James Hardie Closes The
Loop Between Consumers, Builders and Architects
2 July 2003
When James Hardie decided it wanted to broaden and deepen its relationship
with consumers online, they turned to eMarketing agency, Tango Communications
– and today sees the launch of the new website and interactive
communications programme for the popular TV Showhomes TV commercials
– www.tvshowhomes.co.nz
“James Hardie’s consumer strategy aims to help people
design and build their dreams’,” says Matthew Woodley,
Manager of Marketing for James Hardie Australia and New Zealand.
“Our TV Showhomes advertising had been taking people to a
certain level, but we knew there was an opportunity to take our
relationship with consumers a lot further using the web and email.”
James Hardie turned to e-Marketing agency Tango Communications.
“Tango worked with James Hardie to develop an interactive
communications strategy that would help consumers right through
the building process – from the time they first start collecting
ideas, to finding an architect or builder, through to painting the
finished home,” says Boyd Wason, Director of Tango Communications.
“New Zealanders have such a huge interest in new home design
and renovation,” says Wason. “They devour design magazines,
and of course there’s the phenomenal popularity of ‘do-up’
type TV shows. Obviously the time is ripe for a website that not
only shows the pretty pictures, but provides the relevant background
information to help consumers get the same results. The great thing
with this site is that it provides a two-way link to the TV activity
and it closes the loop between James Hardie’s two key audiences:
consumers and trade customers.”
Tango brought in website technology specialists, Intergen, and
marketing technology specialists, Touchpoint, as partners to assist
with the implementation of the strategy.
Intergen, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner,
partnered with Tango to build and host the new website on their
Microsoft Content Management Server ASP platform.
The use of Microsoft Content Management Server allows Tango to
manage all content on the site, on behalf of James Hardie, to a
time-critical schedule that sees new homes and stories updated on
the site every three weeks as new TV commercials go to air.
The new website features an innovative online scrapbook where consumers
can collect ideas and info they like in one place, and when they’re
ready to brief an architect or designer they can email their scrapbook
as a PDF file. Intergen developed the functionality of the scrapbook
using Microsoft ASP.NET.
"Through Intergen’s Microsoft Content Management Server
ASP service we have access to a powerful tool that fits the requirements
of this project, within the budget,” says Boyd. “Beyond
the technical solution, Intergen’s experience with customising
the content management application, and their ability to work to
our demanding brief, was critical to the success of this project.”
Touchpoint powered two key areas of the new initiative
- the multi channel messaging component (email, fax, text messaging)
and an Architect and Builder Directory.
The Architect and Builder Directory provides a critical link between
consumers and the trade. Consumers can search for trade professionals
in their area, who specialise in new home or renovation projects.
“There’s a growing trend for building material suppliers
to build direct relationships with end customers – to directly
influence the decisions traditionally made by architects and builders
about which trades-people or products to use,” says Steve
Shearman, Director of Touchpoint. “By integrating the builders
and architects into this relationship, James Hardie is bringing
together all the major players for a successful project.”
But how to engage a builder in immediate communication? Builders
are not stationary behind a workstation, waiting for emails or faxes.
They are mobile, moving around on sites, and relatively unconnected.
They take business orders by clearing phone messages and faxes at
the close of a day. The answer seemed obvious to Touchpoint: text
to mobile.
So now, when a consumer requests contact from a participating builder,
a text message is automatically sent to the builder, with a copy
email going to a James Hardie rep. The rep can facilitate the interaction:
check that the builder has indeed contacted the consumer, and provide
any follow up that’s required. In this way, the homeowner,
builder and James Hardie rep are brought together.
“The Architect and Builder Directory is a key function of
the new site that feeds right back into the value chain of our business,”
says Matthew. “Tango and Touchpoint have developed a powerful
lead generation and monitoring process that allows us to provide
highly qualified consumer leads to our trade customers.”
Tango also called on Touchpoint’s campaign management technology
to drive the ongoing email marketing component of the TV Showhomes
initiative. James Hardie emails their TV Showhomes consumer database
as new homes go to air, profiling the home and related stories on
the website.
“Tango Communications brought a strategic understanding of
how to foster online relationships with our customers and the trade
community,” says Matthew. “And the precision technology
solutions brought to the project by Touchpoint and Intergen mean
that we’ve got a new level of transparency in our marketing
relationships.”
The site www.tvshowhomes.co.nz
launches today, Wednesday 2 July 2003.
ENDS
About James Hardie:
James Hardie is a global leader in the manufacture of building materials.
With over sixty years of experience in the New Zealand market supported
global research and development resources, James Hardie is committed
to product performance and technical innovation. James Hardie has
major operations in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and
the Philippines.
Contact: Bradley Webster, Communications Manager
Tel: 09 579 9919
About Tango Communications:
www.tangocomms.co.nz
Tango Communications is an emarketing agency. It helps its clients
build better relationships with their customers (and other important
people) using the web, email and other interactive tools. Tango
focuses on providing strategic leadership in the development and
implementation of interactive communication programmes.
Contact: Boyd Wason
Tel: 09 361 6470 or email boyd@tangocomms.co.nz
About Intergen:
www.intergen.co.nz
Intergen is a specialist Microsoft solutions development company
that brings together the disciplines of business knowledge, information
technology and creativity. From Electronic Commerce, to Collaboration,
to Creative Design and Build, to Hosting, to .NET Applications,
Intergen designs and builds business solutions based on the latest
Microsoft servers and technologies.
Contact: Shaun Donaghey
Tel: 021 359 061 or email shaun.donaghey@intergen.co.nz
About Touchpoint:
www.touchpoint.co.nz
Touchpoint is the leading edge New Zealand provider of multi-channel
marketing systems used by marketers and professional direct marketing
agencies. The Touchpoint software suite helps businesses build closer,
more profitable customer relationships by taking advantage of traditional
and emerging digital channels, including email, direct mail, telemarketing,
SMS text-messaging, fax, and the web. Touchpoint solutions provide
direct access for marketers, agencies, and customer service staff
to setup, manage and track integrated marketing programmes and campaigns
across multiple channels in real-time.
Contact: Steve Shearman
Tel: 09 358 2448 or email steve.shearman@touchpoint.co.nz
For more information please contact:
Sally Raudon
Botica Butler Raudon Partners
09 303 3862,
021 402 502,
sallyr@botica.co.nz
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