A small group of students who make up Northwood University\'s American Advertising Federation (AAF) put together this case book for AIM during the annual AAF case competition among colleges and universities across the country. I worked as part of the group in putting together the campaign. The presentation team finished with the best score among all the schools in Northwood\'s flight. We only fell short of advancing to nationals because the score of this case book wasn\'t good. It probably wasn\'t our best work, but we are all still learning. Myself and the rest of Northwood AAF are already at work on our new case for this upcoming spring 2009.

1. NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY
ADVER TISING
Chat. Connec t. Chill.

2. 2

3. 3
CONTENTS
Objectives/History & Future ...................................................... 5
Competition .............................................................................. 6
Market Research ....................................................................... 10
Focus Groups............................................................................. 8
Target Market ........................................................................... 10
The situation presented to Northwood Advertising is unique due to the ever changing world of technology and social Circle of Sales ........................................................................... 14
media. Our goal is not only the brand of AIM and its suite of products, but also to ensure AIM’s powerful presence
within the messaging and social networking community. Creative .................................................................................... 16
Traditional ................................................................................ 20
To penetrate the minds of millions of consumers using a non-traditional approach, Northwood Advertising has created
a colorful and catchy solution backed by product, consumer and creative research that will position AIM as the brand Non-Tradtional .......................................................................... 22
of choice. Our non-traditional approach utilizes AIM branded user stations, special events, unique outdoor advertis-
ing, and in city product placements to capture the attention of our target market. The campaign will create a sense of Sweepstakes ............................................................................. 24
simplicity amongst our target markets by integrating their divergent lifestyles.
Media ....................................................................................... 26
• The campaign will ensure that AIM remains the product of choice Budget ...................................................................................... 30
• The campaign will create usage and consumer engagement of all AIM products
Flight Plan ................................................................................ 31

4. 4 OBJECTIVES

5. 5
AIM in order to
The following objectives were set forth by
achieve desirable results:
• Bridge the gap between AIM Messaging and AIM Social Media
• Increase trial and drive usage 15%
• Increase AIM brand awareness
We also feel that the following objectives should be a
focus as well:
• Merge social media/AIM messaging and educational media
• Make AIM and its suite of products simple and more accessible
Where did AIM begin? Where is AIM now?
AIM established in 1997. It was viewed as possibly being used as much • AIM is still one of the top instant messaging programs
as e-mail. When it first started the capabilities of AIM version 2.0 included, • Recently released own version of social networking
file sharing, instant messaging from one computer to another computer page (AIM pages)
and chartrooms where multiple users could chat together. Version 4.3 of • As a brand, AIM is recognized more as a messaging
AIM introduced features such as storing up to 200 buddies, and play inter- program rather than social media.
active games with other online users. Since then AIM has grown beyond
belief with new versions such as including picture sharing, and version 5.5
which includes video chatting. Version 6.1 allows users to insert images,
link screen names, and improved Windows Vista support.

6. 6 COMPETITION
Instant Messenger Direct Competition
MSN Messenger
• Extremely functional
• Easy to use
• Integrates voice messaging, webcams, and application
sharing
• Searchable history archives and contact activity
• Allows you to make international phone calls
• Allows consumer to play online games
Yahoo Messenger
• Known as “Swiss Army Knife” instant messenger
• Available user management
• Integrates voice messaging, webcams, and application
sharing
• Organized
• Yahoo! Chat rooms
Instant Messenger Indirect Competition • Radio Feature
• ICQ
Gtalk
• Skype
• Integrated into Gmail
• iChat
• Simple
• IMVU.COM
• Integrates voice messaging, webcams, and file sharing
Social Media Competitors
Facebook
Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work,
study and live around them. People use
Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share
links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. Facebook has
grown enormously and is now overtaking the US social media market share.
Myspace
The first of its kind social media site that allows consumers to freely navigate the
website in the search or friends, new friends, music, videos, and the ability to share
photos. Myspace holds the majority of market share, with Facebook rapidly closing
in.

