Summary
Kingspan is one of the biggest and best known names in building and construction. Dominating 80 per cent of the insulated panels sector, it is synonymous with top quality ‘sheds’ – big practical buildings usually found on industrial estates.
When the construction industry was hit hard by the recession and manufacturers were losing over 40 per cent of their 2007 highs, Kingspan took the bold move to extend its offer to architectural facades.
Its plan was to launch a company that delivers ‘stunning and inspirational wall and roof facades’ – the antithesis of the ‘shed’. This presented two key challenges: firstly, the industry was in a depressed financial state, with stiff competition to win projects. Secondly, the company needed to shake off deep-rooted perceptions held by the ‘snobby’ architectural industry about Kingspan.
Kingspan turned to B2B specialist, IAS b2b Marketing, with the challenge of developing a marketing strategy that would launch the company within a year. IAS responded with a brand, creative positioning and corporate identity that would take the industry by storm. It developed a fully integrated digital contact strategy to launch the new company with enough force to leapfrog the barriers to success and firmly establish a strong market position.
The Client Company
Kingspan is the global leader in the design and manufacture of fire safe insulated roof, wall and facade systems and enjoys a very high profile within the building and construction industry.
Strategy
IAS used its innovative brand asset management (BAM) model to arrive at a ‘future identity and position’ for Kingspan’s new company. This included:
- ‘Discovery’ – desk research, qualitative/quantitative research, brand evaluation, planning workshops
- ‘Brand portfolio management’ – product management, naming conventions
- ‘Brand platform and development’ – creative look and feel, brand name and positioning, segmented proposition, messaging platforms, corporate identity
This process created ‘Benchmark’ – symbolising a reference point for building design and setting out a desire to raise/set new standards.
The creative brand positioning – ‘A Turning Point in Building Design’ was developed to mark the monumental leap forward in building design options. The fantasy building at the centre of the campaign demonstrates the technical capabilities of the range (curved walls etc.) and the inspiration inherent in the brand.
Objectives
IAS was tasked with launching a new company for Kingspan and developing a brand and positioning that would firmly establish the new division and ensure its success by shaking off the deep-rooted perceptions that the notoriously ‘snobby’ architectural industry held about Kingspan companies (functional/practical/sheds).
Target Audience
- Architects
- Consulting engineers/building surveyors
- Contractors
- Property developers
Media, Channels, Techniques
Historically, Kingspan’s marketing activity was traditional; trade advertising, literature, exhibitions, media relations, technical collateral, corporate website.
IAS introduced a completely new approach with its sophisticated B2B digital contact strategy model, which mapped out every touchpoint of the campaign; anticipating/planning stakeholder journeys and orchestrating messaging at key intervals to influence perceptions and purchasing decisions. Each element was carefully devised to reflect/strengthen the positioning/values of the new company with the website at the heart
Planned, designed and built by IAS to include:
- Seadragon technology for high zoom user interaction on key case studies
- Planned user journeys through complex mix of build options
- Integrated social media activity – Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs
- Technical content planning and implementation
- Case study project map
- Account registration and shopping basket functionality
- IAS’s own ‘ProfileManager’ software, providing tracking and reporting on users’ web habits using pin code tracking from DM and EM. Data is integrated with sales database and lead nurturing
As part of the digital contact strategy, all digital and offline marketing channels were integrated to maximise activity and lead target audiences through to the website.
-Digital advertising:
High profile campaign across key trade titles.
-Social Media:
Benchmark dominated this virtually competitor free environment and communicated key messages
right to the heart of the architectural community.
-RIBA Stirling Prize sponsorship:
Kingspan positioned as ‘saviour’ of the RIBA Stirling Prize. The award scheme had no main sponsor.
IAS jumped on the opportunity to re-position the brand and propel it right to the forefront of the architectural community with an integrated sponsorship strategy that maximised exposure and ROI.
-Mobile exhibition trailer:
Brought the brand vision and aspirational product range to architects’ doorsteps.
-Design Guide:
Flagship piece of literature produced in consultation with the UK’s 12 largest architectural practices.
Timescale
April 2010-April 2011.
Results
An independent research exercise conducted after the 12 month campaign showed that Benchmark was firmly entrenched in the minds of architects:
• 88 per cent of respondents aware of the brand, 23 per cent higher than closest competitor
• Just 29 per cent never considered using Benchmark, compared to 60 per cent for closest competitor
• 33 per cent frequently/always use Benchmark
• Over 75 per cent believe Benchmark offers market leading architectural facades Business Performance:
• Forecast for Q1 2011 +138 per cent of target
Website:
• Unique visitors – 50,893 – June-December 2010
• 3.24 per cent conversion rate
• 383 registrations – June-December 2010
AJ Solus EM:
• 7197 sent
• 2857 opened
• 409 click throughs
• 14.32 per cent CTR
Banners:
• CTR 1.2 per cent
Stirling Prize:
• TV – Awards covered on BBC2 Saturday night – 500,000 viewers
• Press highlights – BBC News online, Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, Independent on Sunday,
Observer, Financial Times, The Times, The Guardian, New York Times, Bloomberg
• SM highlights – ‘trending’ on Twitter
• Website – PPC campaign – 1364 video views
Social Media:
• 25 per cent of website traffic generated by SM
• 115 positive SM mentions
• Benchmark SM share of voice = 20 per cent (up from 0.8 per cent)
• YouTube channel – 546 views and 664 upload views (8 films uploaded)
• Twitter – Benchmark ‘experts’ accrued over 1,000 followers – 75 per cent ‘gold’ contacts (posted 965 tweets)
• Benchmark blog received +400 unique visits (10 blogs uploaded)
SEO:
Complex link building and meta data/technical site alterations took Benchmark from ‘zero SEO’ to number 1 in Google in six weeks for ‘wall cladding’, ‘roof cladding’.
PPC:
46,980 visitors driven to the Benchmark website in four months. Resulted in high CTR (1.4 per cent) and
470 conversions – very high 1 per cent conversion rate. Benchmark’s PPC position is four.
Client Testimonial
“The recession has been devastating for the construction industry, but because of our healthy
market position, Kingspan has remained strong throughout, giving us the confidence to extend
our brand from the traditional industrial sector and into architectural facades.
“Nonetheless, it was a bold move, given the challenge of convincing our primary target audience
that Kingspan isn’t just about high performance sheds, but iconic, aspirational buildings.
“We needed a brand positioning and marketing strategy that would make a big, impactful
statement, which meant doing things differently. IAS is all about doing things differently in the
B2B arena, which is why we brought them in on this challenge. And we’ve made our mark: the
industry knows who Benchmark is, understands what the brand is about and sees it as a credible
proposition in the architectural facades market. Not bad in just 12 months.”
Chris Witte, marketing director of Benchmark
