SHOWCASE
Steve’s recent copywriting and consultancy projects

Digital push delivers record profits

Though recruited to edit a ‘traditional’ (print-based) customer magazine, Steve quickly recognised a number of shortcomings in this leading holiday property company’s digital marketing strategy. And he responded accordingly – first, with a profound redesign of the firm’s website.

Working closely with the in–house studio team, Steve streamlined and simplified the site’s structure and navigation – rewriting the related copy to ensure ‘above the fold’ prominence in the (organic) search engine rankings.

A series of banner and PPC ads – and an affiliate campaign – followed, to ramp visitor numbers (to in excess of 100,000 ‘uniques’ per month) and accelerate return on the company’s marketing investment.

Next came an online version of the company’s customer magazine, which harnessed the latest ‘web 2.0’ (social media) technologies – including a wiki, blog area and photo–sharing – to create an interactive investor community.

With Board level support for 'online' at an all-time high, Steve and the team went on to develop:

• a new ecommerce enabled website to support the firm's wholly–owned ABTA bonded travel agency;
• a staff Extranet – to facilitate inter–site and inter–departmental communications, and
• a series of monthly eNewsletters – targeting staff, and existing and prospective investors.

The integrated programme was rounded off with a series of individualised direct emails – to maximise property occupancy and stimulate general travel services sales – and an innovative viral campaign, to generate new leads.

Although the positive feedback from both the management team and the firm’s investors was gratifying, the 19% year–on–year increase in sales provided the best commercial testament to the initiative’s success. By the time the sales book closed – on 4 January 2008 – the company had generated a record £28,356,701 in new investment.

Messaging ‘makeover’ ramps sales conversions 

Quite unlike traditional timeshare holiday schemes, HPB offers its investors an interest in an entire portfolio of properties, by means of a unique whole of life insurance bond.

Historically, though highly innovative, the bond’s inherent complexity had necessitated a (minimum) three–stage sales process, resulting in an unacceptably high rate of prospect attrition. Although initial response rates (from advertising and direct mail) consistently reflected industry standards, the percentage of leads that subsequently translated into home visits (from representatives) – or attendance at open days – was unacceptably low.

The fact that the product is tightly regulated by the Financial Services Authority exacerbated the problem – frustrating the in–house writers, and hindering the development of accessible, easy–to–understand benefit–led messages.

Accordingly, Steve set out to overhaul the firm's existing literature - working within the tightly constrained legal framework to create a series of communications that would:

• raise awareness and understanding;
• generate new and better qualified leads;
• increase audiences at events and exhibitions, and
• enable the field sales team to close more – and more profitable – sales.

Following a series of interviews with key personnel – and working closely with the firm’s legal and compliance director – Steve was able to develop a clear and concise positioning statement. This in turn provided the basis for a range of effective (and legally compliant) collateral –– including press ads, direct mail, fact sheets and brochures.

By providing more – and more relevant – information at every stage of the selling cycle, that literature transformed the firm’s lead:conversion ratios – resulting in a year on year increase of over 30%.

Direct mail campaign – Compuware NuMega

To support leading software vendor Compuware NuMega’s transition from an indirect to a direct distribution model, Steve devised an all–new trade bulletin, the self–titled ‘Testing Times’. The publication, which was produced in three languages, was despatched with a personalised mail pack, encouraging prospects from the developer community to subscribe and/or to recommend a friend and claim a novel business gift. Subscription rates topped 17% in some countries. Subsequently, Steve was retained to publish Testing Times on a regular basis.

Customer newsletter – YTKO

Setting out to develop relationships with its VC clients, Cambridge based consultancy YTKO (a derivative of the company’s original name, ‘The White Company’), drew on Steve’s extensive experience of developing customer magazines to produce an all–new publishing concept: The White Paper. Designed for maximum visual appeal, that publication – which is printed in full colour, in an unusual 297 x 125 format – features the latest industry stories and best practice ideas to help investors support the start–ups in their stables.

Enewsletter – GlobalCollect

Having for some years worked closely with TNT’s senior management team, Steve was ideally placed to provide design and editorial input to an all–new enewsletter to promote the firm’s nascent online payment facility, GlobalCollect. The resulting publication – which he titled GlobalExchange – derived its content from a variety of sources, not least, trade partners, product managers and the highly respected Forrester Research Group. Steve’s role each month was to conduct interviews, and gather the latest market research to create a lively, engaging text–only publication to draw customers, prospects and other stakeholders to the GlobalCollect website. And keep them coming back for more.

