Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
University of Lethbridge
Roberto Bello
contributed to the mass success of the organization. Nevertheless, as a team we have detected a
few limitations that we feel could be improved upon through the use of Integrated Marketing
Communications. This has led to the creation of this working document which can be used as a
general guide for the company moving forward. Our goal is to help this company to forge in a
new, profitable direction and thereby increase the success of WD-40, as a both brand and a firm.
Marketing Strategy
Secondary Research
Situational Analysis. In order to understand the current factors impacting the company
we must look at a situational analysis, a visual version of this can be found in Appendix A in a
SWOT analysis format. Firstly, WD-40 is strong in areas such as distribution and sales networks,
which can be seen through their products being included in virtually every hardware store within
North America. For example, the Canadian Tire website alone offers at least ten different WD-40
products (Grease, Gear Oil and Lubricants, 2016). They are also operating within an established
market which has a loyal customer base and an established brand name. They are also
performing well in terms of profitability and revenue. Unfortunately, they are showing
weaknesses in terms of differentiation among the product lines. There are multiple product line
extensions, however they all serve a similar use and are generally the exact same formula.
Continually, once a consumer purchases the product, it tends to last a long time and can serve a
huge variety of uses. This is limiting in itself because the company has to wait a long time for the
consumer to purchase the product again. Furthermore, WD-40 is operating within a competitive
market and face low switching costs due to the fact that there are a variety of alternative
tapped into. WD-40 is currently focusing on operations within North America, however given
their maturity as a company, they could look to expand internationally. Furthermore, there are
opportunities in terms of expanding the product lines in order to reach a new target audience and
increase their overall market share. With that, there are threats that could impact the success of
these expansions. Firstly, the specific product offering can be easily imitated and replicated by
other companies. There are also barriers to entry as far as international growth, such as political
Industry Trends. WD-40 is part of the construction materials and maintenance industry.
This industry is heavily competitive as there are many products out there that are very similar to
what WD-40 has to offer. The products that WD-40 currently offer are multi purpose
maintenance products and home care cleaning products which can both be very easily replicated
- almost anybody can go out and create some sort of lubricant and cleaning product. The main
competitors within the industry that WD-40 needs to be aware of are as follows: Aceto
Corporation, Hawkins Inc., Inter Parfums Inc., Landec Corporation and Park Electrochemical
Corporation (WD-40 Company, 2016) are among the few that produce similar products. Given
these well established firms within the industry, rivalry amongst each other is very strong. The
industry is not growing substantially fast, there is low switching cost for the consumers and
Nonetheless, we believe WD-40 has a big differentiating factor, their brand name. This
factor allows them to be one of the most dominate lubrication brands in the industry. WD-40 has
branded themselves so effectively that when people need a lubrication they don't say they need to
go get some lube, they say they need to go get some WD-40. This could be generalized as WD-
40s strongest competitive advantage. The other major impact in the industry is the low
switching cost. This makes for a very competitive environment where firms are stealing
competitor's customers in order to gain market share. Firms are able to do this through
WD-40 has been in this market since the 1950s which allows them to be a well known,
and well established brand. Being around for as long as they have been shows that you must be
profitable in order to survive. The company reported revenues of 378.2 million in the fiscal year
of 2015 And a net margin of 11.8%. This means that 11.8% of their revenue went to operating
The company has a global distribution network including and not limited to North
America, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. (WD-40
Company, 2016) Being a global company they must have a sound supply chain network in order
to control distribution costs and maximize profits. With this well established network, WD-40
has an opportunity to expand into new and emerging markets throughout the world. For example,
the opportunity to expand into Russia could be a huge market as they have one of the largest
populations in the world sitting at 143.5 Million. (Demographics of Russia, 2016) With that, they
must be aware of political and legal threats when moving internationally, and should ensure that
Main competing products. As per the Canadian Tire website here are some similar
products that are offered in replacement for consumers other than WD-40 (Grease, Gear Oil and
Lubricants, 2016).
