JOHN MANLOVE | CASE STUDIES | USI
Clarify
Current Situation
After a growth phase added many new branches, United Subcontractors Inc. wanted a better way to promote them. It needed a more cohesive and aggressive marketing plan, especially for its insulation and radiant barrier services. In fall 2008, the company approached John Manlove Marketing & Communications for consultation. We assessed the company's brand position and determined three important points:
- Efficient Attic Systems (EAS) is the big gorilla in select U.S. markets and is rolling its program out to new territories . It is using an aggressive multimedia marketing strategy and doing it very well. This included radio, d irect mail, search-engine marketing and c oupon magazines . It has a uniform brand identity and professional image. It is often the only recognizable brand in its markets .
- The rest of the competitive markets are composed of (at least by all marketing appearances) mom-and-pop operations.
- USI’s branches, even though they have the strength of combined resources behind USI, are still competing at the mom-and-pop level.
Brand
- Brand Analysis: The solution was clear: we had to develop a strong and recognizable brand identity that would translate to any USI branch. But we didn't want to lose the service appeal of a local operation. This would provide a clear advantage over the typical mom-and-pop shop and create a viable alternative to the national chain.
- Brand Identity: We did this through a unique creative identity that was WARM, FRIENDLY and SAFE. Our first theme was "Koozie Your Home," creating a conversational and fun parallel between the effect of proper home insulation and a cold, refreshing summer beverage. The identity would translate well to any market, but the basic design allowed for minor adjustments; we could change the logo to correspond with each market's branch and adjust icons (for local trade associations, etc.).
- Brand Position/Promise: Locally owned and operated — but has BIG resources. In other words, great service with competitive price.
Reach
With the right creative in hand, we then determined the right media mix. In our experience, integrated campaigns — they reach your target over several mediums — produce the best return on marketing investment. Because USI has so many branches, and an entire marketing overhaul would be a huge undertaking, the company wanted to the test the plan in two Texas markets: Austin and Dallas.
JMMC developed a Three- Prong Approach to the media plan. We began with three complementary media : direct mail, radio and Internet marketing. For direct mail and Internet marketing, we had two subcategories. For direct mail, we would use both a local coupon magazine and a postcard to target households. The postcard would mail in between publish dates of the magazine. For Internet, we would use a combination of search-engine marketing and online display advertising. The radio campaign would focus on live endorsements.
To tie them all together, we would need an online landing page and custom URL. This would provide additional information for interested customers and provide a great way to track the success of the marketing efforts.
Various parts of the campaign rolled out at the beginning of January 2009. The rest began in spring as the weather heated up and more people began to think about insulation and energy costs.
This chart shows the proportion of budget spent on each aspect of the campaign.
Results
When USI approached Manlove, it wanted the phone to ring. That was its single measurement of campaign effectiveness. So, we used a series of tracked phone numbers to determine the amount of calls generated by each medium and measured that against a cost-per call. We also used online analytics and reporting within each arm of the marketing campaign, which helped us optimize their effectiveness.
Below, you can see a glimpse of what we measured.
While it's too soon to provide true results from the campaign, USI was pleased with the level of reporting — it could track its marketing ROI very closely. It was also pleased with its new creative identity. We continue to fine-tune the marketing mix, call to action, incentives and other aspects of the campaign based on our reports and any changes in the economy or market.
We are excited to roll out the campaign to other U.S. markets beginning next fall.
  
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