Couldn’t make the turn
Eneco Business to Business
Issue 30 | March 2014
Agency
FHV BBDO
Creative Team
Senior Art Director John de Vries Senior Copywriter Rene´ Verbong Creative Director Mark Muller Martin Cornelissen
Production Team
Production Onesize, Magic Bullet
Other Credits
Client Services Director Peggy Wijtzes Client Services Director Peggy Wijtzes Eke Rog Account Executive Eva van Santen Interactive Designer Esmee Lechner Strategy Director David Koop
Date
September 2013
Background
Eneco wanted to increase their market share in the business-segment of the energy market. To do this and to generate leads on potential new customers, they needed to make sure Dutch businesses knew Eneco was there to help them make their companies more sustainable.
Idea
The idea was to mail thousands of companies in The Netherlands a fake notice of a delivery not made. Of a windmill.
The notice was designed to look like the sort of delivery notes used by DHL and UPS with the serial number of the windmill, the date and time of
the delivery and an explanation for why the delivery was not made.
In this instance, because the truck driver could not make the turn.
A unique track n' trace code on the note allowed the recipient to watch a video in which, thanks to Google Street View, the driver was seen to be having difficulties in their very own street.
The video ended with a message that Eneco provided more energy solutions than a windmill on your doorstep. There was a call button to get in touch immediately with Eneco's customer service team.
RESULTS
Twitter began to buzz with comments giving kudos to the campaign idea. The phones rang frequently. 948 calls and 278 emails, which turned into over 100 business leads. There were 450 requests for solar panels and even four requests for windmills.
Our Thoughts
Campaigns like this can run the risk of pissing off potential customers (despite the Dutch having an affinity with windmills).
But the bravest clients deserve to reap the rewards of attention-grabbing ideas.
With social media giving recipients the ability to comment loudly, it would have been tense for both client and agency when they “waited to see what happened.”
What did happen was the campaign achieved its objectives in terms of both leads and sales.
Of course, most people who got the mailing also got that it was a ruse. But they are probably now more aware of both Eneco and its sustainable offering.