues of VICE).

MEDIA VEHICLE

COST AD SIZE

PER INSERTI ON

FREQUE
NCY

TOTAL
COST FOR SCHEDULE

AUDIENCE
SIZE

CPM OR CPP

VICE MAGAZINE full page, full color (U.S.) 320*250px (placed 4 times in each issue)

$13,910

8 (12.5% discount offered) 8 (once per month)

$97,370

160,000 x8 =1,280,000 27,000 x8 x4 =864,000 2,144,000

$76.07

LOST AT E MINOR
TOTALS

$1000/ month*

$8,000

$9.26

$105,370

*an estimate based on how much a (mostly professional) blog/site similar to L@Em would charge businesses.

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REFERENCES
About us. (n.d.). In Welcome to Ilford Photo. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from Ilford Photo website: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/aboutus/page.asp?n=23 Arsel, Z., & Thompson, C. (2012). Demythologizing consumption practices: how consumers protect their field-dependent identity investments from devaluing marketplace myths. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(5). Retrieved March 4, 2012, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 10.1086/656389 dphill. (2006, April 28). 220 Film Petition [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved from http:// www.apug.org/forums/forum37/27176-220-film-petition-reply-ilford-photo-harmantechnology-2.html Hopwood, H. (2007, March 2). The future of film [Article]. In Ilford Photo Press Room. Retrieved from Ilford Photo website: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/pressroom/article.asp?n=78 SIC 3861: Manufacturing: Photographic Equipment and Supplies. (2011). In L. M. Pearce (Ed.), Encyclopedia of American Industries (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 1353-1360). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE %7CCX1930400465&v=2.1&u=linfield&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w Souers, M. (2012). Sub-Industry: Photographic. Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys. Retrieved from Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage database.