2015 Bronze Best Business to Business Campaign

OgilvyOne UK

BT Sport for Business

BT Sport Pub Signs

The Team
Charlie Wilson, Emma de la Fosse, James Sexton, Matt Williams, Brian Sassoon, Toni Mount, Daniel Grant, Justin Cairns, Marc Mancini, Jason Cascarina, Andy Davis, Claire Middleton, Joel Metcalf, Patrick Steward, Jon Crownshaw, John Vincent

Contributions
Signature Signs - Andrew Grundon - Creation of pub signs, George Gottlieb - Photographer - on location, PICS - Photographer - studio

Campaign overview

BT secured exclusive rights for UEFA Champions League football for three seasons from 2015/16.

While this is a compelling hook for pubs and clubs, there was a significant price increase of £210 per month for the average pub – a major barrier to subscription for a cash-strapped audience.

In addition, BT still had to build credibility among this audience – BT Sport was still a relatively new entrant entering their third season as a sports broadcaster, where Sky had dominated the market for over 20 years.

By encapsulating how integral football was to the pub industry, the campaign achieved BT Sport’s strongest commercial call week ever and delivered a sharp rise in pub and club subscriptions.

Strategy

Rather than try to negotiate complex deals with corporate chains, BT focused on small independent pubs. These businesses often struggle for survival, with high rents and fierce competition from supermarkets; 29 pubs are estimated to close every week.

To win new customers and retain existing ones, who faced a substantial subscription hike, the campaign needed to raise awareness of BT’s exclusive rights amongst publicans and demonstrate the value of the subscription by showing how BT Sport could grow their business.

The strategy was built around the proposition that BT Sport means business. This had a duality of meaning: firstly that with exclusive Champions League rights, BT Sport was now a serious player; and secondly that the BT Sport package can help a pub grow its own business.

Creativity

Authentic-style pub signs were made to show how key football is to pubs. In a twist on traditional pub names, signs included “The Bale and Dragon” (Gareth Bale), “The Bernabeu Arms” (Real Madrid’s stadium), “The Blue Hart” (Manchester City’s Joe Hart), “The Star” (Lionel Messi) and “The Coach and Horses” (Jose Mourinho). A traditional pub sign artist was employed to hand-paint these footballing icons. Each took three weeks from pencil and colour sketches to oil paint and gold leaf on authentic oak wood.

For maximum impact the ads ran on trade press front covers, with upcoming fixtures and a limited offer to drive early sign-up. With the headline “Make your pub the home of the UEFA Champions League” they articulated how sport translates into sales for any venue. Direct mail supported this, while an online customer zone, The Manager’s Office, gave social media advice and promo kits.

Results

BT Sport enjoyed its highest ever number of inquiry calls and website traffic hit at an all-time high. Almost three times as many pubs signed up for BT Sport as before the campaign, despite the price rise.

And the channel’s market share increased 3%, all the more valuable as each subscription was worth more than double the previous season’s.

The activity also helped secure existing customers and mitigate churn. Loyalty discounts for existing customers attracted over 80% conversion rates. 10% of those calling tried to churn, but crucially 90% of these were saved by strong messaging given to call centre agents.

All in all, the campaign was worth £1.74 for every £1 spent and saw BT Sport acquire new customers in a very price-sensitive market.