Best B2B customer relationship campaign
Runner up: Wolseley UK Greenprint
Agency: Red C
Campaign: Sustainable construction
There are few bigger items on the agenda for the UK than sustainability. Fuelled by increasingly convincing evidence of the human impact on climate change, government initiatives are focusing attention on reducing the UK’s carbon footprint and moving towards a more sustainable way of living.
Sustainability is a particularly important and controversial issue in the construction industry. The UK construction sector, unlike many of its European counterparts, has been slower to adopt sustainable building techniques. Only now, as more stringent building regulations aim to make all construction carbon neutral by 2016, is the industry getting a wake-up call. However, in a sector comprising mainly small businesses, knowing where to turn for good advice and sustainable products is a key challenge.
Wolseley UK, part of the worldwide Wolseley Group, has a bigger stake than most in helping construction companies adapt. More than 1800 trade counters around the UK trade as Build Center, Plumb Center, Drain Center, Parts Center, Pipe Center, Electric Center, Climate Center and Brandon Hire and form Wolseley’s customer base. Customers trust the advice they get from experienced staff at the trade centres, and rely on the discounts and trade terms to help them earn a living.
Although the customer relationship is already strong, in common with most of its UK competitors Wolseley UK had no established reputation for providing sustainable construction products and services. That began to change early in 2006. Before any government legislation on sustainable construction was passed Wolseley UK built the UK’s first ‘Sustainable Building Center’ (SBC), next to its new headquarters site in Leamington Spa.
When completed the centre will be a showcase for sustainable building techniques with the very fabric of the building constructed using dozens of the leading edge products for reducing energy and water usage and supporting sustainable construction. Every product used in the construction will be available commercially from Wolseley’s network, and the building will also house a dedicated presentation theatre and training rooms offering a venue for developing the understanding of Wolseley’s customers and the industry of new techniques, materials and legislative requirements.
Before the opening of the SBC, Wolseley launched a website (http://www.wolseleysbc.co.uk/) and a customer magazine Greenprint, to raise awareness and generate anticipation among its customers and prospects. For marketing director Angela Rushforth, it was important that the magazine did not fall into the trap of many trade customer magazines and be merely a vehicle for talking about Wolseley UK and its products.
“We have been fielding enquiries about sustainable building products in our branches and sales teams for several months now,” explains Rushworth. “There is a genuine knowledge gap among many companies, both large and small, in the construction sector, and we felt that, while the government is doing much to lead the way at a policy level, there is a lack of information and advice at the practical level. We wanted to put something into the market that would help our customers understand the challenges of meeting new sustainable standards, and show them how to use proven products that are available now.”
The first issue of Greenprint was distributed in May 2007 to key customers, Wolseley’s field sales team and selected trade centres and prompted an all time high in the number of enquiries for sustainable products. Tim Pollard, general manager of the Sustainable Building Center thinks the publication has tapped into a latent need in the market. “We’re already seeing customers involving us much earlier in their planning process, which means that we can help them shape their sustainable strategy for the development. That means that we are building much deeper and more integrated relationships with our customers. It will work even better when we have the SBC open and we can show them some of these new products in action.”
The magazine features advisory articles on issues like the new Code for Sustainable Homes and explains innovative new technologies, such as Smartboard. Advice and comment from leading experts in sustainable construction such as The Carbon Trust and Sustainability Works are aligned with product panels illustrating relevant materials. In addition case studies demonstrate how sustainable buildings are being developed in the UK. The new SBC website supports and enriches the stories which appear in print. The Wetherspoons case study, for example, featured in the first issue of Greenprint and is also the subject of a digital video to be posted on the website.
Over time, the magazine will become the backbone of a wider contact strategy designed to help Wolseley’s customers understand and anticipate changes in legislation and sustainable product developments.
