With the launch of the .Italo brand, NTV will become the first private Italian railway company to enter the High-Speed passenger sector.
.Italo's entry into the Italian railway market will break the passenger rail transport monopoly.
Our mission is to offer services for travelers on the High-Speed lines by offering innovative content and enhancing the travel experience through:
∞ Complete, personalized services;
∞ Comfortable, technologically-sophisticated environments;
∞ Great quality at competitive prices.
The NTV fleet will consist of 25 latest-generation Alstom AGV very-high-speed trains. The AGV will allow NTV to offer services with less environmental impact in terms of consumption compared with more traditional means such airplanes, buses and automobiles.
The style of the interiors will be developed by Italdesign-Giugiaro, a historic name in the research and development of design prototypes.
Our train will be called .Italo, a name that combines both Italianness and the concept of the Internet and network technologies, which will strongly characterize the train and all of NTV's services.
.Italo will begin operating in 2011 with the objective of transporting 10 million passengers by 2015, operating on the following three routes:
∞ Turin – Milan – Bologna – Florence – Rome – Naples – Salerno
∞ Venice – Padua – Bologna – Florence – Rome
∞ Rome – Bari
The various connections will be made gradually as trains enter the fleet, until NTV has a complete presence in all 10 cities within the first year from the launch of the business.
Additional information is available at the website www.ntvspa.it
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
is asking you to develop the launch plan (by thinking “out of the box”), through a document that must contain:
∞ The launch concept (umbrella);
∞ The development of the “umbrella” concept through an ATL launch campaign and the identification of the media to apply it to:
i. TV (storyboard or animatic)
ii. Internet
iii. Billboards
iv. Press
v. Radio
vi. Film
∞ The development of the ATL campaign, also through BTL communication means, especially evaluating innovative approaches, such as: Guerrilla Marketing, Ambient/Street Marketing, Viral Marketing, Social Networking, etc.
∞ A pay-off for .Italo
∞ A possible name for the “first” class of service, characterized by more space, more comfort and a higher level of service
NOTE: The launch campaign will start with an announcement posted in all the train stations involved in the first routes. So, it will be necessary to develop a concept suitable for that use.
A proposal for the following would be appreciated but is not obligatory:
∞ the uniforms to be worn by the personnel (hostess/steward) on-board and on the ground;
∞ a development of the “umbrella” concept also addressed to the potential target of foreigners.
In defining the tools and types of communication to adopt, it should be kept in mind that the presence of NTV in the stations of the 10 cities listed above will not occur simultaneously but progressively with a year from the launch (gradual sequential openings as new routes are opened).
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
Persons who choose the means of transportation (62% of trips by automobile/bus, 31% by train and 7% by air) giving a great deal of weight to travel time and how this is spent, affordability, comfort and safety.
The business motivation (including repetitive/commuting travelers and business travelers) takes precedence over tourist travel (pure tourism, visits to friends and relatives).
The Italian target primarily consists of men, with the exception of students, family tourism and travel to visit relatives/friends and shopping.
What these customers want from NTV is better service than what is currently available, especially in terms of attention to the customer, while still price competitive.
The potential foreign clientele that may see .Italo as a way to visit more cities during their trip to Italy should not be undervalued.
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
Finally, there is a new private operator that is competing with the monopolistic railway companies of the rail transport market.
We want potential customers to choose .Italo not only because it’s High-Speed and, thus, a valid alternative means of transport to what they are currently using (automobile/bus and airplane) but, most of all, because it is a better transport operator.
.Italo means:
∞ It will be easy for travelers to relate to the staff and technologies of .Italo through processes based on interactivity;
∞ High Quality in the basic elements of the offer (optimization of total travel time, paying the right price for comfortable, clean and safe travel);
∞ Sales and complementary service solutions tailored to different traveler targets;
∞ .Italo makes time more valuable by recognizing the importance it has for customers who travel for business. Similarly, .Italo wants to be more than just the travel part of a vacation, but an experiential component of the vacation itself. In addition, .Italo will help its customers discover the pleasure of traveling by train by paying attention to the needs of targets such as: families, the handicapped and unaccompanied minors.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
∞ .Italo is a latest-generation high-speed train;
∞ During all phases of the trip (from purchase to post-travel), the customer will be in contact with comfortable, technologically-advanced environments;
∞ Thanks to different classes of service, in addition to the optional services, customers will be able to build their own trips by adapting them to their needs;
∞ The offering will always be characterized by great quality at competitive prices.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
.Italo is a new way to travel, imbued with the following values:
∞ Innovation;
i. More technological, more ecological and safer and more comfortable on-board
∞ Ease of relating with travelers;
∞ Attention to the customer.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
The result of the winning work will be the foundation for the ATL and BTL communication plan, capable of obtaining total coverage of the target.
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
The work will, preferably, be in the following formats: pps, pdf, jpg or doc.
ATTENTION! There is the possibility of an alternative prize: The winner of the contest can decide (within 7 days from the announcement) to refuse the monetary award in exchange for a splendid FIAT 500 1.2 69 HP Diesel (click on the image below to see all the details).NOTE: The car may only be selected as the alternative prize in the countries on the attached list.
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
