NOW marks next phase of growth with new ad campaign
NOW is launching its first-ever fully-integrated national brand campaign and brand refresh. The largest independent and family-owned manufacturer of natural products in the US health food store channel is emphasizing high quality supplements without a premium price tag.
“We have identified our target audiences that we want to reach with this campaign, and we think that the ‘feel good spending less’ message will appeal to them. At a time when rising costs are a concern for many, this message seems even timelier. This new campaign focuses on demonstrating what good health feels like, showing high energy moments and vibrant and joyous colors, accompanied by up-tempo soundtracks and laughter,” said Amber Cerda, NOW Director of Marketing.
“NOW consistently runs advertising, but the last major campaign we did where we hired an agency was for our 50th anniversary in 2018. This is the first time we’ve engaged with an agency specifically to support our supplement category. While we experienced record sales during COVID, we didn’t see that same growth in our awareness. We felt that we were at a point where we needed to outsource media buying to an agency if we wanted to continue to increase our awareness and reach new audiences. It also seemed like an opportune time to do a brand refresh,” she added.
Enhanced brand
Cerda said in looking at the competitive landscape, she observed that most brands have similar messaging. “What makes NOW different from many other natural brands is our value. Providing high quality supplements at an affordable price has been our mission since we were founded by Elwood Richard more than 50 years ago. And we are still owned by the Richard family today so we can continue to prioritize both quality AND value. The idea behind ‘Feel Good Spending Less’ is to create ads that give people an instant dopamine hit, making them feel as good as NOW supplements do.”
The company said that these high energy moments, vibrant colors, and up-tempo soundtracks are intended to appeal to NOW’s desired target audiences, which range from millennials who want to start focusing on their health to people already actively doing things to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Fresh TV, print, digital, social media ads
The campaign is the work of Milwaukee-based Hanson Dodge, which was named NOW’s agency-of-record in February.
“We knew that we were at a point where we needed the strategic support of an agency if we wanted to continue to increase our awareness and reach new audiences. It also seemed like an opportune time to do a brand refresh,” said Cerda. “We have so many good stories to tell and a huge product line, but HD helped us boil it down to something that should stick. This is a big step for NOW as we’ve never worked with an agency on this level. We’re investing more than double what we’ve spent previously on consumer advertising with this campaign.”
Cerda added that the increased media spend will allow NOW to reach new audiences who may not be familiar with the brand which will help increase awareness, drive sales and help gain new loyal customers.
The multi-million dollar effort, launched last month, will run through the end of the year. “Feel Good Now” messages will appear in magazines such as Women’s Health and Real Simple, on over-the-top TV, digital out-of-home and displays, and streaming audio.