7. 7
We administered:
• 16 focus groups
•1,500 surveys
• Individual Interviews
• Extensive Secondary Research
• Online blogs
• Multiple AOL Reports
Research is using a flashlight to find your
way out of a forest at night. It shows what is
imminent and approaching, and you
lost without it.
would be completely

8. 8 FOCUS GROUPS
1. What is multi-tasking?
“It’s more of a juggling act than taking care of mul-
tiple tasks. It’s TV, Internet, and homework all at the
same time.
“Remembering that you have something else to
do while you are doing something else...and doing
them both at the same time.”
2. How important are social media sites
(Facebook, Myspace, etc.) to your everyday
life?
“Honestly, I can’t imagine my life without it. I am not
saying that it is the most important part of my day,
but I have lived it everyday of my life for the past 3
years. If it were gone I would be lost and confused.”
“It’s such a good way to keep in contact with friends.
In that way, it is very important to my everyday life.”
“I am addicted and I haven’t come up with an an-
swer as to why.”
Our Insight:
Social and school life are the most important part of
the target’s everyday lives. They are very creative
as to how they manage the two.

9. 9
Top 6 websites visited:
3. Surveys
1. Facebook
I prefer the websites I visit to be simple (78%) 2. Myspace
3. School Account
I like to lead others (72%)
4. Google
I am influenced by what’s hot and what’s not (61%) 5. ESPN
6. Yahoo!
I am always one of the first of my friends to try new
products/services (55%)
Items They Own:
cell phone (94%)
laptop (93%)
iPod (73%)
game system (56%)
Blackberry/smart phone (20%)
PDA/Palm Pilot (15%)
Our Insight:
Cell phones and laptops have a very high market penetration, indicating just how important they
regard their social life. Also, the target considers themselves very affluent in technology.

10. 10 TARGET MARKET
The target market spends a significant amount
of time developing their social status in a technological age. They write
text messages, email messages, wall messages, and instant messages. Their life
revolves around school to secure themselves for the future, and their
social life to maintain an elite social status. To better de-
fine our target market, Northwood Advertising has named them
“Socialites.”

11. 11
Socialites consist of both men and women
ages 18-24 and roughly 76 million members. In
order to get a better idea of who socialites are
we have broken them down by their life, their
friends, and their media.
life. friends. media.

12. 12 TARGET MARKET
Socialite’s Life
• Always juggling multiple things at a time, they are true multi-taskers.
• They are socially conscious. They need to feel a sense of belonging.
• Materialistic. They feel the need for the latest and hippest “things”.
• They want to be understood, accepted, respected, and included.
• They pay attention to things that are over the edge.
• They like quick results.
Socialite’s Friends
• Friends are their number one influences.
• There is a constant need to stay connected with friends by texting, instant
messaging, visiting social media sites, e-mailing, etc. They crave constant
updates.
• When away at college, they are more likely to stay connected with old
friends.

13. 13
Socialite’s Media
• Technology is used for mainly social reasons.
• This market grew up with the Internet.
• They must have the latest technology.
• They trust magazines to show them trends.
• Their attention will most likely be won by multiple
media outlets at the same time.
91%
online activities
Send or read e mail
79
Research for school
62
Instant Message
54
Play games
46
Download music
34
Take part in chat rooms
32
Read someones blog
32
Search info on someone
29
Download computer games
13
Create / Work on blog

14. 14 CIRCLE OF SALES
We have taken AIM’s
target market and
segmented them into three
different categories. These three categories are
“TrueBlue”, the
Zone”, and
“War
Future.
“Golden

15. 15
True Blue
The True Blue consumer is the member of AIM who’s had their instant
messaging screen name for years and uses AIM as their primary source of online
communication.
War Zone
The War Zone is the people who currently use online communication but not AIM. These
members prefer to use MSN, Yahoo!, etc.
Golden Future
The Golden Future is people who do not have a primary online communication user or do
not communicate online in general.

