Summary
Designed to perform where other laptops simply fail, Panasonic Toughbooks don’t just lead the rugged market, they created it and dominate it. Since their first model launched more than a decade ago, Toughbooks has created its own niche in the world of mobile technology, redefining the possibilities of access to data and applications in the most challenging of environments.
Proctor & Stevenson was appointed European agency for Panasonic Toughbooks in 2009. In the past year, it’s delivered a campaign that spans the full gamut of marketing activity, from a dashboard of automated digital and printed collateral regional marketing managers use to create customised materials in a couple of clicks, right through to viral video work.
It’s always an adventure — with 10 regional marketing managers to support across more than 20 countries throughout Europe, involving the creation of campaigns and websites that appear in 17 different languages — but the dedicated Panasonic team at Proctor & Stevenson has approached the challenge with relish.
From the very first kick-off meetings with the client, right through to the delivery of fully automated marketing support — delivered via technology Proctor & Stevenson has created — the company has never allowed ambition to be constrained, delivering fantastic results every step of the way.
Campaign outline
When Panasonic and Proctor & Stevenson’s relationship began, the company was in a unique position. As it creates a product that is designed to perform where other laptops simply fail, Toughbooks don’t just lead the rugged market, they created it and dominate it.
However, that carries with it certain difficulties. First of all, most people who know they want a rugged computer already have a Toughbook. Secondly, because Toughbooks are so durable, they need replacing far less frequently than other laptops. The initial marketing strategy behind Toughbook’s rise to prominence had been to focus single-mindedly on the ‘ruggedness’ of Toughbooks. And this had clearly been incredibly effective in the development of such a strong market position. However, the time had come to find new markets.
In the first 18 months of the relationship, Proctor & Stevenson focused on taking Panasonic into markets where they’ve never previously penetrated — identifying and targeting new customers to educate them about the existence and benefits of Toughbooks.
Subsequent to this, Proctor & Stevenson created the basis for the 2011 campaign with the creation of Toughbook’s European web presence. One of our most cutting edge sites to date, translated into multiple languages and built using leading content-management system, Drupal. It features a large range of interactive content, from no fewer than 17 Proctor & Stevenson designed and delivered Toughbook movies, through business process solutions, right down to an interactive product selector. SEO was a major factor in the creation of all content on the site and is closely tied to the online advertising and search activity.
Building on this firm foundation, our relationship with the Panasonic team has deepened and matured. A broad range of marketing activity — including virals, film work, and on-going multiplatform lead generation initiatives — has been developed. However the biggest development in our work with Panasonic this year must be both the development of Toughbook’s European websites in 17 languages, and the creation of a responsive, client-centric dashboard.
This online portal allows regional account managers to access bespoke communications, tailored for specific audiences, featuring relevant products, in a multitude of languages. Excitingly, these communications combine the cost-efficiency of template design with an intuitive online portal. It allows each region to create exactly what it needs, when it needs it.
For example, in Poland a new partnership between state and private sector was announced that will result in a massive potential engineering contract for a number of firms. The central European regional marketing team can now decide to target these firms, and thanks to the dashboard, can create compelling, targeted marketing materials — about the most relevant Toughbook models — in literally a couple of clicks.
The system creates emails, case studies (that automatically update the Toughbook website content), direct mailing campaigns, online and offline advertising, and brochureware (which includes a print-on-demand element), saving the Toughbook team more time — all 100 per cent on brand. To make life even easier for the Panasonic team, Proctor & Stevenson manages the complicated Microsoft Approval Procedure, ensuring that stakeholders are satisfied that all compliance guidelines are met — no mean feat when you consider the fact that on average, the dashboard generates thousands of items a year.
The dashboard is now used by each and every Panasonic regional marketing manager, on a daily basis, with great success. Panasonic has successfully achieved a 28 per cent growth in unit sales for 2010/11, the Proctor & Stevenson-created Toughbook websites attract around 250,000 visitors each quarter. Hundreds of items are generated via the dashboard every month, and next year’s business pipeline is looking healthier than ever.
The final piece in the jigsaw was the delivery of a major online advertising campaign, across European online advertising networks, including the delivery of banners, PPC, natural search and content syndication. This has required considerable research into the online search behaviour of potential customers in every European region, and delivery of content in the many different formats the advertising networks require. Working in close collaboration with a media partner, Proctor & Stevenson employed the latest retargeting and contextual targeting techniques to ensure that the right banners are seen by the right people, in the right place at the right time.
Target audience
Our year-long European campaign has targeted both prospective and existing Toughbook customers in a vast range of sectors — including aviation, automotive, defence, telecoms, healthcare, retail, utilities, engineering, pharmaceuticals, transport, manufacturing and construction.
Campaign timescales
Proctor & Stevenson began work with Panasonic Toughbook in the summer of 2009. This year-long campaign began in earnest in April 2010, running for the entire financial year.
Results
• 28 per cent growth in unit sales for 2010/11.
• 250,000 visitors every quarter to www.toughbook.eu
• 2010 business plan met — 30 per cent growth — in terms of unit sales, revenue and market share growth.
• Year-on-year cost per response fell by 80 per cent, whilst leads generated from marketing sources grew by 122 per cent.
• Toughbook EMEA market share of rugged laptops increased in 2010 by nearly three per cent.
• No other global sector of Panasonic Toughbooks increased its market share in the same period.
Client testimonial
Stephen Yeo, marketing director, Panasonic Computer Products Europe, commented, “Proctor & Stevenson is a refreshingly different marketing agency. They actually deliver more than what they promise. They have an excellent knowledge of all the different facets of marketing, whether it’s digital, creative, direct marketing or anything else. They’ve acted as excellent strategic advisers and they haven’t been afraid to say ‘Actually, there’s a better way of doing this’. What I’ve found is that together, we’ve always come up with the best solution. They’re simply the best agency I’ve ever worked with.”
