Orcon

Using digital media to sell digital media

The Results

  • The campaign achieved customer acquisition objectives within the timeframe
  • 47% of people who responded provided their email address for more information
  • 5% of people forwarded emails to others, extending the reach of the campaign even further
  • Response rates highlighted spectacular differences between best and worst performing advertising spots, ranging from $12 to $1,000
  • Analysis also identified a lower cost per lead for off-peak advertising spots compared to on-peak advertising
  • Notable differences were recorded between 15 and 30 second flights, with the cost per response of a 15 second spot two thirds of 30 second spots
  • Similarly, time of day had a bearing on cost per response, with prime times particularly expensive
  • Generally, after eight weeks cost per response increased
  • Anecdotal feedback from call centre staff indicated that callers were more informed and committed to signing up

The challenge

New Zealand's fourth-largest ISP, Orcon, was looking for something different. In a retail broadband market saturated with rowdy vendors and similar offerings, Orcon wanted to energise its campaign to switch dialup internet users to broadband.

The key customer insight was the absence of enough good reasons to justify the leap to broadband. Most dialup customers had an inkling that broadband was better, but few had a clear picture of the benefits that would drive an instant decision. Orcon knew that education and a softer information-based approach, rather than yelling, was required to coax these consumers over the line.

Objectives

The big goal was to capture 8,000 new broadband customers over a three-month campaign. However, the clincher was achieving the acquisition target without increasing back-end call centre resources to process new transactions, and render clues to help focus future marketing spend.

The solution

If the approach were to take an indirect route to consumer wallets, through stages of awareness, finding out more and then buying, the experience had to be priceless. Orcon chose to embed Txt4Info into its above-the-line advertising campaign, introducing in-built direct response mechanisms supporting buying cycle stages of awareness, consideration and purchase in a single cohesive program.

Consumers who saw Orcon advertising simply fired off a short text code for more information about the broadband offer. A return text message invited the sender to text back their email address, in which case Orcon emailed the respondent information about the offer and a web-link inviting them to complete signup.

While it’s easy to frighten off potential purchasers with demands to 'buy now', offering multiple digital channels lets people engage on their own terms and gradually establish a sense of trust, not unlike mainstream brand marketing. Txt4Info satisfied the large group of people who were interested in the offer, but not quite ready because they didn't know enough. It also played nicely into the hands of Orcon's call centre, as many of the obvious questions had been answered and callers were ready to sign up, without the usual expensive over-the-phone education process.

How Touchpoint technology helped

Txt4Info: allows Orcon’s customers and prospects to request information via their mobile phone.

Reporting: real time reporting provides a dashboard view of databases and promotion participation, and can be used to track consumer behaviour.



Brand

Orcon BitStream Broadband

Campaign

Dialup-to-broadband

Channels
  • Web
  • Print (magazines and dailies)
  • TVC
  • Email
  • mobile

Agency

Consortium

Target audience

Dialup internet users