EFMP Italian partners, Settimo Piano, are working on an innovative new campaign set to disrupt the utilities market in Italy. Although they remain relatively tight lipped about the campaign, which is due to launch in October, they do give us some insight into what prompted the campaign and why they believe that there is a real need to think differently to reach and engage customers.
In a fast-paced, increasingly digital world, the way we communicate, shop and what we prioritise has changed. Consumers are generally time poor with diminishing attention spans. For brands to really get their attention, marketers need to challenge conventions so as to surprise and delight consumers to capture their interest.
Understanding consumer trends and using creative, disruptive thinking to differentiate brands has always been central to the work delivered by Settimo Piano. Their relationship with Acel Energie is a perfect example of this approach.
Acel Energie is the sales company of the Acsm Agam Group, which has more than 300,000 suppliers of gas and electricity in the northern provinces of Lombardy and the Veneto area. The Acsm Agam Group is one of the main Italian multi-utilities and extends its services to the environment, smart technologies, the management of distribution networks, district heating and the water cycle.
In August, Settimo Piano were approached by Acel Energie and asked to tender to launch a new promotional Campaign, which they subsequently won. In planning the campaign Settimo Piano had to overcome many challenges; firstly, August is typically a holiday month so securing the right professional both internal to Settimo Piano and Acel Energie was difficult during this time; secondly, the project involved a consultancy of strategic marketing that had to account for important values such as sustainability while identifying tangible objectives and KPis to measure effective ROI. The end proposal is both original and disruptive while at the same time respecting the philosophy of the brand. The premise of the campaign is to engage with consumers in such an unexpected way, so as to lure them into the store and get them to participate in the marketing campaign
Martina Palumbo, Settimo Piano’s strategic planner, who worked on this project, shares her view on the challenges of this campaign:
“The request from Acel Energie was extremely challenging: it was not easy to come up with an alternative project and think of a disruptive idea that was in line with the world of utilities. We wanted to be daring but for us it was important to do it in compliance with the brand values. We always pay great attention to what our clients want and always try to propose solutions that are in line with both market trends and the company’s philosophy. Another great aspect was working so closely with the teams across all levels. The design phase was really a great journey, now we just have to take this to the field and bring the campaign to life! “.
The campaign “Avanti anni luce!”/“Light years ahead!” starts in October. It is a field marketing activity that will be carried out in northern Italy, through street marketing activities and within supermarkets, with the aim of engaging customers and directing them to the store.
Well, our curiosity is sufficiently piqued…. we eagerly wait to learn more about this innovative campaign.
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