Three Wise Projects

By Mark Fones - Client Strategy and Creative Director

As we approach this special time of year and look forward to the festive fun, I wanted to share with you a tasty selection box of our very best creative work. 2010 has seen our star rising, and here are three of our wisest projects - all of which offer something truly original in terms of quality and thinking.

First to appear over the horizon bearing gold is a brand repositioning project for AESSEAL.

A global player in the specialist mechanical seals sector, AESSEAL is a business with a passionate commitment to exceeding expectations. Offering world-class reliability and performance - plus high speed assembly - their unique modular component system supports a staggering 10 million permutations and can quickly deliver seal solutions for virtually any application. Above all, they have a passion for service excellence - their overriding objective being to exceed expectation and redefine the 'customer experience' within their sector. Our challenge was to capture this new 'experience' and repackage AES as a true global player that would ensure customers never need to source another seals partner. With 'Experience the Exceptional' as the brand's new strap line, AES boldly launched (October) a Web 2.0 based website supported by an on and offline advertising campaign, plus a whole new range of corporate and product focused literature. The design was professional and contemporary with a strong technological 'look and feel', and real customers, and real outcomes, were used to tell a powerful yet simple story. In the first week alone, AESSEAL's new site saw over 350 users (customers and prospects) register for industry and product specific content.

Next to dismount, is Legrand's launch campaign for its latest Salamandre cable
management system.
A revolution in trunking technology, the new Salamandre has been designed with ease of installation in mind. In recent 'speed tests', it has been independently proven to be 50% faster to fit than existing alternatives. Despite this impressive competitive advantage, getting loyal installers to switch to new products in this sector is a challenge. And that’s exactly how the Legrand Grand Prix speed challenge was born.

Utilising an integrated campaign approach that combined traditional advertising, direct mail and email marketing with the exciting possibilities offered by Facebook, YouTube and demonstration based roadshows, this product promotion launched in December. In early 2011, Legrand will run 100 events that encourage installers to engage with the product and rise to the challenge of becoming the UK's fastest fitter - after all, in this market we know demonstrations mean sales. Alongside this roadshow, social channels will play host to the times set, pictures taken and videos filmed whilst building product awareness, brand following and helping to drive sales. Vvvvrrroooom...

Watch this space….more on this project to come in the New Year!

Last, but not least of our three wise projects, is the rebranding we delivered for Lancaster University Management School.

Founded over 40 years ago, Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is now ranked as one of the UK's top four management and business schools, and as one of the world’s best too – with its MBA being considered to be in the top 30 globally. Impressive, true. Yet, despite such world-class credentials, the extensive research we undertook revealed that there was little awareness of LUMS among the target audience and that, once prospective students had explored their 'offer' more deeply, the best applicants became disengaged. The reasons? Perceptions around location, 'employability' and the extent of its international culture were all highlighted as negatives. Our task was to address these misconceptions and focus on carving out a unique and more emotive positioning for LUMS in a sector that typically practices 'blanding' not branding. After working with key target audience groups (UK and overseas) our research led us to the following positioning statement: 'Partnering tomorrow's business minds'.

To capture the idea of a personal and professional journey in partnership (i.e. a collaboration between peers, teaching staff and business being key to their teaching approach) we developed – after exhaustive thinking and testing - the 'Today. Tomorrow. Together' brand platform. This positions LUMS as a place where people enter with an already successful track record and are helped to grow and realise their full potential. By using aspirational and thought-provoking 'before and after' photography, we were able to convey this creative message clearly, and with impact.

These are just three examples from a growing stable of clients. If you've got a great story to tell your customers just let us know and our team will set off from the West (Midlands) to greet you. In the meantime, from everyone at Wyatt, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year!

Right, I'm off to see if there's any room at my local inn.

Mine's a Harvey's Bristol Cream. Classic ;-)

Mark

Social media – the issue of control

Pootling around the BBC News website, I happened upon the interesting ‘Twitter and Facebook aid small firms’ which sparked a desire to blog. Not because of the main theme – who hasn’t heard of the baker who tweets when the bread’s fresh? – but because of the ‘expert’ opinion on the issue of control.

Online, the draconian moderation of blog, photo and video comments amounts to professional suicide. Simply put, if a disgruntled customer takes umbrage with your service online and you delete their comment, you validate it. The disgruntled customer remains un-placated and other visitors to your blog, twitter or profile will wonder where it went. “Could it have been deleted because it was true and Company X wants to sweep it under the carpet?” they’ll think.

The full quote from Professor Sundararajan could be dangerously misleading. "You are losing control of your message by inviting customers in to a dialogue and that could be problematic if they criticise you." Is he implying that criticisms must therefore be quickly quashed by removal? Some might make that inference. If they do, they’re doomed.

'Janet' responds to wall feedback on a Dell special offer - and will no doubt soon act to mollify Ms Corradin

Dell's Facebook page also allows new 'discussion' topics to be posted - whatever the subject

Many thought Dell was doomed when their Twitter feed was bombarded with complaints of non-delivery, missing parts, poor customer service. It would have been tempting to shut the feed down in an attempt to save face, but anyone can see that would have achieved the reverse. Instead of controlling the situation through censorship, they managed the situation through mediation.

Each customer was responded to personally; still today, Twitter and the sister Facebook company page are sounding boards for those unhappy with Dell’s service; but they’re responded to either individually or as a group where there is a common concern. Balanced with special offers, competitions, news and stunts, the page is not overrun with complaints – but they’re still visible. What’s even more important is that the measured, helpful and personal responses are also visible. Even with the negative posts, social media is enhancing Dell’s reputation – without the need for airbrushing and dictatorship.

Comments from followers are the lifeblood of social media. It shows your followers are truly engaged with your content and are sharing that content further afield. That they’re really listening, rather than just following.

Disallowing or censoring comments is seen as dishonest and deceitful in a social media landscape that strips companies bare, revealing their personalities and ‘true colours’. Losing a small amount of control over content could prove to be the most beneficial thing to your online reputation – you could even overtake Dell as the poster child for free speech on Facebook.