2011 Gold Business to consumer

01 Dec 2011

Client Which?

What is wonderful about this work? Three television commercials showed the rigour of Which? testing, to prompt reconsideration from brand rejecters by showing the value of our testing with humour and hyperbole. Those prepared to consider Which? rose by 10%, equivalent to 5.6 million adults. Response rose by 29%, generating an incremental 54% ROI.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? As a brand, Which? is well known, but less well understood. Many potential subscribers actively reject it, seeing it as old fashioned and irrelevant: the core audience was older, well educated, and male biased. To maintain growth rates we needed to increase the numbers prepared to consider subscription. But this required investment in brand communications: how to ensure this was an investment and not just a cost? The answer: integrate the brand element with DR subscriber recruitment comms and ensure that those predisposed to subscribe are activated immediately. We modelled reach and timing of each element to ensure activation followed motivation and built a five-year financial return model to ensure both ROI and cash flow targets. Brand media is focused on TV and online display for high reach, low cost per cover point and high engagement.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The three television commercials dramatise the testing at the heart of Which?, with three key messages: they test rigorously; they test relevantly: e.g. they test items in the way you (mis)use them; they test responsibly (like crash testing baby seats, which no one else does). The commercials use actual testing methods, but with humour and perceived hyperbole to communicate the value of the brand. Online display builds on and amplifies these themes with more detail to the argument. Banners show a wider range of testing examples, with voiceover providing a more rational argument. We used TV to reach potential subscribers in relaxed mode. We wanted to build initial cover and awareness at a simple level. Online display built frequency, but amplified their understanding of the argument by providing more detailed information.

Results This campaign was a first test, and ran in Central TV only, with the rest of UK as control. Advertising awareness trebled from 10% to 29%. Recall was high with two in three consumers recognising at least one of the ads. The number of consumers prepared to consider subscribing rose by 10%, to 51%. Crucially, this improvement focused on the 25-34 age group and was higher amongst women. The campaign delivered a net 29% increase in subscribers from our BAU subscriber recruitment. This generated an incremental ROI of 54% and net additional net income of £2,823,629.

Judge's comment“A really solid example of direct marketing. A clear strategy trying to move an audience and achieving brilliant results in doing so.” Heather Westgate, TDA

Team John Willacy – Media Director, MC&C, Sacheverell Wall – Head of Insight, MC&C, Vicky Nunn – Group Head, MC&C, Mike Colling – Managing Director, MC&C, Rachel Le Feurvre – Art Director, Dare, Dan Gorlov – Copywriter, Dare, James Fox – Copywriter, Dare, Rachel Hough – Producer, Dare

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2011 Gold Business to consumer

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