Following the unprecedented hardships of 2020, Lumo Digital Outdoor took it upon themselves to help Kiwi businesses in need.
A helping hand
The challenge
During the pandemic, many businesses suffered due to restrictions and mandatory closures. When New Zealand shifted to Level 3, businesses could operate in a limited capacity. However, many faced difficulties finding their customer base again and needed help getting back in front of audiences after the hiatus.
Lumo’s social responsibility strategy centres on supporting Kiwi businesses and helping them amplify their messages creatively through digital out of home (OOH), so they decided to dedicate their resources to helping businesses struggling post-pandemic. As a media provider, Lumo believes in the power of advertising to change fortunes. While their own business suffered from a sudden drop-off of advertisers, they saw an opportunity to create real business advantage for others in need.
The Response
OOH drives more per ad dollar spent than any other traditional media. It is 382 percent more effective than TV, 200 percent more effective than print, and 63 percent more effective than radio in driving consumers online. Lumo knew that their channel had great potential and reach, and with that, Up and Running was born.
Up and Running was an initiative offering Kiwi businesses free creative design and displays across Lumo’s national network.
After sparking this idea, Lumo knew they had to pair with a brilliant creative partner to offer a full-funnel service and make this opportunity achievable and impactful for businesses.
As another independent Kiwi-owned business Pitchblack also felt solidarity for local businesses and happily came on board as the creative partner. The first step was to design and launch the Up and Running website portal, which allowed businesses to submit their imagery and goals, which would then filter through to Pitchblack for the design process. When a business uploaded its information to the website, it went directly to Pitchblack’s AI designer ‘Hattie-3000’, which laid it out for speedy approval. At Lumo, they have highly-efficient digital tech that can have the artwork live in minutes. From there, the advertisement would be promoted across their country-wide network.
The Result
Up and Running proved to be a remarkable success story. Just 48 hours after the campaign’s launch, 539 submissions from small businesses had been made. The campaign ran over 1500 ads across Lumo’s network of 23 digital billboards nationwide over five weeks, giving a massive boost to those small businesses that applied. It also got picked up in both international and local media channels. Several businesses which benefitted through Up and Running have subsequently joined Lumo as clients.
Category: Best Purpose-Driven Marketing Strategy
Company: Lumo Digital Outdoor
Marketing Initiative: Lumo’s Purpose Driven Marketing Strategy
Marketing Partners: Pitchblack Partners
Judges’ Comments: “The judges noted this strategy was a shining light in the category and in the most difficult of years. They could clearly see Lumo’s social responsibility program was demonstrated cleverly through this very Kiwi campaign. They absolutely proved that doing good is good for business.”
Finalists: The Warehouse Group, bp Oil New Zealand, NZ Mountain Safety Council, Carpet Court, Lion, DB Breweries
This article was first published in the 2021 December/January issue of NZ Marketing magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine, here. Or read the other winner stories, here.