Staff magazine – P&O Nedlloyd

To enhance its cross–border employee communications, container shipping company PONL developed Frontline, a quarterly newspaper to be published in English, and distributed to over 15,000 staff on four continents. During the first four years of Frontline’s existence, Steve and his ‘virtual team’ were entrusted with every aspect of its production – from editorial planning to printing and distribution. Now in its sixth year, the 16–page full colour tabloid – which is widely regarded as a "model for B2E communication" – continues to grow in popularity, attracting readers and contributors from the farthest corners of the globe.

Enewsletter – Intel®

Published weekly in English, German and French, Intel’s eBusiness newsletter features case studies, best practice ideas and practical information and support to help customers get the very best from their IT infrastructures. For over four years, Steve was retained by the company’s new media partner, Euro RSCG, to condense the provided, highly technical source material (principally research reports and white papers) into concise, benefit–centred and easy–to–translate/localise summaries. Commenting on their longstanding relationship with Steve and his colleagues, the agency’s Intel account director said, "We selected Steve for his technical know–how, and willingness to go the extra mile."

All-media game – Nokia

Universally regarded as a model for viral marketing in its truest form, telecoms giant Nokia’s multi award–winning annual all–media adventure game attracted – at its peak – over 600,000 mobile phone users from Europe and the Middle East. For three of the four years in which the month–long competition ran, lead agency Euro RSCG relied on Steve for the related English language copy. To reach the multinational target audience of 15–30 year olds, that copy had to be, in the client’s words: ‘Creative, contemporary and compelling; quick and easy to translate (into multiple languages); inventive, fast–paced and offering real cross–cultural appeal.’ The campaign utilised an array of online and print media, not least: press advertising; radio and TV; email; SMS/text messaging and a series of temporary ‘micro’ websites.

Market research programme – InterXion

Seeking to assess perception of its services across its diverse customer base – and to unearth vital feedback, to inform future marketing messages and service developments – InterXion commissioned Steve and a colleague to devise an effective primary market research programme, comprising a detailed questionnaire and supporting multi–lingual telephone follow–up script. The information garnered through the ensuing interviews provided the foundation for a series of success stories (also created by Steve) which in turn formed the basis of a major pan–European PR campaign.

Consumer guide – Britannic Assurance

Pre–empting a regulatory review by the Financial Services Authority, Britannic Assurance’s PR team commissioned Steve to research and write ‘Transparency and With Profits: A Clear Guide for Independent Financial Advisers’ – to promote Britannic’s voluntary commitment to plain English policyholder communications, and to position the company as a leader in the field of transparent with profits investing. In addition to examining the likely consequences of the proposed legislation, the publication – which was distributed principally via trade media such as Money Week and Financial Adviser – provided intermediaries with the information needed to counter recent adverse publicity and close more, and higher value, with profits sales.

Direct mail campaign – Bentley Systems

Bentley Systems had allocated considerable sums to the promotion of its pioneering workflow management and web–based collaboration tools. Though pan–European, the potential market for the product was, however, relatively easy to define and target. Therefore Steve shunned the usual mass media approach, favouring instead a highly cost–effective ‘guerrilla marketing’ campaign leveraging the specialist trade press, direct mail and Internet. As a result, in the words of the client: "Over 500 leads were generated from 3,200 contacts. A very good return due, in no small part, to the printed and electronic collateral that you produced."

Channel marketing programme – Digital Equipment

Realising the need to re–energise its dormant dealer accounts, DEC challenged Steve and his Netherlands–based agency colleagues to develop a solution – a way to engage with inactive VARs (Value Added Resellers), through a co–op funded joint promotion.

Steve’s response was to leverage an existing – and extensive – collateral archive to create a series of direct marketing campaigns ‘in a box’. The innovative programme comprised print–ready artwork for ten ready–to–customise direct mail pieces – each translated into the relevant language and featuring the latest software bundle–price promotions. A series of supporting marketing micro–sites served to facilitate response, lead tracking and fulfilment.

Using Steve’s explanatory how–to ‘cookbook’ – which contained helpful hints and tips, with regard to production, despatch, and follow–up – the targeted VARs were able to quickly, easily and inexpensively implement their own targeted DEC campaigns to their in–house prospect lists, resulting in a quantifiable increase in profitable sales and ‘dealer mindshare’.

