2021 Bronze Best B2B

Agency: The Croc

Client: Sohonet

Campaign Name: Realise Your Vision

Campaign Overview

Sohonet needed to generate demand for its ClearView products by making them distinctive in the market, and use targeted marketing tactics to convert demand into leads throughout the year

Strategy

The strategy was simple; capitalise on the opportunity in a time of increased demand for technology. But Sohonet's low awareness and market share meant this wouldn't be easy. Visibility of ClearView was needed to show filmmakers how to keep the cameras rolling: the answer was ‘Realise Your Vision’.

When the pandemic hit, the filmmaking industry was plunged into crisis. Contracting by almost 6%, filmmakers were desperately searching for ways to keep the cameras rolling and post-production suites busy.

The objectives were to improve overall recognition of Sohonet's ClearView software, alongside boosting growth - both through new customer acquisition and increasing renewals among existing clients. On a fixed budget of £70,000, the brand needed to put on quite a show to succeed.

Creativity

Realise Your Vision spoke directly to the industry’s obsession with craft, galvanising a powerful branded content suite capable of capturing the imagination of people who've seen, done and made it all.

To prove to the target group that Sohonet's ClearView software could keep the cameras rolling through the pandemic, the brand had to first discover what made them tick. Extensive research into the audience - including direct interviews with many award-winning filmmakers and producers - identified ‘industry fame’ as the leading factor in adopting new technology.

Getting people to upgrade to something different would have to come from someone in the industry: word of mouth.

The campaign kicked off with a hero film that was a true love letter to filmmaking. With a simple, evocative narrative, it drove at the heart of what seemed most important to the audience: ensuring their vision remains intact and untainted.

This drove demand to a bank of in-depth, informative content offering unique, valuable insight and perspective to such a diverse audience. Interviews with the cream of the film-industry were conducted.

Distilling these interviews into skill-specific written guides, YouTube pre-rolls, social cutdowns and video features combined credibility with craft.

Results

Positioning Sohonet in the context of relevant, specific industry insight from respected peers increased consideration for ClearView among the industry's top decision makers.

The campaign delivered a sales pipeline over £4m and a 73% increase to average order size. New clients included Netflix, Amazon and Disney.

The initiative also increased revenue by 26% in 2020, with leads up 248%. Sohonet won one of the most prestigious industry accolades, an Engineering Emmy.

The Team

The Croc - Jason Talbot, Managing Director - Chris Tongeman, Executive Creative Director - Katharine Simon, Business Director - Nick Watmough, Creative Director - Ann-Marie Corvin, Writer - Oliver Budworth, Head of Strategy - Megan Holt, Senior Account Manager

Sohonet - Chuck Parker, CEO - Olivia Broadley, Global Head of Marketing and PR