Jig-a-loo
Liquid Wrench
3 in 1
Moto Master
Permatex
We have further organized all of the aforementioned competitors into a perceptual map
found in Appendix B. The two distinguishing factors we chose to incorporate were multi-usage
and price. In comparison to other industry brands, WD-40 was rated the best in regards to the
Through our research we have chosen four new products to satisfy customer needs. These
products will allow consumers to get closer to their ideal self. Our four new products are: Tractor
WD-40, Extreme Weather WD-40, She D-40 and Sport Line WD-40. Each new product satisfies
one or more of Maslows needs. WD-40 offers numerous different uses and therefore can satisfy
many different needs. We do not recommend implementing all of the new products at the same
time or in the same place, because some product traits conflict. For example, the She D40 should
not be released in extreme rural areas, because in general women wont be bothered getting their
hands dirty.
community. During harvest, farmers have limited time to deal with problematic machinery, this
product will ensure that cultivation isnt reduced, and they can meet demand. This product will
allow targeted consumers to use WD-40 for their tractors and other tools. The product will not
differ from regular WD-40, it will simply be new branding. WD-40 did a similar product
extension with their new Bike line. Farmers will be able to use Tractor WD-40 on any of their
tools, specifically their tractors and harvest machines. This product will be released in areas with
higher levels of agriculture, for example Lethbridge. Tractor WD-40 will satisfy safety and
physiological needs. Tractor WD-40 will ensure that the farmers avoid any injuries and can
continue working. It will also ensure that they can harvest enough, to sustain their families to
Extreme weather WD-40. The Extreme Weather WD-40 is a different product from
regular WD-40 in two ways. Firstly it has a freezing point of negative 60. Secondly, it is
packaged differently. The packaging has grips on the sides and has a larger button. It allows easy
product use for consumers, the bigger button allows consumers to apply the product with work
gloves and winter gloves on. This product targets those working in extreme weather. Northern
locations in Canada will be able to greatly benefit from this product. Those who work on the oil
patch will be able to benefit from this product. In daily life, consumers who live in cold weather
can use this product to unlock frozen locks, ease of use while maintaining confidence within the
product. This product focuses on satisfying safety needs. It will protect consumers from any
workplace accident.
Domestic WD-40: She D-40. Most WD-40 users are men, however She D-40 targets
women. The product will encourage women to use the product within their daily lives. WD-40
will be rebranded with feminine colours and a cloth around the outside. The feminine colours
will help catch the eye of consumers, and differentiate their products. The cloth wrapped around
the outside will ensure that consumers hands dont get dirty. Uses of this product includes
cleaning stainless steel appliances (including the stove and burners), bathroom and kitchen tiles,
marker and crayon off surfaces and removes left over tape from glass. Feeling crafty? Use the
She D-40 to restore chalk boards and white boards, or make your pumpkin last weeks. She D-
40 can waterproof the entire family's shoes. This product satisfies social and esteem needs of
consumers. It will allow for ease of daily life as well as completion of demanding tasks.
Sport Line WD-40. Sport allows consumers an easy to use, no mess, portable WD-40.
The new packaging will have size options, ensuring that the product is easy to transport. It will
be offered in both aerosol and non aerosol to ensure that it can be brought on a plane. The
product will have no leakage, as well as no excess spray onto the consumer. Many athletes
cannot have slippery hands even though their tools and equipment may need lubrication. WD-40
Sport can be used for skiing and snowboarding, skates, horses shoes, cleats (track and field,
football, rugby etc.), and golf. This product can also be used for more leisurely sports like
tobogganing and fishing. The Sport Line WD-40 will satisfy social and esteem needs. This
product will facilitate consumers when participating in sporting and physical social events. It will
Creative Approach
Communication Objectives
that WD-40 is a stronger and better company than the consumer was previously aware. For WD-
40 the main objective is to make sure that all consumers know the brand name, the logo, and the
numerous uses of the product that you wouldnt even think about. Communication objectives are
about converting the product from the inept set into the evoked set.
