BRONZE: Events, Seasonal and Short-Term
Situation Analysis: In fall 2010, Yellow Pages Group (YPG) had to find a way to compete with Google, Bing, Yelp, Groupon, Foursquare and Facebook in providing local businesses with marketing solutions. This was a tall order for a brand seen as a paper directory, though on the plus side it did have a full suite of digital marketing services and solutions – the Yellow Pages 360º Solution.
Strategy & Insight: The target was small businesses that knew they had to get into the digital space, but didn’t know how to do it. Small business customers are so diverse that the decision was made to use mass media to get the message out. This would encourage the audience to visit the 360º Solution website and, subsequently, to call for a consultation.
Execution: This started in February 2011 with two 30-second TV spots. In “Not Here,” a bakery owner misses out on potential customers by not being online. In “Window Cleaner,” a more experienced owner learns that the 360º Solution can help any business grow. Print conveyed the breadth of the 360º Solution; radio covered search engine optimization, marketing strategy and marketing tools – and all of this was supported online.
Results: For the three-month campaign, net sales through the 360º site were +82%, more than triple the +25% goal. Requests for quotes increased 277%, close to triple the increase that had been hoped for.
Cause & Effect: Awareness of the 360º Solution increased by 25 points. The website’s unique visitors increased by 31%, and calls to YPG’s sales centre increased by 58% – all evidence that the campaign was breaking through. Spending levels were healthy, but in line with national launch levels. Pricing and promotion were normative.
Credits:
Yellow Pages Group
CMO: Stephane Marceau
director, corporate and marketing communications: Annie Marsolais
senior manager, brand marketing communications: Andre Leblanc
marketing communications manager: Ann-Marie Beauchemin
brand manager: Hugo Thibault
Taxi 2
ECD: Lance Martin
AD: Mike Lee
copywriter: Troy Palmer
account director: Daniel Shearer
account manager: Brian Tod
