10 CATEGORY 5: Best PR campaign
WINNER:Bacs Payment Schemes AGENCY:WARE ANTHONY RUST CAMPAIGN:‘BACS LATE PAYMENTS CAMPAIGN’
acs Payment Schemes Ltd (Bacs) is a not-for-profit, membership-based industry body, owned by 15 of the leading banks and building societies in the UK and Europe. Bacs has been running the clearing and settlement of automated payments in the UK – including the Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit schemes – since 1968. For several years, Bacs has carried out a business omnibus to gain insights into SME owners’ experiences of shouldering late payment related debt. The research findings provide Bacs with material to communicate the extent of the issue, and enhance its corporate profile through offering best practice advice to its business audience (including the benefits of using the Bacs Direct Credit payment scheme). The challenge in 2009/10 was to develop a fresh way of combining the tailored research with a compelling media strategy focused on taking ownership of the growing late payments issue; communicating hard-hitting findings; creating a momentum building ‘customer’ call-to-actions, and building and extending relationships with influential third parties. Bacs’ business objectives focused on the growth of its automated payment schemes. In support of this wider aim, core campaign aims were to strengthen Bacs’ position as a champion and advocate for SMEs and
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position them as an authoritative voice within the UK business community. The campaign also aimed to build awareness of the benefits of the Bacs Direct Credit automated payment scheme, open doors for dialogue between Bacs and high profile corporate partners, and ultimately drive usage of Bacs automated payments in the SME sector.
UK corporate communicators and key influencers, SMEs and business advisers – all of whom had different communications requirements – were targeted in the campaign, as well as a wide range of industry publications – both print and online.
Utilising the omnibus results, the campaign consisted of two rounds of targeted media relations activity, taking place in September 2009 and April 2010. First steps were the analysis and review of previous research results. Bacs applied
creative thinking to revise past research questions, and generate credible and unique research findings for what is becoming a much covered business issue. In both rounds of activity, the media were provided with press releases highlighting key late payment trends, whereby different news angles were generated as a result of earlier revised research questioning. Seven campaign releases were written to communicate national, geographic and industry sector findings. Media information, research data, payment tips and FAQs were also published on dedicated web pages on the Bacs website with a specific URL –
www.paymedirect.co.uk. The campaign ran from April 2009 to May 2010. In addition, the Forum of Private Business was contacted to obtain views and opinions on the issue, resulting in an attributed quote placed in campaign press releases. A partnership with the Institute of Credit Management was also developed. Further campaign activity provided ongoing, informative and visually appealing late payments data for both journalists and consumers.
Senior manager of Bacs marcomms, Jayne Stuart, commented, “The ‘Late payments’ campaign surpassed all our expectations, and has provided us with a strong platform on which to continue to build our credible reputation in this area.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Arjowiggins Creative Paper/Rives AGENCY:LEXIS PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN:‘MAKING PAPER FASHIONABLE FOR RIVES’
rjowiggins Creative Papers is the world's leading manufacturer of creative and eco-sustainable papers. The world of fashion has a crucial influence on the paper industry so the brand decided to rejuvenate its Rives paper collection to reflect the latest season’s trends. This strongly influenced Rives’ global ‘Think chic’ marketing campaign, which incorporated targeted communication to key designers, printers and PR, both in the UK and globally. The Rives relaunch aimed to boost brand awareness, promote the key product benefits of Rives – particularly its eco- credentials and luxury textures – and convey Arjowiggins’ central ‘Think chic’ campaign message. The campaign targeted the brand’s regular audience of niche print and design media but also the wider high
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fashion and luxury community, both online and in print. After the partnership with Jean-Pierre Braganza had been negotiated, Lexis approached the target media to inform them of the partnership. The agency carefully selected three top-tier media attendees to sit in the front row at Braganza’s Fashion Week show: Design Week, Grafik and Creative Review. Collateral created at the LFW event – including video footage and photography – was sent out as a social media release, using the design partnership as a compelling news hook. The second phase of the campaign targeted the printing trade press.
The campaign results included 25 pieces of news coverage – including design blogs – with a total reach of over 200,000.
B2B Marketing Awards 2010 -
www.b2bmarketingawards.co.uk
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