The Agency Online

Consumer cold acquisition campaign

We were looking forward to tapping into a new market, and refreshing the image of our brand. We have set some ambitious targets. TheAgency’s strategic and creative execution, coupled with their understanding of our taregt markets, has been way above anything else we’ve seen

Abu Shafi

Managing Director, BSM

Brief

To build on the buzz and interest around BSM during 2010, their centenary year. Maintaining relevance with the youth audience is essential, whilst simultaneously increasing new learner sales. This campaign is part two of the 12-month campaign, and needs to dovetail ongoing marketing activity. The campaign needs to embrace the PR and social media activity, and seamlessly integrate the online and offline media channels.

Key Insights

Having spoken extensively to the BSM management team, their employees, instructors, pupils and potential pupils we established that the youth are in control. They make the purchasing decisions. Parents are only influencers. Heritage and reputation are still the most important factors for parents. But youth do not value heritage. Peer recommendation, flexibility of service and price are paramount.

Our Solution

The big idea that underpins the centenary year is ‘Pass on the big 100’. Learn to Enjoy the Summer is second part of the centenary campaign. A call to arms, it connects success with their heritage. Moving on from the 1960’s, we enter the summer of the 70’s. Sophie Hellyer, UK pro surf champion, and face of Roxy clothing and Skull Candy lends herself as the face of BSM. The campaign ran across digital (including social media), radio, press, point of sale, outdoor and beach events.

Results

Another record-breaking campaign for BSM. Overall sales increased by 20%, and online sales increased by 300%. The campaign also generated a high level of WOM (word of mouth) amongst the youth audience.

Consumer cold acquisition campaign

Brief

To create buzz and interest around BSM during 2010, their centenary year. Maintaining relevance with the youth audience is essential, whilst simultaneously increasing learner sales. The 12-month campaign needs to dovetail ongoing marketing activity, embrace the PR and social media activity, and seamlessly integrate the online and offline media channels.

Key Insights

Having spoken extensively to the BSM management team, their employees, instructors, pupils and potential pupils we established that the youth are in control. They make the purchasing decisions. Parents are only influencers. Heritage and reputation are still the most important factors for parents. But youth do not value heritage. Peer recommendation, flexibility of service and price are paramount.

Our Solution

The big idea that underpins the centenary year is ‘Pass on the big 100’. A call to arms, it connects success with their heritage. The BSM experience gives you the best chance of passing. The campaign ran across digital (including social media), radio, press, point of sale and outdoor.

Results

Another record-breaking campaign for BSM, sales increased by a further 25%. The campaign also generated a high level of WOM (word of mouth) amongst the youth audience.

Outdoor and press advertising

20% increase in web sales

Radio advertisement

Website re-design and build

Brief

The dramatic increase in learner sales during campaign periods, and a shift towards online sales conversions has meant that the BSM.co.uk site is increasingly becoming the focus for consumers and potential instructors. The BSM website needs to be re-developed in line with recent user experience research findings, with greater emphasis on the retail and e-commerce journey.

Key Insights

80% of BSM’s competition is from independent instructors in the local regions. Using BSM.co.uk as a cold acquisition tool will require heavy SEO integration (search engine optimisation), and using the 97 BSM retail centres presents a good opportunity to do this.

Our Solution

A simple, retail focussed site for consumers that is co-ordinated with the national advertising campaigns and eliminates the need for campaign microsites in the future. In addition the site utilises seperate contact pages for each BSM retail centre, allowing pupils to select the regional promotions that apply, and cross reference the lesson times available with each instructor. The site also includes separate sections for corporate fleet deals and instructors. As a web platform, the site has been built in Drupal, and allows flexibility for additional retail products and offers, including training aids and iPhone applications.

Results

On its launch, the site showed a 19% increase in sales conversions by the second day. Natural search rankings for BSM have increased by region, with results now showing in the majority of local UK searches.

BSM.co.uk Homepage

Learner homepage

BSM learn on the go iPhone application

Instructor homepage

B2b instructor recruitment campaign

Brief

BSM are the UK’s market leading driving school, and a recent learner acquisition campaign has delivered a significant increase in consumer numbers. To help maintain the service levels that BSM promise, develop an integrated recruitment plan for both newly qualified instructors and seasoned independent instructors.

Key Insights

Understanding the key drivers behind becoming a driving instructor is paramount for developing a compelling proposition. The life of a driving instructor is about flexibility, a work life balance as well as an escape from a traditional office environment. A BSM franchise offers the stability of a corporate environment with the flexibility of your own business. Most importantly, BSM supply pupils to all their instructors for free, unlike all the major competitors.

