The Construction Marketing Awards, presented this year on 29th November, gave the construction industry the opportunity to recognise its very best marketing campaigns. Winners are invited to contribute a summary of their entry to this blog: today it is MRA Marketing, winners of the Best Use of Advertising category for their Talk2Stuart campaign for Acheson & Glover
Irish-based hard-landscaping manufacturer Acheson & Glover (A&G) engaged MRA Marketing in January 2011 to devise and implement a strategic campaign to launch its hard landscaping range in Great Britain. Central to this campaign was the creation and placement of a series of four adverts – for which MRA has been awarded Best Use of Advertising at this year’s Construction Marketing Awards.
Irish-based hard-landscaping manufacturer Acheson & Glover (A&G) engaged MRA Marketing in January 2011 to devise and implement a strategic campaign to launch its hard landscaping range in Great Britain. Central to this campaign was the creation and placement of a series of four adverts – for which MRA has been awarded Best Use of Advertising at this year’s Construction Marketing Awards.
Despite being market leader for hard landscaping in Ireland, at the start of our campaign A&G was virtually unknown in Great Britain. Added to which, the market for hard landscaping in GB is dominated by three major suppliers who have locked the large national merchants into long-term deals.
To break into the GB market, A&G would have to reach out to independent builders’ merchants and their powerful buying groups. MRA needed an advertising campaign that would dramatically increase awareness of A&G Commercial Director Stuart Cook; a campaign to raise A&G’s brand profile as a leading hard landscaping supplier while simultaneously advancing a USP – something which A&G could offer customers that other suppliers didn’t.
MRA made a bold decision to put Stuart centre stage and to use him to introduce A&G’s offer to merchants. This decision reflected the fact that A&G’s potential customers needed to recognise the man with whom they would soon be doing business. MRA also needed the advertising to stand out and grab attention – almost all adverts in the sector press are product and not people focused.
The campaign also reflected MRA’s belief that by “making it personal”, A&G could hit existing suppliers where they were most vulnerable: on their lacklustre record for service, relationships and support. MRA saw that this campaign could not be won on product alone. Customers didn’t complain about product. But they did grumble about service and relationships. This would be A&G’s point of difference.
In a short space of time MRA’s campaign delivered impressive results. Stuart’s is now recognised across an industry in which just six months ago he was unknown and A&G have just been approved by the H&B buying group as an approved supplier.
