America Really Does Run on Dunkin'

“Power Walk” Radio Ad

TRANSCRIPT

00:01: Song begins in background                                                                               “Steps” by They Might Be Giants

Taking a power walk (In my tennis shoes)                                                         
Watch as I power walk (My elbows up high)                                                                     
I’m gonna power walk into the municipal building

(Elevator, escalator)                                                                                                    
No, I choose to power walk

00:23: “Start your day a little healthier with the new fiber rich multigrain bagel and power walk into that municipal building. America Runs on Dunkin’”

- END -

Purpose of Advertisement

"American Runs on Dunkin'" -- a very bold statement made by a coffee retailer, suggesting that the entire nation relies on Dunkin' Donuts for every day functionality. This new strategy of re-branding succeeds at positioning the chain as a quick but appealing alternative to specialty coffee shops and fast-food chains. The purpose of this particular radio advertisement is to remind listeners that Dunkin' Donuts is a smart choice for coffee and breakfast food on your way to work. The radio commercial has a jingle playing in the background that is motivating, catchy and interesting. It is telling listeners that if they grab Dunkin' Donuts, they will have the energy and enthusiasm to power walk into their office and have a successful day at work. This is suggested through the part of the song "Elevator, Escalator. NO I chose to power walk", while hearing thousands of feet stomping up stairs in the background. 

Target Audience

The Dunkin' Donuts radio advertisement audience is specifically made up of males and females ranging in age 18 to 45. Because these radio advertisements are specifically aired during the morning commute and rush hour, individuals are either working men and women on their way to work or a student driving to school. The target audience earns at least $40,000 as indicated by Dunkin' Donuts -- because they will be driving a car. He or she will be listening to the A.M. frequency during their morning commute or the F.M. frequency during the afternoon ride home. The particular audience includes individuals in their car rather than those at home since the use of a radio in households have severely diminished. The morning commute and breakfast time is between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The majority of the audience is the older working crowd. The most important advantage of radio advertising, particularly for Dunkin' Donuts, is the frequency of listeners; it is proven that the morning timeslot is the most listened to segment of the day.

Target Market

The purpose of this radio advertisement, as well as all other advertisement components for the campaign, is identified on the DD website as:

"The America that we're talking about here are the everyday folks who get things done. They're unpretentious, comfortable just being themselves, and like to order their coffees in small, medium or large, thank you very much. They're busy people who use Dunkin' to get fueled up for work or play. They don't have time to linger, because they've got things to do. But they do like to have fun. This is their brand."

The Dunkin' Donuts target market is compromised of individuals that would not mesh with the main competitor, Starbucks. There is a very distinct divide between the two and as touched on by the DD website, the Dunkin' Donuts lover is either a college student or career-oriented individual who needs coffee to make it through the day. They are most likely from a big city such as New York or Boston, or along the suburbs, since Dunkin' Donuts originates in New England. The DD lover is a person that is constantly on-the-go and wants to get their daily intake in the most efficient manner possible. The drive-thru is their savior since their morning commute is already hectic enough without having to get out of the car or make stops along the way.

The DD lover is a male or female, young professional or dedicated student, middle-class American, from their late teens to late 40s. They like to have set routine and rarely step outside of their comfort zone. They order the same type of coffee and breakfast sandwich every day and are comfortable doing so. A typical Dunkin' Donuts customer is like Susan. Susan is in her mid-thirties and is a working professional in suburban Connecticut with three young children. She starts her day with a double espresso latte, giving her energy to get through the morning. During the weekends, Susan takes her children to Dunkin' Donuts to enjoy a light breakfast and get her caffeine fix before taking her children to dance rehearsal, little league practice, etc.

Analysis of Effectiveness

Collectively, Dunkin' Donuts allocated an initial $2,361,665 dollar budget for radio advertising alone. It was determined that radio segments of 15 to 30 seconds long would be most beneficial, making the advertisement short and to the point - exactly the kind of mentality the Dunkin' Donuts customer has. The "Power Walk" radio advertisement is effective because of the time slot, played during the early morning or evening, and gives the working person more incentive to stop by a Dunkin' Donuts franchise on their way to or from the work place.

The song played is identifiable and will stick in your head after one quick listen. This type of short advertisement is a nice change of pace from the remainder of wordy and lengthy radio advertisements that a driver would not tolerate because of their short attention span while sitting in traffic. The genius behind the Dunkin' Donuts ad is it is mainly music, so a listener is not as quick to change the station. By the time it is identified as an advertisement, the message has already been conveyed. The radio advertisement further succeeds in purpose - to convey a message to the public that DD products are always ready for the convenience of every customer. It uses a short and sweet message with no extra additives and incorporates light-hearted humor to draw attention. In this particular radio ad, the message is short and sweet. The song conveys a meaning that DD can get you through any obstacle, including the rough start of a work day. A little caffeine and some carbohydrates  and you will be power walking up to your office in a confident manner. Sales certainly increased with the launch of "America Runs on Dunkin'" and soon enough even Starbucks lovers started to run on Dunkin'. Why bother will tall, grande, or venti when you can stick to a small, medium or large? Dunkin' Donuts simplifies the process of a morning commute and surely gets your through the day.