Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Faced with the challenge of building brand credibility in a new sector, HERE Technologies launched its co-marketing as a channel (CaaC) program. Recognising the need to diversify its revenue streams, HERE conceived the CaaC program to boost awareness, customer reach and build credibility in the new sectors, by leveraging the reach of partners in that sector. HERE’s CaaC program comprised 12 fully integrated co-marketing campaigns across owned and sponsored channels. By reaching out to new customers via cohesive program and highly localised content that was backed by reputable partners, HERE was able to successfully build brand awareness, reach and trust.

Background

HERE Technologies was primarily a provider of mapping software and location data for the automotive sector. To drive sustainable business growth, HERE recognised the need to diversify its revenue sources beyond automotives. The company identified transport and logistics as a key focus. Historically, HERE’s marketing strategy focused on paid media supported by adhoc events, webinars and eBooks. CaaC signified a shift in strategy: it was a cohesive, integrated program with a connected theme and year-long campaign that built up to a unified but localised story. The objective was to establish HERE as the partner of choice through thought leadership driven events and content. The mutually agreed KPIs included increased lead generation and long-term revenue. The program had to reach targeted customer profiles and have a direct impact on KPIs set by HERE. In practice this meant campaigns had to increase brand association and visibility while meeting tangible KPIs.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

During 2021, HERE teamed up with 12 partners including Frost & Sullivan, ITS Australia and Mitsubishi Corp on a series of co-marketing campaigns running concurrently across APAC and Japan. Developed under the banner ‘think regional, act local’, HERE’s CaaC program comprised 12 multi-channel campaigns with multiple partners within APAC including Japan. Each campaign was localised for respective markets, had multiple touch points and connected all content to tell a cohesive brand story that addressed the target audiences’ needs. An example is the co-marketing campaign launched with consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. The campaign positioned HERE as a thought leader in location technology. HERE created various assets including survey-based white papers, press releases and virtual events; the-go-to market strategy included publishing content and advertising on both owned and sponsored channels. This integrated approach raised brand visibility while providing potential customers with a consistent brand experience.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The objective of the Co-marketing as a Channel (CaaC) program was to positively influence HERE’s credibility by leveraging its partners’ expertise and brand reach. In return, partners could capitalize on HERE’s reach, reputation and in some cases, also earn referral commission. It was a mutually beneficial program that allowed HERE to deliver relevant information and a cohesive brand experience to all target customers. After identifying transport and logistics as its business focus, the 12 integrated campaigns under the CaaC program set out to position HERE as the partner of choice among fleet management, supply chain, and urban mobility-focused customers. With multiple campaigns running concurrently, it was essential to prevent conflicting messages and create a consistent, cohesive brand experience. Consistency was achieved by running an integrated multi-channel program with the same key messages telling a localised story in individual markets.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

HERE’s CaaC program comprised various campaigns that ran concurrently in APAC. One of the notable examples was the Frost & Sullivan campaign that ran in APAC including Japan from March to December 2021. HERE worked with consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan to deliver findings about the trends and challenges in the transport and logistics industry. After surveying more than 150 transport and logistics industry leaders, an integrated multi-channel campaign was launched comprising four webinars, a flagship event – the Intelligent Mobility Summit, two survey-based white papers, and three press releases. HERE also launched a 6-month go-to-market plan across owned and sponsored channels including websites, blog posts, social media, EDMs, and web advertising. In Japan the Frost & Sullivan CaaC campaign delivered 1.5x the target amount leads; this success rate is attributed to the ‘think regional, act local’ approach - content was in Japanese, and tailored to Japanese market.

List the results (30% of vote)

The CaaC program was highly successful in generating new leads and revenue growth. With multiple campaigns running, we are sharing the results of the Frost & Sullivan campaign: - Created more than 23,000 touchpoints - Generated more than 3,000 new business leads - The white papers associated with the campaign were downloaded more than 300 times - >1200 attendees of the webinar - Close to 1,000 social media engagements - Our stories and the information from the white papers and surveys also interested the media, with more than 30 press stories resulting from the campaign The overall CaaC program helped HERE to achieve its business objectives: - Contributed 30% of APAC and Japan region’s revenue - Year-to-date regional double-digit, multi-million dollar pipeline