Client Case Study – Lowe Worldwide + Stella Artois
Project Theme – Web analytics with Flash movie event tracking
Lowe Worldwide is a leading global agency, an Interpublic Group company,
which describes itself as being grounded in the belief that the greatest
service it can render to a Client is the power of a High Value idea.
For Lowe, creativity is the ultimate economic multiplier. This and their
other core beliefs clearly appeal to prospects and clients worldwide
with the result that Lowe is indeed global – having offices in New York,
Brazil, UK, France, Spain, Sweden, India, China and Thailand.
Lowe Worldwide’s client list includes Coca Cola, Dulux, Electrolux,
GMC, InBev, Johnson & Johnson, Lynx, Nestlé, Nokia, Ricoh, Saab and
Unilever.
For InBev, their brands are the foundation of the company and held
to be the key to long term success. The brand Stella Artois clearly
values Lowe’s creativity to ensure it stands out from the crowd and
reflects its elevated values. Lowe created and released, in the last
quarter of 2007, Stella Artois’ online campaign featuring a series of
Flash movies intended to stimulate visitor interaction and participation.
Objective of the engagement
Lowe first engaged ivantage to undertake a short Strategy Review
of Stella Artois’ web presence. The initial analysis involved an appraisal
of the site which was (and remains) constructed almost entirely using
Adobe Flash sequences and which could be viewed in any of five different
language versions – English, French, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian,
with Czech, Portuguese and Dutch to follow.
The site invited visitors to view any of five acts of a movie as
well as being offered links having a more conventional appearance leading
to information about Stella Artois.
The site’s key design feature was that all visitor interaction was
managed via Flash – so there was an absence of conventional navigation.
Such design prevents conventional web analytics packages with their
“page-centric” approach from being able to track visitor paths in any
useful way.
The site had gone live in mid-September 2007 and a small amount of
visitor information had been collected by means of studying server log
files. However, the site’s design prevented information meaningful to
the campaign from being extracted. With the extension of the campaign
into additional languages becoming imminent, Lowe required the application
of accurate and reliable web analytics so as to be able to report the
campaign’s performance to their client.
The solution
ivantage delivered Analytics Accelerator, a package of advisory,
configuration and support services for the correct implementation of
Google Analytics.
Google Analytics, originally introduced in 2005 and subject to a
major update in May 2007, is a powerful, hosted web analytics package
which, since its introduction, has changed the cost model for web analytics
applications. Of particular importance to this campaign was the recent
announcement by Google of the “Event Tracking” module for Google Analytics.
Until the October 2007 announcement, Google Analytics had been conventionally
orientated to measuring page views. However, page-view measurement has
become less relevant for web sites like blogs, those with Flash content,
AJAX applications and rich media including video. In these cases, event
tracking functionality is essential to properly record and analyse visitor
behaviour. This was precisely the case for the Stella Artois site and
the project took full advantage of the availability of the “Event Tracking”
module now available in Google Analytics.
Analytics
Accelerator begins with an initial consultation
about the website and business metrics the client needs to measure.
ivantage then advise and agree how to configure Google Analytics for
the installation. This particular project was, however, far more complex
than is typical.
The combination of the facts that:
Google Analytics event
tracking functionality was new
its release status
was preliminary and the documentation in short
supply
the campaign, although
exceptionally creative and visually intriguing,
was not designed with “hooks” for the measurement and reporting of
visitor interaction
. . . meant that the project involved a
great deal of research and technical enquiry such that close collaboration
between ivantage and Lowe’s technical team was essential and regular.
Collaboration was supported by frequent online, virtual meetings carried
by Webex’s infrastructure during which knowledge was transferred in
both directions between ivantage and Lowe.
Analytics Accelerator normally includes both user and technical support
for up to 30 days via email, Webex and telephone. In the case of this
project, it was extended until the end of 2007 to ensure that planned
campaigns were properly supported.
The results
Despite the challenge of accurately measuring visitor traffic and
goal attainment in a Flash-based web site, the correct application of
Google Analytics provided the information which Lowe needed to supply
to their client. All the usual visitor metrics which online advertisers
have come to expect from more conventional, page-based web sites were
similarly available despite the extensive use of Flash.
The success of agencies is directly related to the results they deliver
to clients; the more precisely that success is expressed, the more readily
the client understands the quality of work done. In this campaign, Lowe
were able to specifically identify the nature and volume of the visitor
traffic on the new Stella Artois site and how well visitors were being
converted to reaching the goals of interacting with the simulations
and seeking more product information.
The results reported by Google Analytics were passed on to the Stella
Artois marketing team in order to substantiate the value of the campaign
as a whole and to confirm the value of the investment.
About ivantage Limited
ivantage is a leading Internet marketing agency specializing in Web
search marketing services for demanding clients. We focus on boosting
their web presence and building online business. We also work with digital
agencies, using our expertise to extend their services so as to achieve
the same for their clients.
We are masters of both Natural Search (SEO) and Paid Search (PPC).
We aim for high returns on investment (RoI) by applying Web analytics
and performing Web page optimization to ensure visitors become customers,
then keep coming back. ivantage is a Google Analytics Authorized Consultant
(GAAC).
Our proven, effective methods are grounded in the established disciplines
of strategy definition, site design and usability. We generate traffic
and convert it to transactions. We protect the expanded traffic to build
clients’ future web presence and online revenues.
Learn more about ivantage
Visit Lowe Worldwide's web site
Visit the Stella Artois promotional
web site