Direct mail campaign – CellStack Systems

The IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) presented the perfect showcase for CellStack Systems’ all–new Aurora interactive broadcasting product. But there was a problem: extensive testing, to ensure Aurora’s full market readiness, left the company with only weeks to ‘prime’ a target audience spread across three countries. Steve acted fast, designing and delivering first stage English–language materials – including a fully functional ‘micro’ event website, brochure, sales letters and two sector–specific media releases – in a single weekend. French and German versions followed just 48 hours later.

Integrated communications campaign – European Central Bank

Commissioned by Publicis – for whom he had previously undertaken a series of financial sector projects – Steve was despatched to Frankfurt to work alongside the European Central Bank’s in–house communications committee. His task: to co–develop an integrated campaign to maximise awareness and understanding of the forthcoming Euro currency launch. In all, the ensuing programme comprised a series of posters (for use in stores, airports and elsewhere), press ads (for Time, Newsweek, The Economist and a number of daily newspapers), an informational video (for retailers), a double page feature article, a detailed brochure (introducing the new notes and coins, and their various national derivatives), and two educational posters for use in schools.

Channel marketing programme – DEC PartnerPOINT

In a bid to ‘better engage with DEC’s pan–European reseller channel’, Steve was despatched to Amsterdam. His remit: to recruit, train and manage a multi–lingual (phone and web–based) support team, and develop a secure dealer Extranet environment to bolster the relationship – and streamline communications – between resellers, distributors and DEC country managers.
Six months in, the team had become the first port of call for all channel partner marketing, and related dealer queries – streamlining administration whilst encouraging participation in co–marketing campaigns, ‘bundle’ price promotions and other initiatives.

The resulting feedback was extremely positive. Some examples…
From Sweden’s Bjorn Fehrm: “It’s really excellent, and invaluable to us, as it’s an independent assessment where we are with our channel. With this data we can direct our effort much more effectively.”
From the UK’s Graham Fletcher: “Thank you for your excellent contribution. Although you do not work for me, of course, you are very much part of the team."
And from The Netherlands’ Cees Noteboom: “Unbelievable, in the short period of your attendance [ten weeks] I have received more support than in the past year.”

Travel website – holiday property company

Although recruited primarily to edit a leading holiday property company’s investor magazine, Steve was also able to leverage his new media experience to expand the company’s online marketing activities – along the way developing a whole new sales channel, and valuable secondary revenue stream.
Having devised, and secured investment, for the concept – a niche-oriented travel and leisure portal - Steve took charge of every aspect of the site’s construction, development and monetisation: defining and commissioning all the related functionality and content; identifying affiliate advertising opportunities; sourcing suitable partners; negotiating reader offers and incentives, and devising a blueprint for the site’s ongoing evolution and promotion.
The result, www.40plustravelandleisure.com, is now set to become an autonomous profit centre in its own right.

Customer magazine – holiday property company

Since September 2005, Steve has edited and produced a leading holiday property company’s investor magazine – working with the firm’s in-house studio, and a number of (personally recruited) specialist contributors, to transform the publication from homespun ‘village voice’ newsletter to content rich newsstand style magazine.

The feedback from readers has been resoundingly positive. But the commensurate increase in new investment and incentivised member-get-member referrals (which originate from the magazine) are the best commercial testament to Steve’s success.

Media relations campaign – NetCall

Realising a need to raise its profile and stimulate interest in its revolutionary products, NetCall retained Steve and a PR specialist associate, to collate a raft of information from the public domain, to enhance the client's case for coverage. Having secured the interest of the trade press, a series of articles was then despatched for publication. In light of the resulting exposure, NetCall has since been called upon to deliver presentations to a number of trade associations. Steve helped here too, by preparing press kits and other supporting materials.

Seminar series – EDS unigraphics

During his 12-month tenure as DEC Account Director, Steve was tasked to propose a format for a series of dealer-focussed seminars to showcase the combined infrastructure offering of EDS, DEC and Microsoft. Following some debate, it was agreed that a pilot of his proposed ‘Power of Three’ workshop would run at a conference centre close to the client's premises. Having developed the content and supporting presentation materials, Steve took charge of the related planning, management and marketing – securing the venue, arranging equipment hire and catering, and defining and delivering a marketing communications programme based around direct mail, outbound telemarketing and an Internet centred registration system. The initiative proved a success. Five fully subscribed Power of Three workshops followed. And DEC's UK sales manager expressed his delight by increasing his events budget, for the subsequent year, by 40 percent.