How do you change perceptions of an ageing telco provider?

We were asked by Vodafone how they can authentically engage the SME community to create a halo of innovation across there brand.

The approach was simple. ‘Don’t say. Do!’  - and the Vodafone Techstarter Awards were born.

With many brands aligning themselves with SMEs in order to get their eagerly growing marketing spends, our approach was to reward success instead of just guiding it.

By launching the Vodafone Techstarter awards, we injected the brand directly into the community - but with an incentive-backed purpose i.e. to support start-ups and early-stage ventures developing innovative technology solutions with social purpose. 

Vodafone Techstarter aims to uncover and develop ideas that can harness the power of technology, connectivity and innovation to improve health, education, environmental protection or social mobility. 

Through a new innovation programme, taking start-ups through the journey of growth we paired the expertise of Vodafone with groundbreaking businesses.

This was entirely active through social to ensure the engagement of the wider SME community.

How do you invent a visual language for a unique product launch?

Fuze Tea was launched in the UK with the global positioning of having some ‘me time’. The concept, wildly different in every market, had to be translated for the UK’s time-starved over-worked young professionals always on the looking to #TakeAMoment.

Through social listening, we discovered a whole ‘language of calm’ comprising of particularly popular AV media like repetitive GIFs and ASMR content. Using their design principles, we crafted all social comms around this theme, with every touchpoint of the brand being calming - without losing focus on the product intrinsics. 

This obtuse approach to ‘calm’ internet noise paid off, with over +75% positive sentiment and beyond benchmark reach on paid social.

Fuze Tea was awarded Product of the Year 2019 as a launch that perfectly balanced product and positioning, making it one of the most successful launches for Coca-Cola in recent memory.

Do #TakeAMoment to browse through the case study.

How do you build intrigue around a ground-breaking yet misunderstood technology?

Even thought Vodafone has a perception of being a lumbering giant sometimes, it has the most advanced array of IoT powered business solutions on the planet.

Yet, they did not know how to express it to gain both sales and brand equity.

My challenge was to understand the technology and simplify it to help creatives unearth an infinite number of intriguing and newsworthy applications of IoT - to help bring much wanted attention to Vodafone’s prowess in this field.

After working very closely with the IoT product team, we devised a creative formula to aid in both creative concept and product development.

The result was wide-array of comms and activation concepts that are currently under production at Vodafone. See the WIP here.

How do you maintain a meaningful social dialogue for brands striving for continuous cultural relevance?

All 14 brands Coca-Cola have an insatiable appetite for social content to  keep each one of them relevant to its audience and generate brand buzz.

Gathering brand insights using traditional planning frameworks was creating a constant lag, making Coca-Cola miss out on trending marketing opportunities.

In order to create a solution, I looked at the dynamics of a conversation.

Social is conversation; to partake effectively is to listen, create and respond rather than broadcasting. Using these principles, I came up with a rapid-response insight-generation framework called Data-Drive-Creativity (DDC).

By working closely within the Be Heard group with our sister agency, Freemavens, I setup a recurring progress in which social listening generated insights, filtered through the lens of each brand’s audience, which in turn fuelled culturally relevant creative ideas. 

The continuous and abundant insights generated by the DDC process not only catalysed daily social content planning, but also helped us to go upstream and influence critical Coca-Cola comms around CSR and sustainability. 

How do you launch a category redefining product, the brand’s first in 30 years?

By fighting for a consumer benefit rather than product wins. 

Through systematic focus group research, I managed to convince the client to focus on the smoothness of the product vs it's unique ingredients.

Our ‘Unbelievably Smooth’ launch for YAZOO was awarded TOP of 2014 by The Grocer. 

This integrated campaign, powered through TV and pre-tested by TNS, broke all prior records in consumer approval ratings.

Tracking results show key measures have both exceeded targets and category benchmarks.

My previous work for FCUK includes revising the brand strategy to stop focussing solely on young males (consumers) and starting conversation with Mums (shoppers) to create life-long bonds with the youth.

How to get into bed with quick-pick washing machine buyers?

By helping them fix their old one first. 

During research, I spotted several social clusters forming organically in support forums for broken washing machines. 

We hijacked the search term ‘broken washing machine’ and helped panicked Googlers to resurrect their old beast through our branded community portal. Broken washing-machine owners aren't in the market for long. Offering them help-when-needed was key in securing a place in their minds -  especially when they go out shopping for new appliances. 

This way we dialled up awareness amongst soon-to-be warm prospects by enrolling them in a nurture programme. 

How do you add emotive appeal to famous shards of glass?

By teaching women, the ‘never learned’ art of adorning jewellery – especially for the right occasions.

We were tasked to reinvent be Swarovski (beS), Swarovski’s loyalty programme that delivered a brand engagement programme to  add meaningful value.

After conducting an extensive survey spanning the EU, I discovered the ‘challenge of adornment’, an insight that resonated with women of all shapes, sizes and nationalities. 

Our insight-based idea of ‘Ignite the Extraordinary Everyday’ brought the Swarovski brand's essence of ‘Everyday Extraordinary’ to life.

We introduced this responsibility to the beSwarovksi loyalty service, helping the brand create customer bonds through it’s long-lost heritage and fashion-forward outlook.

How to make a mobile giant friendly?

By focusing on the emotional needs of an emerging market.

Mobilink was Pakistan’s mobile brand behemoth. Years of monopoly left a bad taste in the consumer’s mind. Being the market leader, Mobilink also had the widest coverage in the country.

My idea of promoting nationwide tourism, powered by Mobilink’s coverage, introduced a plethora of new destinations to the brand's audience - and over 10,000 new customers to the brand itself.

Through mobile-powered nationwide CSR initiatives, supporting local tourism and clearly establishing our USP, we managed increase the BHT scores by a collective 3%.

How to land a tiny restaurant into TimeOut, just in time for it’s 30th birthday?

By targeting underdog bloggers and ignoring the big cats. 

I spotted an opportunity within the burgeoning community of gourmand writers. They wanted get noticed and form a local presence. We facilitated by bringing them together regularly. 

This helped us create a bespoke communal buzz, amplified through curated tastings, social PR and exclusive events.

An additional brand boost was achieved through personally orchestrated CSR efforts with ZSL The London Zoo. The ask was small for a big promise. We asked our diners to simply add £1 to their bills to help us save the Indian Tiger. 

Together, we’ve raised £15,630.00, all of which has gone to fund the efforts of ZSL The London Zoo with the Chitwan-Parsa Reserve in Nepal. 

The results can be found on P.48, TimeOut London - July 2015 edition.

How to sell perfection without pride?

By firmly rooting the brand in its values.

Being truly Japanese, UNIQLO refused to brag about their perfectly engineered clothes.

So we didn’t.

Instead, we created a series of clever app and activation ideas embodying their LifeWear™ range, to generate intimate relevancy with Londoners. 

Using a lifestyle based comms strategy, I generated multiple ideas by studying these ‘meta-urbanites’ to make UNIQLO a functional part of their daily life.

How do you reinvent the perfect DM?

By making it better through understanding the best.

After absorbing Sky Lab’s extensive learnings and studying the best performing DM case studies out there, I devised a 6-step framework to help create the ultimate DM.

Using this methodology, we improved Sky’s highly successful BAU DM offer packs - backed by rigorous eye-tracking tests.

The result? Two bespoke Sky DM templates for two separate audiences – one for acquisition and the other for retention, both scoring high on legibility and offer absorption.

Consumer testing planned in Q1 2016.

How do you inspire future ad strategists? 

With an awful lot of embarrassment, of course.

And help from the great people at FutureRising.

FutureRising finds, develops and connects the best students, graduates, professionals and teachers in the creative, digital and technology industries.

Interview by FutureRising