Advertising objectives. Advertising objectives are a subset of communication objectives
that focuses on the message provided to the consumer through the media. The advertising
objectives have a function to increase sales or reputation with the company, encourage new
customers to use the product and remind consumers of the product. For WD-40 advertising
objectives can include all of the above. By showing consumers the many different uses of WD-
40 previously mentioned it can be a mechanism for new consumers as well as attracting previous
consumers for uses that were previously unknown. Introducing WD-40 as a one stop shop
product for many uses in daily life to target new audiences as well as retain previous consumers.
For WD-40 consumer involvement will be low and thus results in the pursuance of
Feel(Belch, Belch, & Guolla, 2014). To effectively advertise in this involvement the focus
needs to be mass media production with a focus on broadcasting (i.e. Tv, Radio etc.). In most
cases the heavy repetition strategy will allow more reach than creating advertisements with long
lengthy messages.
Public relations objectives. Public Relations objectives are changing and focusing on
company image in many different ways. One way that WD-40 can put a positive outlook on the
corporation is through converting the current PR into a broader and more marketing-oriented
position. Public relations and marketing working independently in a proactive role to show the
consumers that WD-40 is doing the best for the community which you the consumer lives in.
To create public relations objectives requires the creation of a public relations plan, which is a
collection of plans and procedures that can be used in the result of problems and opportunities.
The plan is consisting of communication objectives, behavioural objectives, and strategies that
can be used. These strategies include PR stunts, possibility of media publicity, and corporate
advertising.
Other promotional internet & social media objectives. The objectives are similarly
focused on creating an image of positivity that can be shared through to a large portion of
population through mass media broadcasting and the like. Therefore other objectives for WD-40
can include the creation of a viral marketing campaign, as stated earlier the involvement of the
purchases are low involvement and the key strategy is repetition. By creating a viral marketing
campaign the company can help promote their image and put a reminder of the brand into an
internet phenomenon. These campaigns are focused on creating a message that is most
commonly shared through a new age word of mouth and would be shared globally through the
internet.
Know the competition. WD-40 is unique in that they are one of the only products in the
product mainly acts as a lubricant, rust preventative, and penetrant however the companys
website lists over 2000 uses for the product. In regards to competition within the industry, there
are several products that may offer just one of the main uses that WD-40 provides such. Some of
these competitors include 3-in-1 Oil, Deep Creep, MotoMaster, Perma Tex and Jig-A-Loo.
While these products may perform well, WD-40 still remains at the forefront of the industry due
Consumers can purchase the product once, and use it continuously to solve various
problems instead of purchasing a different product for each unique issue. Consequently, WD-40
is able to claim a central position in the marketplace because it is able to deliver on all of the
salient benefits that their product claims to have. Additionally, WD-40 is ultimately able to target
various markets and audiences due to the nature of the product serving so many purposes.
target markets it serves, it is first important to understand the consumers purchasing the product.
impulse purchase. Typically, consumers do not spend time planning to purchase WD-40; instead,
when an issue comes up that WD-40 can solve they will go to the nearest location when it is
convenient for them and make the purchase. Consumers then have the multi-purpose product on
hand and can grab it whenever necessary. This results in consumers not purchasing as frequently
since they can use the product for a long period of time for various problems.
Campaign theme. WD-40 is already a well-known brand within the lubrication industry,
and therefore they have already achieved top of mind awareness. By positioning themselves as
the central multipurpose product in the industry, they can maintain their competitive advantage
and carve out a specific niche market in consumers minds that is distinctive from their
competitors. Resultantly, the overarching theme and slogan that has been developed is WD-40,
multi-purpose, consumers generally do not get excited about the basic everyday uses they
already know about. Therefore, in order to get consumers talking about the product, the
campaign should primarily utilize inherent drama with an emphasis on an emotional appeal.