Our Solution

An integrated campaign, using a mix of channels, including outdoor posters and ad vans as well as radio and online display banners. The campaign is ongoing and targets competitor driving schools, independent instructors, haulage companies as well as the MOD and job centres. The campaign is rolled out nationally, but is up-weighted on a local level using pay per click advertising, press advertising and radio.

Results

Successfully recruited more than 250 new instructors in less than 12-weeks. It is to date the most successful instructor recruitment campaign that BSM have run, and is an ongoing template for future acquisition campaigns.

Outdoor posters

Ad Vans

Instructor recruitment website

MOD Military outdoor ad

Capital Radio, KISS FM, Heart

Consumer cold acquisition campaign

Brief

Since BSM brokered the biggest single deal in Fiat UK’s history when they switched from Vauxhall Corsa’s to Fiat 500’s, it is important to effectively communicate the change to all existing and new learners. The shift is part of the ongoing strategy to increase appeal with the youth market. Develop a proposition that clearly highlights the advantages of learning in a Fiat 500, and how this choice of car helps BSM deliver on their pass promise.

Key Insights

We spoke with the Fiat design team as well as BSM’s instructors and the DVLA. We were able to specify the key benefits that the Fiat 500 brought to the learning experience, then we took the car for a spin. Our research proved that the Fiat 500 outperformed the Corsa in terms of handling, economy as well as size – it was easier to park and has a tighter turning circle.

Our Solution

Don’t ignore the fact that the Fiat 500 is beautiful, but draw attention to the fact that it is also a great car to learn in. Our campaign was built around the idea ‘Learning made beautifully simple’. We positioned the car between two ‘look a like’ cars that one of their main competitors used. This emphasized it’s comparative beauty and size.

The campaign ran on radio, outdoor, digital channels (including social media), press and point of sale in 97 retail centres.

Results

Like for like sales compared to the previous year were up by 20%. The BSM pass rate also increased by 7% since the introduction of the Fiat 500. BSM received hugely positive feedback from learners as well as instructors. Equally important, many of the instructors who had expressed concern about the switch changed their opinions based on what learners said and their reactions to the Fiat500.

Online display advertising

Point of Sale (PoS) throughout 97 retail centres

B2b instructor retention campaign

Brief

BSM brokered the biggest single deal in Fiat UK’s history when they switched from Vauxhall Corsas to Fiat 500s and Puntos. The shift was all part of the ongoing strategy to increase BSM’s appeal with the youth audience by making the brand more fashionable and appealing. However, BSM face a degree of nervousness from some instructors, with many considering termination of their franchise agreement. The brief is to plan an internal launch that will ensure the switch of fleet is met with positivity and enthusiasm.

Key Insights

Our research uncovered that the Fiat 500 outperformed the Corsa in terms of handling, economy, size (it is easier to park) and has a tighter turning circle. In addition, we discovered that the Fiat 500 was in fact more spacious than the Corsa in many areas, including boot space and front leg room.

Our Approach

To clearly illustrate how the new Fiat 500 will benefit instructor’s business and lives we developed lead messages and propositions, linking the car and its performance with the business needs and students demands. This allowed us to build a compelling case for switching vehicles.

Our Solution

The challenge was to deliver the message with credibility, ideally direct from the management team. We produced a short film introducing the Fiat 500. The film was delivered on DVD, alongside a high-value direct mail piece, sent directly to all BSM instructors. The piece arrived in metallic silver padded envelope. Once opened instructors were presented with a quality, textured matt black box, which carried the simple line ‘We wanted you to be the first to know’.

Results

Instructor retention figures remained constant, with less than 1% of leavers citing the car as the reason for their departure. Since its launch the Fiat 500 has attracted more learners, and BSM’s pass rate has increased by 7%, now sitting 10% above the national average.

Direct mail pack

DVD Menu

The Agency

BSM

Learn to Enjoy the Summer (2010)

Brief

Key Insights

Our Solution

Results

Pass On The Big 100 (Q2 2010)

Brief

Key Insights

Our Solution

Results

BSM.co.uk Live Launch

Brief

Key Insights

Our Solution

Results

BSM Curious (Q1 2010)

Brief

Key Insights

Our Solution

Results

Beautifully Simple (Q4 2009)

Brief

Key Insights

Our Solution

Results

Fiat 500 Launch (Q4 2009)

Brief

Key Insights

Our Approach

Our Solution

Results

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