Imagine you’re one of the four biggest global couriers in the world. With 75,000 employees operating in over 220 countries moving 4.4 million parcels, documents and pieces of freight a week.
Now imagine trying to implement a new, improved product or service within this framework. The complexities are vast: not only in educating internal colleagues but also in promoting and delivering growth to existing and prospective customers. And doing this at a time of a global economic downturn.
This required a focused, controlled, innovative and effective marketing strategy. A unique B2B concept which stimulated the senses and work for all participating countries. An off and on-line campaign with 360° integrated thinking for maximum budget amplification across all communication channels. A solution which would deliver 7,731,889 Euro incremental revenue across 60 countries in the 22 weeks since launch.
Brand
TNT
Agency
438 Marketing
About the client company
Importing is a lucrative and expanding sector within the global Courier market. Historically, TNT Express had not focused their marketing attentions in this area.
However, during 2009, the completion of substantial improvements to their online systems plus major developments to their global road-air network meant that the brand was now in a position to go to market with a leading Import proposition.
Doing so would demand a campaign which would launch this offering and raise awareness of their import capabilities for prospective and existing customers worldwide. The major attributes on offer from TNT’s Express Import service – global network capability, control and ease of use were underpinned by the Company’s heritage in this sector – expertise, security and professionalism.
Delivering this multi-faceted message simultaneously to many different markets demanded one consistent positioning. Thus offering uniformity and consistency: A single-minded proposition to all target audience groups across the world.
Objectives of the campaign
From our starting point of ‘taking control’ we interrogated routes which would put the customer at the heart of our campaign.
We wanted to demonstrate empathy – that we understood the significance of the service on offer to businesses. And so was born our conductor. The ultimate orchestrator of numerous complex elements, with one precise, symphonic result. To bring the idea to life, our conductor is seen orchestrating his import shipment, from collection to delivery.
A metaphor for the customer, demonstrating that they too can take control, every step of the way.
This character organically became the narrator of our proposition and would lead all integrated communications throughout the marketing mix, including:
- Direct Mail took the form of a sound card mailer playing ‘Vivaldi’s four seasons’. This music also provided the soundtrack to an online film which was shown throughout all the international campaign microsites.
- A gatefold DM piece contained the creative elements of the sound card mailer whilst satisfying a fundamental need for mass production and reducing the limitations of the campaign in a global environment. This provided the clients, at a localised level, the benefit of choice.
- Online, a campaign microsite provided customers with more detailed information about TNT’s import services and online shipping tool. Here they could register their interest so that TNT could contact them to discuss solutions for their import shipping requirements.
Throughout all communications, the ‘Take control’ conductor concept was fully integrated across with a full 360° implementation on and offline, including:
- E-mailers served as a cost-effective, wide reaching technique for this campaign with countries having the choice between printed and electronic DM materials.
- For use on TNT.com and external sites, a wide range of flash and static banners were designed at various sizes to provide countries with a choice of materials to suit their needs.
- ‘How to’ guides
With information divided between ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’, these guides were a supplement to the Express Import demo video. - A Service brochure was developed to provide additional detail regarding the new developments.
- Data capture cards accompanied the DM to gain additional customer information.
- Key visuals from the DM piece were used to create striking press ads, designed to stand out in industry publications.
- To accompany the DM piece, our letterhead design introduced the campaign concept and character, serving as a summary of the information contained within the mailer.
The campaign was also integrated to educate internal colleagues about TNT’s improvements. By communicating the capabilities in importing both internally and externally, the campaign materials did not operate in isolation, ensuring that the global organisation fully understood their capabilities.
Art direction was in-keeping with TNT brand guidelines, using orange and white to create a mailer instantly recognisable as TNT. This achieved consistency for the brand worldwide but also pushed the corporate boundaries to achieve something unique, contemporary and fresh.
