Media All-Stars 2003: Newspapers

Using newspapers' greatest strengths, she crafts timely ads for discerning readers.Christine Lamson knows her way around Olay. More than that, the 14-year veteran of advertising knows that women who use Olay products are upscale consumers hungry for information. So when it came time to present a new Olay product, one natural place to turn was newspapers. There, information about the Olay line could be presented to the inquisitive, media-savvy consumers who already are looking to the newspaper for information about their world. "It's a very trusted source to these people," says Lamson.The result: an innovative campaign that used newspaper advertising as it associated Olay products with such events as Valentine's Day and the annual spring or fall adjustment of clocks. For her work on Olay products, including Regenerist anti-aging cream and Pillows cleansing pads, Lamson is the 2003 Mediaweek All-Star for newspapers.Lamson, a vp/group communications director in the SMG/P&G unit of MediaVest USA, led a four-member team to create the remarkable series of ads. She says newspapers fit the bill in part because they are trusted and in part because they are timely. "It has an ability to deliver a message to women on a specific day," Lamson says. Her client liked the medium for his mission because "the newspaper ads bring really newsy tidbits of information tie-ins, which…really bring our product to life," says Michael Kuremsky, general manager of North American skin care for Procter & Gamble. Lamson's effort for Olay included several mini-campaigns. When it came time to reset clocks for the end of daylight savings time, Lamson's ads told readers that "this weekend, some women will be turning back the clock by more than one hour," referring to the restorative powers of Olay's skin care products. Another campaign took note of a popular Valentine's Day activity, touting Olay products as a way to "kiss signs of aging goodbye."For the anti-aging product, Olay Regenerist, a campaign included the following copy lead: "If you're not ready for a cosmetic procedure, you are the perfect candidate for new Olay Regenerist."Lamson, the daughter of a media planner, says her work builds upon a client-dedicated planning model. That is, Lamson's team members do not decide what mix of media to use until they deeply understand the client's objectives. "Newspaper really serves as one component in a holistic plan," or a plan that includes a well-rounded array of media strategies, Lamson says. Her efforts have won her the admiration of her colleagues. "She has tremendous authority on this brand," says Marla Kaplowitz, senior vp, communications director with MediaVest, and Lamson's supervisor. "She has such passion for this. She's beyond just being a media person. She's a great communications person."Kaplowitz says Lamson makes good use of her time, and of her team, empowering members to come up with the best way to serve their client. "We look at research. We look at trying to respond to the full needs of the consumer and how we can connect with her," Kaplowitz says. Contact points can include traditional media, in-store or direct-response. "It's always linking back to what the objectives are rather than, 'Let's just run an ad in the newspaper,''' says Kaplowitz. "She knows to think about it in a number of different ways."Lamson, whose own secret to staying young is her two boys, ages 4 and 18 months, has worked with Olay products since 1997, first with Wells Rich Green then with Saatchi & Saatchi beginning in 1998 and since July with MediaVest. The most recent move was a result of a realignment of brand responsibilities by the Publicis Groupe, which owns both companies. Her responsibilities have expanded to include other P&G product lines, including Head & Shoulders, Physique and Noxzema. Lamson says research backs her decisions on how to focus media plans. "On any brand, we study our development in each market. This is more and more the way I look at any business."If a market presents "an anti-aging opportunity," Lamson says, it may make sense to include a newspaper buy as part of a broader campaign. "Newspapers certainly give you the ability to provide very broad reach and coverage in that market on a given day." Newspapers can count another advantage, one gained in recent years as printing technology has become more sophisticated, Lamson says. "The way you can visualize beautiful skin [in newspapers] has improved. You're seeing better reproduction technology, which makes people feel, after an [ad] runs, like using [newspapers] again." Todd Shields is the Washington editor for Mediaweek.

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Media All-Stars 2003: Newspapers - Christine Lamson

Todd Shields

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