Vaseline turns to customers to promote its products

Dry Skin Patrol

With the approach of the winter season, Vaseline^® recently announced plans to launch a new integrated marketing campaign for its Vaseline Intensive Rescue line of skin-care products. Aware of the positive buzz for the iconic brand on online blogs, Vaseline sought the help of customers to promote its creams and lotions.

Vaseline searched blogs and social media sites for customers who frequently post comments about their experiences with Vaseline Intensive Rescue products. Vaseline's search eventually led them to three women who will become the brand's new spokeswomen: Kari Ellen Aceto (a product reviewer on "A Giveaway Addicted Mommy" blog), Kailani Okamota (author of the "Island Life" blog), and Michelle Lee (author of "The Adventures of Supermom" blog).

Aceto, Okamota, and Lee comprise what Vaseline has dubbed the "Dry Skin Patrol." In the coming months, the trio will be taking part in a "Vaseline Intensive Rescue Mission Tour" across the country. The tour will focus on events where harsh weather could be combated with Vaseline products, such as the Winternational Women's Ski Competition in Aspen, Colo.; the Polar Bear Club swim in Coney Island, N.Y.; and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minn.

Vaseline will also be reaching out to customers via the Internet through advertisements on relevant third-party websites, such asweather.com and everydayhealth.com. Additionally, Vaseline will conduct product demonstrations and give away free samples at more than 10,000 retail locations throughout the winter season. Customers will soon get to know the Dry Skin Patrol through Facebook. Vaseline's Facebook page will feature videos of the three women on tour, and fans will be able to submit questions, request samples, and enter sweepstakes to win a trip to one of the Vaseline Intensive Rescue Mission Tour locations.

Vaseline hopes the new campaign will resonate with customers. Aceto had been writing about her son's eczema and her own dry skin when she was contacted by the company. "To be picked from the web based on things that I've talked about," she said, "I feel like there's actually somebody listening."

StepByStepMarketing.com™ believes that involving customers in a promotion or even in product development leads to long-lasting relationships. Just be sure to provide rewards when you solicit customers' input. Whether you offer a chance to have first crack at a new product, special discounts, or access to customer support, giving customers moderate rewards can build loyalty for a brand.