In 2018, EthOss appointed Propaganda as a strategic partner, to develop and articulate a unique brand proposition that was as distinctive as its flagship product – EthOss® – a synthetic biomaterial used in dental implant surgery, that encourages new bone to Grow Stronger®. The Grow Stronger® message communicated a product benefit, along with a promise to strengthen the skills and service offerings of dental care professionals across the globe.
The insight-driven rebrand’s bold imagery and stand-out messaging supported EthOss as they climbed to new heights, with sales doubling, and the well-respected Queen’s Award win marking a key milestone in the company’s success story to date.
Despite supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with uncertainty surrounding Brexit, EthOss has experienced continued growth year on year, and its position in the market remains strong. Turnover and total exports increased by 22 per cent between 2019 and 2020, highlighting the role of brand strategy in raising EthOss’ profile among existing and prospective customers.
Dr Paul Harrison, Founder and Managing Director, EthOss, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised with the prestigious Queen’s Award in International Trade. Exports now account for 58 per cent of our total turnover. We recently signed partnerships with distributors in France, Turkey, Chile, Kuwait, Latvia and Moldova, with EthOss now being sold in more than 45 countries worldwide.”
Craig Harrold, Director, Propaganda, added: “As always, it’s rewarding to see our clients achieving the ambitious growth they set out to achieve. EthOss offer a unique and interesting proposition in the medical sector, and we were glad to lend our support through Brand Strategy driven by insight, creativity and commercial rigour.”
The UK’s largest integrated forestry and sawmilling group, BSW, has appointed brand and creative consultancy, Propaganda, as strategic partners to conduct a strategic brand review across its estate of group companies and capabilities.
Founded in 1848 in Berwickshire, Scotland, where its head office remains, the BSW Group has six main operating divisions: tree nurseries, forestry management, tree harvesting, sawmilling, biomass energy and timber processing and distribution.
The forestry and timber sectors are experiencing unprecedented global demand with an increasing recognition of the sector’s place in the bioeconomy: as a completely sustainable construction material, timber’s ability to lock-up carbon, alongside increasing urbanisation and construction activity. To service and succeed in this market, BSW Group has a stated vision to be the most innovative, technologically advanced, and sustainable timber business in the UK.
Propaganda’s Brand Discovery™ consultative process has established how best to position the group for accelerated growth, and communicate the combined value it offers to its industry, customers, people and broader stakeholders. BSW Group has adopted the strategic recommendations, and since appointed Propaganda to support them in activating the strategy and launching the new group brand. Dave Chapman, Sales and Marketing Director and James Brennan, Marketing Manager will be leading the launch programme at BSW Group.
Tony Hackney, BSW Group CEO said “We were initially introduced to Propaganda by our investors Endless, and I have to say they impressed us from the off, with their commercially focused approach to brand and marketing strategy. The Discovery programme has given us a clear view of the best path forward for our brand. We’re looking forward to working together to realise the results and value for everyone involved.”
Craig Harrold, Managing Director at Propaganda added “Tony and the entire team at BSW have relentless ambition and energy to really drive progressive change in their sector, we’re delighted to have played a part in channelling that energy to really optimise their huge potential and positive impact. And we’re equally excited to be working with BSW Group on the delivery of the strategy.”
Propaganda’s consultative approach revolves around standing shoulder to shoulder with our clients. We don’t use that turn of phrase lightly; we position ourselves right there beside them, moving heaven and earth to support their business decisions, guided by our insight-led strategies. At times this involves having honest conversations with them in the boardroom, other times it means embedding ourselves in their day-to-day procedures. Perhaps most significantly, we are not averse to taking an entrepreneurial approach and establishing strategic partnerships when a client emerges with a proposition we believe in.
In the mid-2010s, we came across a start-up brand with a truly market-disrupting product: a laundry detergent that dissolved pet hair. It was an idea which spoke to a niche audience about a problem which was massive in their world: legions of pet owners who spent every day of the week purging their clothes of dog and cat hair. After some market-scoping, the name ‘Vamoosh’ was chosen.
Our belief in Vamoosh’s vision led us to become shareholders in the company, establishing a partnership through shared effort and, of course, shared risk. Using market insight, strategic positioning and punchy creative, we delivered the gravitas Vamoosh needed to disrupt the pet care sector, delivering on their excellent concept.
Since launch, Vamoosh has secured listings in Pets at Home, B&M, The Range, Lakeland and Dobbies Garden Centres, in addition to being available on Amazon. Additionally, it now looks set to break the £5m barrier at retail, a remarkable result considering the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last five years, the brand has continued its multi-channel ascension upwards, even receiving a notable mention from Mrs Hinch – one of the most popular social media influencers in the world. The product range now encompasses three products, including the most recently-launched Washing Machine Cleaner.