More specifically, it should bring humour into the picture in order to help a relatively boring
product become more interesting. This can be done by advertising different comical situations in
which WD-40 can be used such as greasing up one's legs to fit into their leather pants or
lubricating the bottoms of your skis to go faster down the hill. The idea of this emotional appeal
is to highlight a humorous situation that consumers will be able to laugh at and perhaps identify
with to a certain extent. The use of a celebrity or spokesperson is not necessary seeing as though
WD-40 is already such a large reputable brand. Moreover, we do not want to distract from the
brand by partnering with a spokesperson that might potentially take attention away.
execution techniques including dramatization, humour, demonstration and even slice of life. The
advertisements should begin with presenting the humorous situation, and then introduce WD-40
as the solution at the end. Additionally, seeing as though the situation might appear unrelated at
first, it is essential that the solution to the problem be given explicitly. Finally, the campaign will
be one-sided in presenting the benefits due to the fact that consumers already hold a favourable
Versions of each message. For the purposes of this campaign, we have developed two
print ads that can be found in Appendix C. The WD-40 website lists over 2000 uses for the
product, and one of them was removing crayons from the walls without leaving any marks or
stripping the paint. Therefore, the first print advertisement created shows a young boy coloring
with crayons on the wall getting caught by his mom. This advertisement employs a slice of life
technique in which it highlights a common problem that consumers may have that can be solved
by WD-40. The second print advertisement identifies a different scene in which it portrays a
young woman downhill skiing. It then states, Got a need for speed? Grease your skis! This
advertisement utilizes humour as it encourages users to use WD-40 on the bottoms of their skis
our campaign. Due to the fact that we are targeting middle aged women, we suggest placing
these advertisements on channels that this audience may traditionally frequent such as TLC, The
The first commercial will utilize humor in combination with slice of life. It will begin a
mother listening to her teenage kids talking while sitting in the kitchen. As she listens, she begins
to realize that she no longer is up to date with what is considered trendy and cool. She then goes
upstairs and pulls out a pair of leather pants from a box that was buried away in her closet. The
next scene portrays the mother desperately trying to fit back into her pants without any success
as they are now too small. She then pauses as an idea comes to her mind and she starts smiling.
The commercial then skips to her in the garage spraying her legs with WD-40 and then slipping
into her leather pants with ease. Finally, there will be a voiceover stating the new campaign
The second commercial starts out with a young woman in her early 20s on her phone at
home when you hear her ringtone go off for a new text message. The screen then brings up the
conversation screen and shows a male name breaking up with the girl over a text message. Next,
there is sad music and the young woman is shown sobbing in her living room with tissues
everywhere, and ice cream and wine on the table. There is also a life-size can of WD-40 sitting
on the couch with the girl consoling her and rubbing her back in a supportive fashion. The music
then stops as if a record was being stopped, and there is a voiceover stating WD-40, the solution
Media Plan
Target audiences, strategy and execution. WD-40s current target audience is adult
males aged 30-45. This audience will be married with children and make a yearly earning of
approximately $40,000 - $80,000. These individuals are looked up to by their children, family,
and friends as leaders and problem solvers. Some key attributes of these individuals are that they
are responsible spenders due to the fact that they have a family to think about and are looking to
receive the most bang for their buck when making purchasing decisions. They appreciate quality
products and brands, specifically those that can be made to last if taken care of properly.
However, for the purpose of this media campaign we will be targeting 18-30 year old
women. This is due to the fact that WD-40s current target audience is already saturated, and the
best way for them to increase their presence within the market is to expand to a new target
audience. This age group includes young moms and post secondary students. An average salary
for this audience is between $30,000 - $60,000. These women value social class and always
consider what their peers will think about them. Before making any purchase decisions, this
group will think about how it will affect their appearance. These individuals are engaged and up
to date with fashion and pop culture and always try to incorporate new trends into their lifestyle,
but sometimes struggle to do so because of their hectic schedules. Our target audience looks to
purchase trendy products and brands that they feel reflects their ideal self, but also appreciate
products that are practical and make their busy lives easier.
The main media objective for WD-40 will be to ensure consumers are aware of the WD-
40 brand name, and to educate them on the various uses of the product. This will be done by
engaging with target consumers and introducing them to new applications for the product that
they may not have previously been aware of. We plan to use a combined approach of TV and
magazine ads to convey our message, as well as increase the efficiency of our social media
efforts. By effectively using these mediums we hope to give the customer a new perspective on
the brand and show them WD-40 has more household uses than previously thought.
