Executive Summary
Axe will be repositioning its Axe deodorant from its current target market of 15-25 young men, to 40 to 65 year old men. This will be done by moving away from the currently used sexual attraction based brand image, and shifting towards a message that promotes male innerconfidence. Axe has been granted a 12 million dollar budget for this communications campaign to change the perceived brand image in the Canadian market.
To achieve this shift is brand positioning, Axe will be utilizing an advertising campaign that involves television and radio commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements, as well as out of home and unique public advertising. The adverting campaign will be set into two 3 month phases, phase 1 beginning circulation in June 2013, and phase 2 beginning circulation in October
2013. Phase 1 will focus on building up interest and intrigue on the new image of the Axe brand, while phase 2 will actually show comparisons between Axe users and non-Axe users.
A promotions campaign will also be conducted across the Canadian market, in their five major cities which are Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. These areas will have promotional 2 man teams touring grocery and super stores, engaging consumers who fit the target market, giving out samples, and conducting market research. This promotional campaign will occur during Phase 1 of the advertising campaign.
A public relations campaign will also take place in both phase 1 and phase 2. In phase 1, Axe will host a public speaking conference, known as the “Confidence Conference,” which will be hosted in four of the major cities, with guest speakers and seminars. In Phase 2, Axe will conduct a charity for homeless shelters and families in need. This will be known as the “You and Axe
Give Back!” charity drive, where Axe will donate an Axe product to these groups for every Axe product purchased by a consumer. The overall message will be that everyone deserves to feel clean and confident, so Axe is going to help with that.
This overall repositioning by Axe aims to unify a companywide shift into a new target market, and also redefine Axes brand image. The advertising, promotional, and public relations campaign all hope to acquire the attention, desire, purchases, and overall loyalty of men aged 40 to 65.

Axe Deodorant Proposed Target Market, Positioning, Communications Objectives and
Strategies a) Proposed Target Market:
DEMOGRAPHIC
AWARENESS and INTENTIONS
Product Knowledge: Identify the product as a mature source of deodorant, easy to apply, long lasting effects, and generating inner confidence.
BEHAVIOUR
Age: 40-65 years old
Birth Era: Baby Boomer Generation
Gender: Heterosexual Males
Life Stage: Middle aged men currently in or approaching self-actualization stage
Martial Status: Single, married, in a relationship, or divorced
Involvement: Low involvement, habitual purchase
Dissatisfied Customers may be inclined to change brands on next purchase
Race: Any race or ethnic Decent
GEOGRAPHIC
City Size: Large urban city to small rural towns
Region: Predominantly North America
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
Culture: Mainstream North American Culture
Lifestyle: Comfortable living, independent, settled down
Personality: The everyday working man focused heavily on work as opposed to social development, set in their ways
Social Class: Middleclass
Values: Social norms, self-actualization stage, and regaining youth (“40 is the new 30”)
SOCIOECONOMICS
Education: High level of education (University
Graduate/Post-Graduate)
Income: Middle to high income, (able to live comfortably)
Occupation: Full time employment, Career based, professionals
BENEFITS SOUGHT
Product Feature: Quick and easy application, favourable scent, attractive packaging, long lasting scent (freshness)
Needs/Wants: Favourable and long lasting scent
OUTLET TYPES
In-Store: Focus Heavily on grocery stores, drug stores, and major chain (Wal-Mart, Metro, etc.)
Direct: Products can also be purchased online through many websites (Amazon, EBay, etc.)
USAGE
Usage Rate: Daily usage
User Status: User must re-purchase product monthly

b) Proposed Positioning
- Axe deodorant is positioned as a strong, long lasting, fresh deodorant that breeds inner confidence to conquer outer situations, for the everyday man. c) Proposed Communications Objectives
- To form a distinction in 85% of targeted consumers awareness of Axe over its direct competition by the first quarter of 2014.
- To build a brand image of confidence focused on personal success, with 75% of the target market by the second quarter of 2014.
- To be the deodorant of choice within 65% of the evoked set of target audience by the third quarter of 2014.
- To generate brand loyalty within 60% of the target audience by third quarter of
2014. d) Proposed Communications Strategies
The new Axe image will utilize multiple aspects of the promotional mix to achieve the proposed communication objectives a.
Advertising Campaign
The majority of the new Axe campaign will revolve around heavy advertising through major promotional channels. i.
The first promotional channel will be through a series of television commercials. A national television commercial will help form distinction for the brand as well as develop the new brand image and awareness. The television commercial will be aired on networks such as TSN, CBC, and
Global.
ii.
A national print promotion will follow the television commercials. The print advertisements, much like the television advertisements, will help form distinction for the brand as well as develop the new brand image and awareness. The print advertisements will be focused on major

publications such as Forbes, Car and Driver, Sports Illustrated, and
National newspapers such as the Globe and Mail. Print advertisements will also be seen through major urban city newspapers like the Toronto
Star. This promotional campaign will be focused on the target market mainly in the urban areas of Canada.
iii.
Out of Home promotion will be focused heavily in the metropolitan areas in Canada. Similar to both the television commercial and the print advertisements, these out of home promotions are focused to increase brand image and awareness as well as create a distinction with the Axe brand over its competition. These promotional efforts will be focused on billboards and shopping malls in major metropolitan cities. The new Axe effect will also follow Axe’s tradition of unique out of home ads, however these will be focused on the new positioning of confidence.
iv.
Radio broadcast commercials will be the final advertising promotional effort. Like all other advertisements, the radio will generate an increase in brand awareness and image, as well as generating a distinction with the
Axe brand over its competition. These stations include: CKNWAM980 in
Vancouver, 660News in Calgary, 680News in Toronto, 1310News in
Ottawa, and CJAD800AM in Montreal. Seeing as many working men drive to and from work, the Axe brand will be heard during the traffic hours throughout the day having a direct target on the desired audience of males.
b.
Promotion campaign i.
The Axe brand will have sample booths set up throughout all major distribution chains such as Wal-Mart, focusing on the heavily populated metropolitan areas, as well as through close suburban towns. These booths will have mini take home samples of Axe deodorant sprays and sticks. There will also be information on the new position, and the new
“testimonial promotion” challenge (see part ii of this section). The sample booths will define the Axe brand with the target audience and make it their brand of choice. The booths will be run by mature male and female teams

that will be able to deliver product benefits in a way that relates to the target audience.
ii.
A consumer driven promotion will be created based on consumer testimonials about how they applied their new found confidence to their everyday life. The tagline of the promotion will be “what have you conquered with your new found confidence – the NEW Axe effect.” This promotion will allow the target market to relate to the new axe effect brand and make this the brand of choice as well as increase brand loyalty.
There will be select winners that will be entered in a draw for many different adventurous prizes, which include: sky diving, bungee jumping, a day on the sports track, as well as a cash grand prize and a chance to appear in a commercial.