The Challenge
Polaroid sunglasses were all but extinct when the brand was re-launched in the UK in 2007. For the re-launch Polaroid had a small budget but big aspirations, so called on Marketing Zone to help them with a campaign to increase their brand awareness and sales.
As Polaroid sunglasses were no longer well known, the challenge faced was that you can’t get publicity for a product without distribution, and you can’t get distribution without publicity. So where do you start? Well, read on.
Objectives and Solution
The aim of the re-launch was to find productive routes to market and build brand awareness with consumers and trade partners. To do this, Marketing Zone studied the product and came up with an integrated marketing campaign which has seen Polaroid go from a relatively unknown brand, to a Top10 then Top 7, and now to a Top 3 brand at major airports.
About Polaroid Eyewear
Polaroid Eyewear manufactures Polaroid sunglasses with polarized lenses. Dr Edwin Land invented the world’s first polarizing material for commercial use in 1929 and went on to establish the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. Polaroid sunglasses have continued to innovate, and are the brand most of today’s consumers trust when it comes to polarized sunglasses.
It all starts with a great product
When people have a pair of Polaroid sunglasses in their hands to try, they fall for the brand. So we recommended that we make a start by letting the product do the talking.
Marketing Zone kicked off the campaign by demonstrating Polaroid’s unique polarizing technology, with some useful style tips for the sales staff at airport retailers. It was vital that sales people tried Polaroid sunglasses themselves so they could experience the benefits. With training and a handy pocked-sized guide, we boosted their knowledge and then tested what they’d learnt. Everyone took part and everyone passed, winning their own pair of Polaroid’s. 
This created a team of well-informed brand ambassadors that believe in the brand and sell with passion and confidence. We even gave them a lens tester lanyard to wear as part of their uniform so they could show customers the difference polarized sunglasses make.
To support the sales teams we put in place back-lit point-of-sale posters to build brand presence in store. And to prove the point that that products and people matter most, Polaroid has gone from nothing to a Top 3 best seller in just 3 years. 
Next step the web
Once we had created a knowledgeable sales team, we needed to prove that Polaroid sunglasses were a credible brand that people wanted, and that opticians would gladly stock. But we needed to overcome the fact that you can’t get publicity without distribution, and you can’t get distribution without publicity. So we turned to the web. By creating www.polaroidsunglasses.co.uk we could raise awareness and explain the benefits of Polaroid’s unique technology. The site acted as a showcase for Polaroid’s great styles and meant that we could run publicity campaigns that got excellent coverage. As soon as customers could buy sunglasses online – they did. In 2008, Marketing Zone met our e-commerce target in nine months. We discovered that people buy more than one pair of sunglasses for different styles or occasions, due to the reasonable pricing and great designs available. We made it easy for people to buy online by having a flexible returns policy, with downloadable guides for clip-on sunglasses so customers could easily tell which shape and size they needed. In 2009 we smashed sales targets again with sales that were double the target and 20% of web visitors recommending the site to others.
Digital marketing drives sales
Search engine optimisation and pay-per-click advertising has made a difference to online sales. It’s an area which is constantly monitored and refreshed so that Polaroid stays at the top of Google’s search listings. The Polaroid website is fully search engine optimised with key words and phrases included in the copy to enable good results when customers search for polarized sunglasses. We have added a blog to the website. It lets us create rich content and interact with our customers, and supports our search engine optimisation strategy.
Social media has played a role in increasing traffic to our website. By tuning in to the blogosphere we can understand what people think of Polaroid sunglasses. The Polaroid Sunglasses Facebook group engages customers and potential customers with Polaroid news and information. Twitter helps us to monitor how the public are feeling towards Polaroid sunglasses, and connect with them to encourage more sales and traffic to our website.
Public relations gains coverage
PR was an important tool in raising awareness among customers. We ran a media relations campaign with press releases featured in print and digital channels. Polaroid sunglasses gained widespread exposure in the media in a number of glossy magazines and on the radio, as well as in key trade titles. They have been seen in Top Gear online and been discussed by TV personalities. Because the benefits of Polaroid sunglasses can be seen the most clearly when the sunglasses are worn, when we distribute press releases we also offer the press complimentary sunglasses. Then editors can really understand the brand. It’s this logical thinking that has really made Polaroid stand out in the press, and has contributed to the rise in sales. With reviews, style features, contests, reader offers, viral campaigns and surveys, Polaroid polarized sunglasses have been seen and heard by 70 million people.
Some messages are so important they deserve extra PR support. The need to protect kids eyes from harmful UV rays is one of them. So Polaroid wanted to spread the word and get kid’s to understand more about UV protection. Marketing Zone put together a Schools Pack for teachers and children, helping kids learn in a fun format.
As Marketing Zone’s relationship with Polaroid Eyewear grew in the UK we began to take on larger international projects. To support Polaroid’s global expansion, Marketing Zone put together an International PR kit. Translatable press releases are provided each year on new initiatives and new collections, and we created a PR guide to help international teams be successful. Our press stories get coverage from Russia to India and Italy.
Trade marketing too
As brand awareness increased so did the number of retailers stocking Polaroid sunglasses and so did sales. Now you can buy Polaroid polarized sunglasses from high street retailers including Specsavers, Cotswold, Nevisports and independent opticians and sports shops nationwide. When you head off on holiday, you’ll see the range at UK Center Parcs and in UK airports. Or you can buy on board ferries, cruise ships and planes, with P&O, Saga, Thomson, BA, South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic – and availability is growing all the time. With a raft of trade marketing support - from bespoke catalogues to point of sale materials, and inter-store competitions – Polaroid can ensure their trade partners get the best, most relevant support, customised to their stores and shoppers.
The story continues…
Marketing Zone has taken the Polaroid sunglasses brand from strength to strength, and we haven’t finished just yet! It just goes to show that the right communication gives a brand new life. And that’s good news for any business.