Reach target audiences. When attempting to reach our target audience, we plan on using
a number of different methods. First we will look to reach out through magazine advertisements.
As our target audience is trying to stay up to date with fashion and pop culture, it is likely that
they may find themselves reading through a magazine such as Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair,
Glamour, or People. To most effectively grasp our audiences attention we plan to use a full page
layout and include a free standing insert which can be removed from the magazine if the
consumer is intrigued.
Next we will look to introduce our product through TV commercials. A video format will
best allow us to explain and demonstrate the various uses of our product in a way which engages
the consumer. We plan to place these advertisements on TV stations our target audience would
most likely be viewing. This would include TLC, E!, and the Food Network. Consumers will be
able to Keep up With the Kardashians and be exposed to our product at the same time.
Use sales promotions, public relations, the internet and social media. Finally, we plan
to move WD-40 into the consumer's immediate evoked set through an increased efficiency on
social media platforms. Currently WD-40s social media pages are poorly coordinated and are
virtually ineffective. At this point WD-40 has a strong presence on Facebook (216k likes), but is
weak on Twitter (9.3k followers), Instagram (2.7k followers), and Youtube (550 subscribers).
These social media efforts may be failing for a number of reasons, most notably because they are
hard to find within these social media sites and that they do not have anything linking them to
their other social media pages. Another major problem holding them back is the fact they they
consumers more confidence when searching that the accounts are in fact speaking on behalf of
the company. Since WD-40 is already a reputable and well known company, there should be no
problem certifying these accounts with ease. Next, each account will not only include a link to
the official WD-40 website, but links to each of the other social media pages as well (for
example, Twitter bio will include URLs which redirect traffic to Facebook, Instagram, and
Youtube pages). To further enhance consumers ability to find WD-40 social media pages,
Facebook and Twitter handles will be placed on all new advertisements. This will be placed on
the bottom of our print ads, and at the end of our video ads in TV commercials. We expect that
these combined efforts will lead to a drastic increase in follows on our struggling social media
pages, and a small increase in likes on our Facebook page which is already doing well. As our
social media presence gains strength we will be able to deliver a clearer and more effective
Message timing. Because our product is so versatile, it is relevant every day of the year.
To address this we will use a continuous advertisement schedule, where we will consistently
advertise throughout the entire year in both our TV and Magazine efforts.The content of our ads
may change, for example demonstrating a different application for the products, but our
Media budget. An estimated cost for a full page color advertisement in Cosmopolitan
(Cosmopolitan Media Kit - Fun Fearless Female. 2016). Free standing inserts have a price tag of
$285,000 per insert in People magazine (People Media Kit. 2014) and $172,000 in Vanity Fair
(Vanity Fair Print Media Kit. 2015). Unfortunately Cosmopolitan does not offer this feature. As
for advertising on a major television network, it can cost anywhere between $100,000 - $475,000
for a 30 second clip on national TV (Wagner, N. 2016). This of course depends on the number of
viewers and if it is a special occasion such as the Super Bowl or World Cup. Because we are
targeting prime-time slots on popular channels with no special occasion, we will likely be
looking at a cost of roughly $300,000 per commercial. WD-40 will target 120 GRPs with a
reach of 60% of the target audience and a frequency of 2 for TV ads. For more information on
the Media Plan section and the integration between reaching the target audience, the timing and
R&P Model
Given that WD-40 is an established brand within a mature industry, our primary focus is
to encourage trial purchase. Through this campaign, we are focussing on women aged 18-30 due
to the fact that the same age range for men has already been tapped into. Therefore, this change
in focus will help increase the amount of people who are using WD-40 as a product, and
therefore the emphasis will be on acquiring new customers who have not previously used the
product. Although this may be a more expensive tactic for the company, the brand recognition is
high and the existing customers are very loyal to the brand. This means that although there may
be an increased cost for acquiring new customers in the female target audience, once they have
tried to product, there is a high likelihood that they will become loyal customers as well.
