Creativity that makes a difference
In times when consumers were faced with rising gas and energy prices on a daily basis, Primagaz wanted to inform Belgians living in so-called off-grid homes about the opportunity to switch to propane. A smart choice, one for a source of energy with prices regulated by the government and ample in supply, thanks to centralised purchasing through the parent company.
To help make propane known and loved, Primagaz began the search for an end-to-end partner with diverse, creative expertise and a focus on campaign performance. iO and Primagaz hit it off almost immediately. That had everything to do with the solutions we had in mind.
Creating awareness and positioning propane as a stable energy source.
360° creative performance marketing with a powerful umbrella concept.
About Primagaz
Primagaz is a subsidiary of Dutch SHV Energy - the world's largest LPG supplier - and has been supplying both energy and heat to private individuals, industrial customers, and medium-sized companies for more than 60 years.
Primagaz's ambition is to contribute to a more sustainable world, a challenging one that is ever-changing. A world in which energy is of great importance, but a world struggling with its impact at the same time.
360° (performance) marketing that sticks with you, even off-grid
iO’s varied group of experts soon knew where to begin: a creative omnichannel campaign - tuned to the target group - that proclaims the desired message via various channels.
The recipe for success for properly positioning propane as an energy source: explaining what propane gas is as well as dispelling the misconception that propane is linked to natural gas prices. In short: create awareness surrounding propane as an affordable, available energy source and bet on consideration by offering and promoting relevant content. This enabled Primagaz to stand out from the competition and achieve the desired results: from brand awareness (equity) to sales (qualified leads).
This required a strong, so-called ‘umbrella concept’ to bring these messages into the fold. This particular concept originated out of the Primagaz offering and establishes a direct link to customers: 'we do X, you do Y'.
Primagaz - energy for the future
Digital TV campaign
We created a series of 5 spots for a digital TV campaign with Primagaz.
They provide the energy, but it’s down to you to bring the atmosphere. Not for viewers with a sensitive disposition..:-)
Collaboration at the core of creative cross media
The premise of the brand is that, as a customer, you actually work with Primagaz. As a team, you achieve more: Primagaz supplies you with the much-needed energy and you get the most out of it.
This overarching concept directly strengthened the brand equity of the brand and allowed us to work out different campaigns with various promotions – all while boosting attribution to the brand at the same time. How did we manage it, in terms of copywriting?
'We provide hot water, but the bubbles… you have to make them yourself'
'We keep your gas fire burning, but for sparks... you have to put in the work yourself'
'We heat your barbecue, but blowing... you still have to do that yourself'
And then, suddenly, 2022 was upon us. It proved to be the year of the great energy crisis and perhaps the time to put extra effort into the financial benefits of opting for propane gas. Energy that was previously seen as a commodity suddenly became a 'high involvement' product (due to scarcity and high prices). The world seemed to be turned upside down for a moment. That’s why we had to move quickly.
In 2022, we therefore explicitly tuned the existing overarching concept to this current market situation and reworked the campaign into the following campaign:
'We'll warm up your bath for a while, but you won't start sweating at checkout' (2022)
Even as reality turned 180° in a short time, the concept held its own! This illustrates the power and benefits of the strength of our umbrella concept.
"Cooperation with iO's experts is always a smooth one. We know we can count on their diverse expertise to make our campaigns successful."
Sam Belmans, Segment Marketer at Primagaz
A motley mix of campaigns, channels, and messages
As mentioned before, this umbrella concept received a 360° treatment: from performance marketing (advertising) and door-to-door to radio messages and even print media. The project was developed cross-segmentally, tailored to different target groups.
What did this motley mix of campaigns, channels, messages, and segments look like? Like a 360° whirlwind of performance marketing and creativity. Cross-segment, online as well as offline.
B2B: exhibition stands + concept/creation/production & data capturing tools;
But we were also involved on a strategic, always-on level as iO:
SEO/CRO trajectory: monthly A/B testing on large forms, microcopy and personalisation;
Webmastering & automation flows;
Customer journeys;
Webinar;
Market research;
Advertorials;
Quotation tool development
From awareness to sales qualified leads
The campaigns for Primagaz were not only creative, but also produced some great results.
26 million impressions
210K clicks
1,300+ conversions
The success of this campaign lies in the joint efforts that made it happen. iO reported very closely on marketing qualified leads (MQLs) using a clear, understandable dashboard. This dashboard helps Primagaz and iO to quickly scan any results.
Detailed analyses are managed through the CRM – in this case, Salesforce – which collects all relevant pieces of data. iO also provides extensive UTM tagging, allowing Primagaz to report on lead quality of specific campaigns, target groups, assets, copy and even just about any CTA. In short, a fine example of how creativity and performance go hand in hand.
When iO and Primagaz join forces: the results…
It goes without saying that we don't share confidential results from our clients. But we can say with confidence our campaigns running well has already been proven by the various campaigns set up together in recent years.
Because the Primagaz and iO team know each other well, the chemistry is there for all to see, through knowledge that reinforces one another and results to be proud of – at home and abroad! We do this by relying on our 'always on' philosophy, in which we try to connect the short-term and the long-term aspects of our collaboration.
In doing so, we monitor our approach via operational status updates, tactical monthly meetings, and strategic quarterly consultations. The starting point remains the same, always:
Strong focus on organic traffic and conversions
Close cooperation between iO and Primagaz on lead qualification
Brand awareness building linking to opportunities and future of propane in comparison to other energy sources
The data, insights, and ways to improve we get from our dashboards form the backbone of these meetings.
Time for a digital transformation?
At iO, we always look for the best solutions tailored to your organisation. Fancy an initial meeting to discuss the possibilities? Get in touch!