As a Brand Consultancy, we will continue to establish partnerships with people we trust and believe in, using strategy-led insight to drive commercial results. That was our approach when we started over twenty years ago, and that is our approach now. We are now reaping the benefits, with a portfolio of clients who are driven to take bold decisions that drive growth.
For the last 14 years, SMEs and corporates alike have enjoyed the profitable rewards of Facebook Advertising and the Facebook Pixel. Track your customers’ every move. Build an empire of lifetime value audiences. Press a few buttons, and you can even find new customers that are lookalikes of your existing customers. Scale, spend and saturate your market. Haunt your customers’ every waking moments chasing that purchase. Relish in success that is attributed over a monstrous window of 1-day view, or 28-days click.
This month, all is set to change with the global rollout of iOS 14.5 for iPhone users, which includes a mandate from Apple that all app developers must ask their users if they are comfortable with their behaviour being tracked for advertising purposes. Facebook have contested this, with full page ads, a noisy PR campaign and even the unceremonious removal of the Apple pages’ ‘blue tick’.
This outcry was ignored, and Apple have pressed ahead.
Some marketers estimate that around 70% of the UK Facebook population users, given the option, intend to opt out of Facebook’s pixel tracking. This means the empires of custom audiences built over years of eCRM data will crumble overnight as users choose to effectively muzzle Facebook’s proverbial sniffer dogs, removing themselves from audiences and data sets, and throwing Facebook off their scent from their platforms to external websites. Lookalike audiences will match less accurately. Reach will go down. Frequency may increase. Spend and efficiencies will ultimately suffer as targeting, Facebook’s long-standing USP, becomes less of a silver bullet and more of a machine gun.
What advertisers are left with is Aggregated Event Measurement, Facebook’s new tool to effectively guess at user behaviour, based on its own AI. It’s a poor substitute to the reams of data that the Facebook pixel would return, but it’s all we have left. Advertisers now have two choices: accept the status quo with a declining funnel of customer data, or change and fill the funnel yourself.
In this new world, the shift moves away from the bottom of the funnel, and targeting the same type of customer over and over. Instead, advertisers should look to new sources of audience, focussing further up the funnel, above the line, using organic social to fuel their ads. Custom data audiences may be out, but tactics that require engagement and conversation are still very much in.
For example, until now, the targeting of Facebook engagers or people who have saved an Instagram post may have been less favoured due to a preference for higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) from website behaviour retargeting. However, in this new playing field, they immediately become bigger opportunities. But, in order to benefit from these audiences, they must be populated, and that brings us to what so many brands struggle with – organic content that engages.
And strong engagement starts with a strong brand. Brand message, brand USP and brand tone. Writing a compelling story that will engage users, no matter the medium. In today’s world, much of this is about having a purpose and an emotional connection to your audience. The brands that do this well will last a lifetime. Those that don’t will slip into irrelevance. Platform changes and technology may come and go, but brand marketing will never go out of style.
So, what does engaging brand marketing look like for your business? That’s where our new service comes in, launching soon. To be the first to hear about it, drop us an email at enquiries@propaganda.co.uk.
An agreement has been announced between leading UK CBD brand Love Hemp and 24/7 online mental health support community Togetherall. Having been aligned strategically by Leeds-based brand consultancy Propaganda, the cross-sector partnership differentiates Love Hemp as an outspoken advocate for lifestyle, health and wellbeing, committed to providing customers with support above and beyond their CBD product offering.
Togetherall’s platform, previously only accessible to the NHS, Armed Services and Education Institutions, will now be available to all Love Hemp customers (aged 16+) and can be accessed for free simply by signing up via Love Hemp’s website. The platform facilitates supportive dialogue between people experiencing mental health issues, and allows access to trained mental health professionals who moderate and monitor users’ needs.
Tony Calamita, CEO of Love Hemp, said “Mental health has always been something that’s been quite close to home for me. I’ve suffered with it myself in the past in my younger years. Some people don’t want to speak to their friends and family. Some people don’t want to seek professional health. So, they don’t actually have anywhere to go for support when they need it. With Togetherall offering anonymous mental health support 24/7, it fills that gap absolutely perfectly.”
Propaganda identified the Togetherall partnership as an opportunity for Love Hemp to differentiate the brand in an increasingly saturated market, creating stand-out and enhancing their brand value through action. “Brand messaging should be built on a clear purpose – but it has to be authentic, otherwise consumers will see straight through it”, said Cynthia Bell, Strategy Consultant at Propaganda. “To achieve meaningful, long-term growth in brand equity, you need a purpose-led strategy where your core message is reinforced through investment in the causes you align yourself with. Based on the positive impact loyal customers report that Love Hemp has on their lives, the Togetherall partnership is a perfect fit.”
The announcement came during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, and has been well received by both press and consumers.
MarineMax, Inc, the largest recreational boat and yacht retailer in the US has appointed Leeds-based brand and creative consultancy, Propaganda, as its strategic partners.
