2011 Bronze Best customer acquisition campaign

Client British Airways

What is wonderful about this work? We knew we couldn't appeal to small businesses by simply telling them we were on their side. We had to prove it. So we made our advertising theirs and tripled acquisition into BA's On Business programme, acquiring businesses that spend twice as much.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? British Airways has traditionally focused its B2B activity on big corporate clients. The global meltdown forced them to rethink as corporates slashed travel budgets and embargoed business class. We needed to reach new audiences and widen our appeal. Together with BA we recognised that the gap was companies with fewer than 250 employees who service global customers. However, we had one big problem. Our research showed that they thought that BA cared only about big corporates. We also knew that this audience were highly cynical - we couldn't just tell them we were on their side. We needed to earn their trust by demonstrating that BA recognised their needs and could provide affordable, practical solutions that would help their businesses grow and thrive. We did this by repositioning and relaunching "On Business", BA's loyalty programme for small to medium-sized businesses.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? We needed something powerful and immediate to shatter the myth that BA's only interested in big business. We recognised that small businesses need publicity but cannot often afford it, so we provided practical support in every single communication. We featured a selection of On Business members from across the globe (from an Italian mirror designer in Venice, to a unique foam pillow maker in South Africa, to a gift food supplier in Hampshire) in our relaunch campaign, newsletters and eCRM communications. Every time we speak to an On Business customer or recruit a new one, one of these businesses receives free publicity, making sure the guest business is centre stage without losing clarity or making it feel like they're just there to endorse BA.

Results The revenue delivered by new accounts paid back campaign costs at a rate of 4:1 in just two months. Newgate Clocks (one of our featured businesses) saw a drastic increase in website visitors, enquiries and sales. We created an acquisition uplift of 335% in the UK compared to previous average monthly rates, and the new businesses recruited have spent 108% more in their first two months, compared to accounts recruited the previous year. The featured small businesses received over £800,000 of free publicity, and were promoted in the UK, Europe, South Africa and India.

Team Emma de la Fosse, Charlie Wilson, James Sexton, Rick Sear, Matt Williams, Neal Williamson, Brian Sassoon, Jo Coombs, Andrew Boggs.

Other contributor Being - Online banner advertising.