2021 Gold Best Customer Retention or Loyalty Programme

Agency: VCCP CX

Client: Canon

Campaign Name: Fueling a virtuous circle of passion, proficiency and purchase propensity

Campaign Overview

In a market threatened by ever-improving camera phones and declining print behaviour, how could Canon build stronger relationships with a low-volume but high-margin storytelling community

Strategy

The goal was to fuel a virtuous circle of ‘passion, proficiency and purchase propensity’ to unlock commercial growth.

The more people are inspired by great storytelling content curated by Canon, the more they would want to learn - and the more likely they would be to engage further with the brand.

To make this happen CRM needed to be elevated from an afterthought to a cornerstone of Canon's strategy.

The initiative started with a better understanding of the community - a new generation of enthusiast makers, creators, photographers and filmmakers who were creating their own amazing stories for the world to see.

VCCP CX created highly detailed 'experience maps' illustrating target consumer behaviours, thoughts and emotions - informing what role Canon should play along every stage of their journey.

Salesforce was then embraced to talk to every customer in a deeply personalised way, at the right point in time.

Creativity

A comprehensive CRM programme allowed Canon to play an active role in every decisive moment of a customer's journey.

Empathetic welcome - saying hello with a survey that could identify interests and ambitions around image-making, in exchange for personal support from Canon.

Seamless set-up - when a new product is registered or purchased via Canon e-commerce, the brand provides an introductory series that lives up to people’s enthusiasm and instils positive habits crucial to achieving early success in each product category.

Assisted progression - continually delivered actionable inspiration and development guidance, triggered by customers’ unique interests, proficiency and activity.

Product discovery - anticipating the need to upgrade or expand kit, encouraging deeper exploration and experimentation with personal recommendations.

Recognition - challenging customers to share their work on Canon's social channels, with the best entries highlighted in a regular newsletter.

Emails were carefully crafted, visually inspiring long-form tributes to the pursuit of creative betterment.

Results

Canon grew customer value by empowering continuous progression, and set the standard for email marketing:

- 37 million emails were opened in EMEA in 2020

- Campaigns reached 79% open rate and 32% click-through rate

- The result was an 174% increase in direct sales from CRM

- Value of our customer base (measured by kitbag value) grew by 41%

Canon has built direct relationships with passionate storytellers and engaged its customer community:

- Opt-in CRM base grew by 619,359, an increase of 11.7% compared to 2018

- Rise in social relationships on Instagram with 224,225 #canonstories mentions

The Team

VCCP CX - Sarah Caputo, Senior Account Director - Chloe Thomas, Account Director - Terri Bassi, Senior Account Manager - Rafa Mendonca, Senior Strategist - Paul Quin, Senior Project Manager - Nicola Wilson, Project Manager - Alex Skeith, Senior Copywriter - Mik Shaw, Design Lead - Claire Ashfield, Digital Designer

VCCP - Daniel Symes, Creative Director