Missy Thompson

CBL & Associates Properties and KMT Creative Group are treating themselves to a pat on the back after receiving a top international award for their “Treat Yourself” marketing campaign that is being used for all 86 CBL properties.

Barb Faucette, vice president of mall marketing for CBL, accepted the MAXI Gold award from the International Council of Shopping Centers at a presentation ceremony in Hollywood, Fla.

“We were one of only two in the United States to win, so we were very excited about it,” she said.

The two-year campaign began in the spring of 2008 and was aimed at women 25 to 50 years old with black and white images of women within the target demographic. The audio and television portion of the campaign features 23-year-old up and coming crooner Matt Bellsante singing a big band style song appropriately titled “Treat Yourself.”

Missy Thompson, president of KMT Creative Group, said her research indicated that 70 percent of women surveyed said they shop as a treat for themselves.

The term “treat” which repeatedly surfaced during Ms. Thompson’s research, was a natural fit for the slogan.

“(Women) felt, even if they were shopping for someone else, which they usually are, they view shopping as a treat,” she said.

Ms. Thompson said the “treat yourself” theme allows them to direct the campaign to specific markets and at specific times of the year.

Some of the general slogans used in the campaign include “Treat yourself to some retail therapy,” or “treat yourself to something special.” During the holidays, a slogan used was “treat yourself at the holidays.” At Father’s Day, it reads “treat your dad.”

“It was set up to be a very customizable campaign,” Ms. Thompson said. “It didn’t matter what demographic you were working in, you could find an image or a headline to fit what you were doing.”

If a specific market has an older demographic, different images were used in the print, television and audio media to cater to those groups.

Ms. Faucette said that executives at Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters were so impressed with the marketing campaign that the soft drink company partnered with CBL and includes people drinking Coca-Cola products in the background of some images during the holiday season.

“It was a partnership opportunity that worked to bring these two entities together,” Ms. Faucette said.

She said the campaign began during a time when most property developers are cutting back, but CBL opted for a new approach and launched the campaign “maximize marketing performance.”

“When times are bad, we want to make sure people feel good,” she said.

She said the feedback from retailers and shoppers has exceeded her expectations.

Ms. Faucette and Ms. Thompson declined to say how much was spent on the campaign, but they noted that they saved considerably by using stock photography and was less than what has been spent for a campaign for a single mall for one year in the past.

Because the feedback has been so positive, Ms. Thompson said the two-year campaign could stretch into three.

“It seems to have grown legs,” she said.