Furthermore, our creative messages are aimed towards showing the consumer the various
ways that the product can be used, in a humorous and emotional way. This aligns with our tactic
to target new users and encourage brand trial because we are giving information about the
utilization of the product, which is helpful for those who have never used the product before.
Continually, given that WD-40 is already a recognized brand, non-users are more likely to
understand the characteristics of the products without having used them before. Through this
tactic, WD-40 will be able to increase the number of current users of the product and increase
There are various different research methods that could be used to test the effectiveness
of the advertisements mentioned above. We suggest the following pretest and posttest methods,
which will be used to measure the effects of the ads and the IMC efforts.
Pre-Tests
Portfolio tests. A portfolio test would be beneficial because it is a lab method, which
means that the marketers would have control over the entire process and could therefore generate
a lot of data at one time. During a portfolio test, the marketers present a group of ads to the
participants in order for them to compare. Although there is potential for bias in this method, it
allows flexibility for the marketers to choose ads for comparison as well as make the decision to
Dummy advertising vehicles. Dummy advertising is a great way to create realism and
gain even better data from the participants. In this method, the WD-40 advertisement would be
placed within a magazine that is a dummy. The participant is able to see how the ad would fit
within a magazine, which increases the realism and may influence the perception of the ad as a
whole.
Post-tests
Inquiry tests. Inquiry tests should be used to determine the success of the print
advertisements. This is a great way to get more information from a participant and allow them to
give you feedback that goes beyond that of a survey. The marketer would ask participants if they
saw the specific WD-40 ad within a magazine, what the advertisement was about and if they
recognized that the advertisement was connected to the WD-40 brand. This is a great tool to
generate holistic and inexpensive data, although it is limited in that although the participant
recognized your advertisement, they may not have the motivation to buy.
Recognition tests. Recognition tests are conducted in a similar way to Inquiry tests,
however they differ because recognition tests are specifically focused on if the participant can
recall the ad. This tool is beneficial for marketers because recall is connected to the actual
purchase of the product. Given that WD-40 is already a well-known brand and most individuals
have preconceptions about this product, recall of the specific advertisement should generate a
greater likelihood of purchase. This connects to our overall communication objective of brand
awareness.
Pretest (Broadcasting)
In regards to the commercials that we suggest, both brain waves and eye-tracking would
be useful for marketers to use. Marketers can attach receptors onto participants and track their
brain waves while they watch a WD-40 advertisement. Given that our recommended approach is
using humor, it would be beneficial for marketers to use this tactic and measure if the
This is especially important because humor tactics can be difficult to perfect. There are
limitations when using humor due to the fact that it could be misconstrued as illegitimate or the
participants will remember the tagline or the advertisement but not the brand behind it. WD-40 is
such a well known brand name that this limitation is not as prevalent compared to other brands.
References
Belch, G., Belch, M., & Guolla, M. (2014). Advertising & Promotion: An Integrated Marketing
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http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/WD-40_Company_(WDFC)
Demographics of Russia. (2016, November 28). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demographics_of_Russia&oldid=751941919
Grease, Gear Oils and Lubricant. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/automotive/oils-fluids-additives-chemicals/grease-gear-
oils-lubricants.html?adlocation=LIT_Category_Product_GreaseGearOilLubricantsCat_en
WD-40 Company. (2016, January 30). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
http://advantage.marketline.com.ezproxy.alu.talonline.ca/Product?ptype=Companies&pid
=443ECBC2-561F-4305-A760-7665FD3EE57D
Cosmopolitan Media Kit - Fun Fearless Female. (2016). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
http://cosmomediakit.com/r5/home.asp
http://static.people.com/people/static/mediakit/
Vanity Fair Print Media Kit. (2015, November). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
http://m.condenast.com/sites/all/files/pdf/media_kit_print_3307.pdf
Wagner, N. (2016). How Much Does Television Advertising Really Cost? Retrieved November
58718.html
Appendix A
Situational Analysis
Appendix B
Perceptual Map
Appendix C