Propaganda will author a brand strategy that optimises growth potential and maximises shareholder value. This appointment comes after two of the biggest superyacht brokerage brands in the world: Fraser Yachts based in Monaco, and Northrop & Johnson based in Ft. Lauderdale, joined the MarineMax family earlier this year.
Superyachts are the epitome of luxury living, with on-board private chefs, sumptuous interiors, helicopter pads, and countless water sport ‘toys’ to enjoy the thrill of the sea. In shaping the strategy to position the business for sustainable growth moving forward, Propaganda will conduct a review of the brand and market needs through its rigorous Brand DiscoveryTM process, in order to ensure MarineMax can capitalise on the growing international superyacht market and define a clear proposition that will shape the future of the brands on a global level.
Chuck Cashman, Chief Revenues Officer at MarineMax says: “After shortlisting international brand agencies in New York, Monaco and the UK, we selected Propaganda based on their unrivalled experience in delivering commercial brand strategies, and the sheer depth and rigour their Discovery process demonstrated to give us the confidence we needed to act. We believe that Propaganda will be able to support us in driving our superyacht brands to the next level.”
Craig Harrold, Director at Propaganda adds: “The yacht industry has experienced a fundamental shift in 2020, and MarineMax have remained best in class, from entry level boats to large, luxury superyachts. Their continued international expansion is a testament to their success. We’re excited to be working together, and passionate about creating a distinctive brand strategy for this superyacht powerhouse. Our Discovery process involves in-depth interviews with ultra-high-net-worth yacht owners, captains of Royal Fleets in addition to other industry influencers – a process typically carried out in-person, but in this instance, conducted via Zoom due to travel-restrictions as a result of the pandemic. We intend to fully harness the incredible ambition and backing of MarineMax to capitalise on the opportunity for growth.”
Propaganda is excited to announce that it has been shortlisted for two Northern Digital Awards 2021, for Best Integrated Campaign with Roberts Bakery and Best Digital Marketing Campaign in Health and Beauty with Love Hemp.
The Northern Digital Awards recognise the very best in digital marketing and celebrate exceptional agencies, teams, campaigns and talent from across the region.
Propaganda has been acknowledged for its work on the #ShareYourBakes campaign with next generation bakery, Roberts Bakery, and the Love Life campaign with CBD brand Love Hemp.
Both digital campaigns were strategically planned, launched and implemented in 2020, amid the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.
Award winners will be announced via a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 28th January 2021.
Managing Director at Propaganda, Craig Harrold, says “We are thrilled to have been recognised for not one, but two Northern Digital Awards this year. We’re known for prioritising strategy over tactics and this recognition demonstrates our ability to articulate and deliver brands across all channels and touch points. We’re looking forward to the virtual awards ceremony next month!”.
Propaganda is thrilled to announce its recent award win for Best eCommerce Crisis Response Campaign at the Northern eCommerce Awards 2020, for the #ShareYourBakes campaign with Roberts Bakery.
The Northern eCommerce Awards celebrate the very best in eCommerce and online retailing from across the North of England and winners were announced virtually on Thursday 1st October.
Prior to lockdown, Propaganda had been working with Roberts Bakery on a project that would bring Roberts closer to its customers, but the crisis of COVID-19 presented a new challenge.
Panic buying and demand for bread grew significantly at the start of lockdown, leading to supermarket shortages in finished products as well as the ingredients to bake bread at home.
These challenges created the perfect storm for Roberts Bakery, to accelerate its direct to consumer proposition with the support from Propaganda.
Within two weeks, a fully integrated campaign was launched including a D2C website where consumers could purchase ready-made bread products and baking kits, as well as a national TV campaign, digital, social media and PR support.
Ultimately, this resulted in Roberts Bakery becoming the first major bakery brand in the UK to sell directly to consumers. In just 4 weeks, the D2C website had received over 100,000 unique users, over 350,000-page views and 2,000+ orders.
Managing Director at Propaganda, Craig Harrold, says “The launch of the fully integrated campaign and D2C site in such a short space of time, is a testament to Propaganda and Robert’s ability to be agile in the most challenging of circumstances. Receiving this award really helps to underline the value in all the great work we have produced, to support consumers in their time of need.”
In light of the Covid-19 crisis, Propaganda has released its latest white paper, exploring what brands need to do to survive a recession.
As the UK enters its deepest recession since records began, the biggest risk for business is playing it safe.
Propaganda’s exclusive white paper looks at the essential tools and insights needed to ensure brands survive until the economy recovers, answering crucial questions, like:
How is Covid-19 accelerating existing retail trends?
What can businesses do to apply future-focussed thinking?
And what streamlined processes will help them adapt and respond?
To discover how your business can remain relevant and bounce back, download our latest white paper here: Recession 2020 White Paper.