Hewden Case Study
Challenge:
Hewden is the UK's largest and most diverse specialist equipment rental company. Part of Finning International Inc, Hewden provides equipment rental and contract management services to key businesses in virtually every sector of British industry.
Hewden wanted to engage with its current and potential customers with a campaign that addressed a particular issue that was causing industry concern. The company wanted its customers to see it as specialists and thought leaders on an industry issue ahead of any of its competitors.
Strategy:
The campaign was to be based around the new ‘Controlling Noise At Work Legislation’, which was set to cause massive problems within the construction and heavy machinery industries.
K + R recommended a fully integrated PR/Marketing campaign over a sustained period.
A subsequent strategy and implementation plan concentrated on communicating two key messages to target media. The first message was to raise awareness of Hewden as the market leader in terms of health, safety and the environment. The second message was Hewden’s desire to ‘move closer to the customer’.
Tactics:
Activities included:
- Noise at Work booklet issued free of charge to customers, mailed direct to customers' sites and available to download from the company's website
- Shout About Noise Reduction poster and supporting items distributed in partnership with Contract Journal
- Dedicated website pages
- Speaking slots for Hewden EH&S manager Martin Williams at industry conferences and seminars
- Survey among contractors to gauge the degree to which the legislation had been accepted and understood
- Exhibition stands at Interbuild 2006 and Toolfair 2006 included a noise meter, providing visitors with a practical way to understand the risk of excessive noise exposure
- Football survey - measurement of noise levels at football matches revealed that permitted levels are frequently exceeded. The results were released to sports correspondents in national print and broadcast media
Results:
Since February 2006, Hewden has achieved the major share of voice on the noise issue within its core trade press - a total of 29 separate media items with a combined circulation of 994,587 and readership of 2,983,761d. Coverage was also achieved in the specialist health and safety media.
The football stadium release resulted in significant pieces of national coverage, in the Daily Telegraph and Daily Express, reaching 1,675,903 people, as well as two radio items on BBC Radio Newcastle and Talk Sport reaching another 2.5 million.
Hewden successfully positioned itself ahead of its competitors as the leading expert on the 'Control of Noise at Work' legislation, with an article in the trade press identifying Hewden as owning the health and safety issue of noise.
Site poster distribution exceeded 30,000 and a further 80 customers and non customers contacted Hewden direct for further posters and guides for use on sites.
Web site monitoring was not possible but accessing of these materials and the overall impacts of the campaign will be measured in 2007 with Hewden's annual research study into customer perceptions.
Hewden depot managers gave a 100% positive response and reported the initiative as having gone down extremely well with customers. The client quality review was also positive. Jeff Schofield, Head of Marketing at Hewden said in this summary:
'By identifying an issue that was going to affect all of our customers as the result of new legislation, K+R was able to create a raft of publicity opportunities for Hewden. The integrated communications campaign worked across the sales and marketing mix, including PR, exhibitions, advertising and sales, and provided new opportunities for contact with existing and potential customers. The football angle also gave us incremental coverage outside our traditional target media in programmes and titles that are popular with our audience.'