16. 16 CREATIVE EXECUTION
ICECUBE
Prodcut:

17. 17
ICECUBE
ICE Cube, or the Integrated Communication Einstein, is an innovative 3D desktop application which al-
lows users to integrate AIM and its suite of products. ICE Cube will come preloaded with Instant Mes-
senger, AIM Profiles, Chat, People Connection, Polls, and Hulu on Aol. Since socialites crave the abil-
Interactive Desktop Application
ity to customize their products, after they have installed the application they will be allowed to choose
which AIM products will go on each side of the cube. The ICE Cube will rotate by clicking and dragging
your mouse to the desired side. Also, each side of the cube will be assigned a dedicated number (1-6)
so the users can hotkey each AIM product. The application will be an excellent way to integrate AIM’s
suite of products. This application will resonate with our True Blue market and will attract the Golden
Future.
30% of socialites have visited a video sharing site on a typical day. In order
to capitalize on this market a side of the ICE Cube will be dedicated to Hulu
on Aol. Hulu on Aol streams video from television shows and movies. The
video content is some of the highest rated among 18-24 year olds with such TV
shows as “House,” “The Simpsons,” “The Office,” and “Family Guy.”

18. 18 CREATIVE EXECUTION
Creative Strategy
Strategic focus:
Creatively integrate AIM and social media products to cater to the consumers’ busy life styles
through a functional application.
Creative Positioning:
To position AIM and its suite of products as the one-stop-shop for socialites and all their social
media needs.
Big Unifying Idea:
The Integrated Communication Einstein (ICE Cube), a 6-sided cube that integrates AIM’s suite of
products to a desktop application, is the heart of our target market’s life. Traditional and nontradi-
tional advertising will use the characteristics, interpretations, and influence of words associated with
“ICE” to fully integrate our marketing campaign.

19. 19
Print Ad
This print advertisement is very effective
because it demands the eye. It is extremely
simple, a trait that socialites prefer, and it
invokes the consumer to want to learn more
about AIM. It integrates the campaign per-
fectly as it follows the “frosted” theme con-
nected to all of AIM’s new products. AIM3
gives the viewer a sense that AIM is “upgrad-
ing”. AIM “Cubed” entices the Golden Future
and War Zone market to explore the new ap-
plication. It also hints towards the unveiling of
future AIM products, including the interactive
desktop application ICE Cube.
Chat. Connect. Chill.
This tagline hits home with socialites. It gives
the consumer the sense that AIM is used to
make connections and chat. It also gives
the overall feel of being relaxed. The tagline
fits in perfectly with the target market’s fast
paced lifestyles as it is very simple and easy
to remember.

20. 20

21. 21
Commercial Idea 1:
The ICE Cube, better known as the Interactive Communication Einstein, is a one-stop-shop for all aAIM products. No longer will AIM’s
users have to go through several different sites. The ICE Cube is a 6-sided interactive cube, that can be downloaded in the form of a
widget or program. Each side will contain an AIM program, website, and or tool. The cube will rotate by mouse click, each face will be
clickable and will zoom out to fill the screen when clicked. When you want to close the window, you simply click anywhere on the win-
dow and drag down, as the cube will shrink to the bottom right corner of the screen. The cube Is a customizable tool, both innovative
and fun. The user can upload photos to there AIM pages simply by dragging a photo to the upload side of the cub. It also has the ability
to upload music, videos, and word files. The cube is the answer, the truth, ying to your yang, your welcome.
Commercial Idea 2:
A man wakes up and notices a Cube sitting on his night stand. As he gets out of bed, he grabs the Cube and taps his computer screen
and suddenly his AIM appears on one side of his Cube. While the man is leaving his house, he stops by his mailbox and taps the box
while all of his mail begins flying into another side of the Cube. As the man gets out of his car to walk into school, he taps his stereo
and music goes straight into the Cube. As he walks into his class a few minutes late, he sets his Cube down on the desk while all of
his notes from class appear on his Blackboard application on his Cube. Lastly, he turns and smirks at the camera and says “life just got
that much easier.”
Chat. Connect. Chill appears on the screen.

