CAMPAIGN: Bobcat Park and Rec Makeover Contest
CLIENT: Bobcat Company
AGENCY: X-FCTR
Empowering Communities to Accomplish More
Background
Bobcat Company believes in giving back to communities to make the world a better place. Part of delivering on that ethos is empowering communities to accomplish more, just like Bobcat equipment.
Therefore, the team set out to develop a bold, original and big-hearted initiative that would demonstrate Bobcat’s commitment to supporting local communities while inspiring, connecting and engaging all audiences around the power of the Bobcat brand.
Insights & Strategy
Together with Bobcat, our first step was to identify a platform common to almost every community in the country that indexed strongly with Bobcat’s target audience. We collaborated with one of Bobcat’s strategic partners, the National Recreation and Park Association, whose research indicated that of 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed:
- 84% visited a local park or recreation facility at least once in the past year*
- *Equivalent to 280 million people
- 88% of park visitors are parents
- 9/10 agree parks & recreation provides an important local service
For the campaign, we chose to leverage the broad appeal of youth sports and recreation facilities with the Bobcat “groundbreaker” mindset of customers and families as a platform to showcase Bobcat’s commitment to supporting local communities by using its equipment and dealer network to transform those kinds of public spaces.
Idea & Execution
Together, we created a national Bobcat Park and Rec Makeover contest, where one community would win a $100,000 park makeover with assistance from a local Bobcat dealer, and one runner-up would receive a Bobcat zero-turn mower.
To make a splash and spread awareness of the contest, we leveraged demo expert and Bobcat brand ambassador Chip Gaines during a media event and full park makeover using Bobcat equipment. With help from local community members, Bobcat volunteers and local youth baseball players, we showcased what this program was all about and how it could benefit another local community.
Bobcat then instituted a drip campaign leveraging its additional ambassadors including actor and director Josh Duhamel, country music star Justin Moore, and former US Olympic BMX coach Ryan Nyquist, all asking their followers to get involved.
We also provided nearly 1,300 Bobcat dealers across the country with a kit of promotional assets to engage their communities.
NRPA evaluated finalists on a standard set of criteria including Social-Vulnerability Index (SVI), project feasibility, and community approval for budget and project timelines, with the public voting for their favorite project, creating a groundswell of support and awareness for those communities and this initiative.
Impact
The makeover program was a home run, delivering significant results and positive brand sentiment.
- 1.77 Billion Media Impressions
- 3.39 Million Social Impressions
- $132M advertising & news equivalency value
- 44 States with contest registrations
- 3,658 finalist votes
Testimonial
“Bobcat is thrilled with the success of its Park and Rec Makeover contest, which not only aligned with our awareness goals but also inspired communities to recognize the potential in their park and recreation spaces. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts in partnership with X-FCTR. Their expertise and commitment were instrumental in bringing this vision to life, and we look forward to a continued partnership to support future initiatives.”
—Caryn Odenbach, Bobcat Company, Marketing Manager, Brand & Experience, Bobcat
For more of our work with Bobcat and Chip Gaines:
