From climate change, the rise of veganism and other social movements, to Brexit uncertainty and triumphs in women’s football, 2019 has certainly been a year of statements and empowerment.
We’ve compiled our top 2019 marketing campaigns in the B2B and B2C environments and highlighted just what makes them stand out for us.
Having relied almost solely on word of mouth with a ‘golden ticket’ approach to attain new customers and build brand advocacy in its first few years, Monzo’s growth rocketed earlier this year as it explored the power of traditional TV and out of home advertising campaigns. The major campaign saw more than 250,000 new customers in June, up on their previous record of 150,000 a few months before.
Key learnings: Monzo shows us that clever use of traditional advertising methods, without overreliance, can provide a powerful tool for getting brands in front of consumers, even in more digitally-focused sectors such as fintech.
This campaign will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most memorable and successful product launches. Combining tongue in cheek journalist outreach (in the style of an Apple product launch) with witty social media remarks, Greggs achieved viral status and created a frenzy of demand that led to almost instant product sell-out.
Key learnings: Aside from its humorous approach to marketing, what Greggs can teach us is the importance of having a good understanding of your customers’ needs and then meeting them, in this case bringing a widely in-demand product to an accessible market at a low price.
Squarespace proved the power of storytelling in marketing by launching a campaign to highlight the customers it relies on. Small businessowners are the backbone of its ecommerce service, so the campaign used a mix of digital and out of home channels to depict several inspiring stories of individuals following their dreams to start a small business.
Key learnings: Storytelling is a powerful tool that shouldn’t be underestimated, even in B2B spheres. The relatability of Squarespace’s different stories opens the minds of potential customers, who might see themselves reflected within the campaign, to the potential of realising their own dreams.
IBM won The Drum’s Chair B2B Award this year after launching a campaign to raise awareness of people with neurodiverse talent, such as those with autism, emphasising how almost half of 25-year-olds with autism have never held a paying job. They produced a short documentary and launched a programme to bring neurodiversity into the workplace.
Key learnings: In an era where trust and humanisation have become fundamental parts of the decision-making process, IBM reminds us that the employees behind B2B organisations, like their customers, are human.
HSBC continued its global citizen theme into 2019 with the campaign ‘We are not an island’, centring its messaging around connectivity, togetherness and opportunity to remind customers of the bigger part we all play in wider society. With location specific out of home advertising in key cities around the UK, print, celebrity-fronted TV advertising and digital executions, the campaign did much to strike pride in the heart of many and provoked a fair amount of discussion around a possible ulterior Brexit message.
Key learnings: It can be a risky move for any big corporation to reveal opinions on political matters, yet HSBC’s message focused on looking beyond boundaries to the bigger picture.
Feeling inspired going into 2020 with hopes of reaching new markets or growing your customer base? At The Telemarketing Company, we’ve spent almost 30 years helping companies like American Express and Kwik Fit win new business and grow their sales revenue. If you would like to discuss how we might help generate demand and grow business for your company, get in touch today.