22. 22 NON TRADITIONAL
What is a Chill Zone?
A Chill Zone provides 6-10 mounted flat screen computers with pull out key boards that provide free internet access. The screens will only
have the Cube, but it will be enlarged to fit the whole screen. To use the Cube, it will require a screen name. If you do not have a screen
name then you will be able to easily sign up for one right there. Once the computer establishes your screen name, it has created your
Cube. Your Cube will show up the way you left it. The way you left it at either one of the chill zones or at your home. The Cube continually
rotates to show you everything that is offered. Once you place your curser over the Cube, you can then have control to where it goes.
The Chill Zone Atmosphere:
The atmosphere of the Chill Zones will be visually welcoming to our target market. It will have a common theme of light blues, whites, and
frosted effects. It will be partially enclosed so that while in the Chill Zone you feel somewhat secluded, but those on the outside will see
just enough to create curiosity. On the walls inside the Chill Zones there will be a tie with the print ads. The creative slogans that are used
in the print ads will be strategically placed on the walls. This will help create a welcoming and fun environment.

23. 23
Why Have a Chill Zone?
The locations that were chosen for the Chill Zones were spe-
cific to where our target market is and where they will commonly
have a need for the Internet. The hands-on use of ICE Cube will
effectively create a call for action and also build the number of those
who have registered screen names.
Non-traditional:
For a non-traditional promotion AIM has strate-
gically placed their product in the heart of the
winter sporting world, major ski resorts across
the U.S. These Chill Zone computer units will be
placed in enclosed gondolas that transport skiers
and snowboarders to the peak of the mountain.
This will give consumers 15min. of unavoidable
exposure to the new ICE Cube product. They
will have the choice to view the Internet, AIM
products, and enjoy music during their ride to the
“Chill Zones”
top of the mountain.
Also, for non-traditional, outdoor advertising will
The Chill Zones are a hip/enjoyable area to “chill”. They
be placed on the inside walls of subways. There
are located in the following areas:
will be a series of still photos of the ICE Cube
product which will play like a flip book as the sub-
way passes by the still frames at high speeds. • Airports
• On Campus Coffee houses
• Restaurants (Hard Rock Café)
• Malls
• Resorts (Related to our target market)

24. 24 NON TRADITIONAL
4 Iced Over Cubes March Madness Promotion
In order to start the campaign with a buzz, Northwood During the course of the male and female collegiate basketball
Advertising will place four iced over cubes in high traf- Final Four tournaments AIM will sponsor the “AIM3 coldest play of
fic areas (Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and New York the game.” Several times per game viewers will be informed by the
City). The cubes will eventually melt because of the high game commentators that they can go online to vote for the “AIM3
summer temperatures, revealing an enormous ice cube. coldest play of the game.” Within the last few minutes of the game,
From the introduction of the frozen cubes, to when AIM’s the commentators will announce the winner while mentioning the
ice cube is finally revealed, a great amount of buzz will be AIM brand name and ICE Cube product. With over 130 million view-
generated in the blogosphere. Bloggers are very likely ers of the 2007 tournament and 40.3 million viewers of the final
to write about seeing the unusual frozen sculpture in the game, this will be an attempt to increase AIM brand awareness and
summer time, and the surprise of discovering that AIM’s product usage.
new social media product was underneath it the whole
Reusable LED ice-cubes
time.
Rationale: As another form of nontraditional advertising AIM will purchase and
• The cubes will be located in cities highly populated with distribute 300,000 reusable ice cubes. AIM will distribute these ice
our target market. cubes at the “Iced Out” event and periodically at Chill Zones. Street
• Creates curiosity prior to the unveiling of the sides of the
teams made up of promo-girls will be passing out the ice cubes at
cube. the “Iced Out” concert and at the Chill Zones across the country.
• 4 Unveiling Street Teams This nontraditional effort will increase brand awareness and at the
same time provide a free and unique product to the target market.
Digital
Also at the unveiling of
the cubes, there will be Desktop Game
street teams that con- Tetris Cubed
sist of both men and Tetris Cubed is a desktop application that will be made available
women ages 18-24 from AIM. T