Best limited budget B2B campaign
Runner up: Broadsystem
Agency: Eulogy
Campaign: LOST
The first stage was to profile the existing client database, creating variables against each client in terms of profitability, the extend of the services provided to them and the level of relationship in terms of an operational versus strategic input. Other data, including geographic location, top-level and departmental company details and market place were also included to enhance the analysis further.
The model produced provided a profile which gave Broadsystem an insight into the industry type, company size, location and probable key contact for the most likely prospects. This model was applied to existing prospect data was also used to direct external list purchasing. The final prospect pool amounted to 10,000 contacts.
The campaign aimed to use each area of service provided by Broadsystem to showcase its multi-channel capabilities. Thus, for example, direct mail led to SMS which led to email which led to a microsite which led to a telephone call which led to a fulfilment pack plus the chance to enter a free prize draw. Prizes included one year’s subscription to Sky complete with installation, an Aston Martin Thrill experience, a family private charter, wine tasting trip for two with accommodation, a deluxe spa day, one of 50 goodie bags of Lancôme products or one of 20 Broadsystem USB memory sticks.
At each stage prospect data was collected and verified; at the end of the campaign the data was used by the business development team to contact and sell to participants.
The campaign was based around the search for a marketing message which had gone astray. The DM took the largest part of the budget, as design, print and fulfilment were allocated £5500. Hand-written teaser posters were sent to the target audience with the wording: Lost! Marketing message; valuable asset, last seen in the wrong communication channel to the wrong prospect. Reward. Please keep a look out!’ No corporate branding and no call to action were included until the second piece of DM was issued on day three. It contained more information including corporate branding and a call to action encouraging the recipient to text a number for further information.
Timed to run simultaneously with the main mailer, banner advertisements were placed on trade websites, DM and digital bulletin. Design of the advertisements and the purchase of space cost £3500 and took most of the rest of the budget. The adverts contained a link through to the specially-designed LOST microsite in order to provide prospects with another opportunity to join the journey.
Prospects who responded by SMS were sent an automatic reply asking them to email for the next stage of the journey. Mobile phone numbers and email addresses were captured on the prospect database at each stage. On receipt of a prospect’s email they were directed to the LOST microsite. Those who had not begun their journey after a week were reminded by email and invited to start the search.
The microsite provided a freephone number for the last stage of the journey. Calls were handled by Broadsystem’s own contact centre, which collected address details from the respondent and verified data collected earlier in the journey. Prospects were informed that they would shortly receive a letter. SMS, email, web and phone communications were all handled in-house. Cost was considered to be negligible and estimated at about £1000.
Once searchers had completed the whole journey the channel communications came full circle with a FOUND letter sent telling prospects that they had completed the journey and were entered into the draw. Budget for fulfilment was £1000.
At the closing date details of those who had completed the journey were drawn at random and allocated the prizes. The business development team then contacted prize winners and other prospects while interest in the campaign remained high.
Initial response was strong and grew significantly in the second week of the campaign with 100 respondents at the text message stage within only eight days. The 6.1 per cent response rate achieved at the text message stage was more than double the target of three per cent with an overall journey completion rate of 3.6 per cent, which was more than three times the objective. The target of 100 prospects following entire campaign to completion was achieved by day 13, with a total of 25 appointments made – 15 more than the original objective.
To date Broadsystems has gained five new clients which together led to £75,000 of new business revenue, exceeding the objective of three conversions and £55,000 revenue and already delivering an ROI of 7:1. New business revenue is now projected to be £150,000, which is nearly three times the initial target; a return on the initial marketing investment of £11,000 of nearly 14:1.
