Wanting to reimagine the Brother brand for the B2B market while not losing out in retail sales, the ‘It Just Works’ campaign was able to speak to both audiences.
Traditionally being perceived as a retail printer brand, there had been two major changes to the Brother brand that required an update.
The ‘It Just Works’ campaign aimed to accelerate growth in the Small and Midsized Businesses (SMB) and Managed Print Services (MPS) sectors while regaining the number one revenue share in the retail market, recognising the need to address the perception of being a cheap retail brand in order to succeed in the B2B market without alienating retail customers.
The campaign’s objectives were clear: accelerate SMB and MPS growth, increase sales of SMB products, regain number one revenue share in retail, and enhance overall awareness, consideration, and preference.
To define these objectives, Brother conducted in-depth research and analysis, and found that customers wanted reliability over fancy innovations. Recognising this was something that both markets prioritised, the company wanted to position its printers as ones that simply “just work” and align its values with the basic needs of SMB, corporate, and retail customers.
The ‘It Just Works’ campaign seamlessly integrated into Brother’s overall brand and marketing strategy, known as the Unsung Hero. This strategy aimed to portray Brother printers as reliable and trustworthy, emphasising the brands role as the unsung hero in the background that enables users to create magic.
The campaign celebrated the users as the heroes, acknowledging that the printers themselves do not perform extraordinary feats but deliver on what customers want. This strategy resonated with SMB, corporate, and retail customers, aligning Brother’s brand with their needs and aspirations.
The creative concept behind the campaign was rooted in the Unsung Hero brand strategy. Brother recognised that customers often overlook exaggerated promises of technology and primarily desire printers that work reliably. The campaign also linked Brother printers with change-makers, innovators, and thinkers while celebrating the users’ achievements.
Paid video and search were utilised for mass reach and storytelling, targeting both B2B and retail markets for this campaign. Corporate audiences were reached through ad placements in business content, radio ads during key times, and outdoor ads in major office buildings and airports. SMEs were targeted through tailored radio ads during breakfast timeslots, while Small Office/Home Office audiences were engaged via social media ads on Facebook and Instagram.
The campaign yielded impressive results, reflecting its impact on Brother’s market share and brand metrics. According to International Data Corporation sales data, Brother outperformed competitors in all measured categories, gaining market share while competitors experienced decreases or marginal increases. Surveys indicated substantial progress in key demographics, with increases in current use, awareness, and preference metrics. Brother’s market revenue and unit share also grew significantly.
The campaign’s ability to shift the focus back to product quality, inspire audiences, and deliver outstanding results made it a standout entry in the category and highlighted the significance of reliability.
Category
Best B2B Marketing Campaign
Company
Brother
Marketing Initiative
Brother: It Just Works
Marketing Partners
Wave Agency, MBM
Judges’ Comments
Clever alignment of campaign and objectives that leverages the strength of the overall strategy. Innovative ideas that drove the creative approach with a good tactical mix which yielded good results. Clever copyright and nice to see that wordplay in a campaign.
Finalists
BDO New Zealand, Kiwibank,
One New Zealand, RAGT NZ
This article was originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of NZ Marketing. Click here to subscribe.
