Best integrated B2B marketing campaign
Winner: Rockwool
Agency: IAS Smarts B2B
Campaign: 4 in 1
The market was changing as previous legislation, which generally favoured foam insulation manufacturers, was being superseded by new regulations encompassing fire risks, environmentally friendly sustainability and protection against noise. The market therefore needs now to consider more aspects of insulation than merely whether it keeps the heat in. Only Rockwool can deliver all four benefits for one insulation.
The existing positioning of firesafe insulation’ concentrated on only one aspect of Rockwool’s offering, effectively emphasising one specific application at the expense of other possibilities.
The campaign objectives stated that Rockwool should:
– Reclaim the competitive advantage
– Expand understanding of its various applications
– Enhance its customer service
– Stand out as a brand
– Build stronger relationships
– Act as market leader
– Become the voice of the industry.
The essence of the campaign was to change the perception of Rockwool from a firm of traditional mineral wool specialists to one that sets the standards for insulation in the future.
IAS Smarts conducted analysis of the total market opportunity including segmentation and prioritisation of both addresses and people. From the market map several groups of likely targets were selected culminating in identifying 8000 architects out of a possible 20,000. The launch programme therefore concentrated on those 8000 architects plus the 400 employees in Rockwool UK. The creative strategy was designed to stimulate both internal and external audiences and to work in tandem.
A targeted poster campaign, direct mail and a dedicated website were created. As over 50 per cent of the audience was known to prefer sourcing further information online, with around 40 per cent preferring to receive information via email, electronic communication became a vital part of campaign delivery.
For internal staff the Red Letter competition reinforced the new brand positioning by carrying the four key messages. Posters were positioned around the building to generate excitement about the forthcoming competition and were replicated online.
A postcard was sent to each employee at their home address illustrating one of the four competencies – thermal, fire, acoustic and sustainable. They were then encouraged to find three colleagues each of whom had received a postcard carrying a different competency. The teams of four made the set of ‘4 in 1’ and gained the chance to win a prize. Prizes suitable for both male and female audiences were offered. To encourage a sea change in company culture the postcards were strategically arranged so that individuals had to mix with others outside their immediate departments to make up a set of four.
The external target audience of 8000 architects were divided into 1000 gold’ and 7000 silver’. The silver’ architects were sent cost-effective weekly mailers while the gold’ architects received a launch mailer consisting of a box containing a piece of diabase rock, a natural raw material used in manufacturing, plus a tag giving details of its source plus the competition. Outdoor advertising consisting of 48 sheet posters was placed according to the head office locations of the practices of the top London architects. They remained in situ for the duration of the campaign.
As for internal staff the mailer asked, Are You 4 in 1?’ and contained a challenge to find three other colleagues and enter team details online. Teams had to answer one question per week for each of four weeks to gain access to the vault’ on week five where the final question was posed.
Direct mail was complemented and supported by email messages with a direct link to the website for registration. Once a team had registered, emails automatically informed members of their personal details. Subsequent weekly questions were automatically emailed to each member of the group and once one team member had answered, all received notification. A dedicated website was developed and became the centre of the activity.
The prize, a voyage to Hawaii, emphasised the Rockwool connection as the island was where the rock was first found.
After the campaign had ended, trade advertising was continued in core press to embed the new brand positioning and emphasise the superior 4 in 1 offering.
With the campaign generating 209 new contacts, Craig Bligh, marketing director of Rockwool UK, says, “Six months in and through hard work and strong collaboration [with IAS Smarts] we have distilled our brand strategy, have a segmented approach and an exciting new brand proposition to communicate to our complex market.”
