1:1 ABM FOR EXISTING CUSTOMER GROWTH

The challenge

Logistics giant Maersk was looking to engage with six large existing customers in Europe about a new way of centralising, digitising and improving their global customs operation. 

The Maersk Customs Hub had not been communicated externally before. So the proposition and benefits of consolidating customs in one place needed developing and articulating to the senior European decision-makers in each brand, to trigger a consultative conversation.

Though these were existing customers, the sheer size of these enterprise accounts meant that those with responsibility for customs were unlikely to have interacted with Maersk previously. So, it required a disruptive, can’t-miss-it solution that clearly set out the advantages of this new service for this time-poor C-Suite audience. 

The creative

To cut through, we created a truly ‘phygital’ ABM campaign centred around a striking direct mail piece. The co-branded piece looked like a Maersk container, and inside revealed a personal video from the Head of Growth Enablement, Customs & Trade Services in Europe, who addressed the recipient by name. 

An accompanying pop-up book was customised to each target. We heavily researched each brand (in conversation with the Maersk Key Account Manager and thorough desk research), to identify what their strategic priorities were regarding customs – which we reflected in the piece, alongside how Maersk could help – to highlight the synergies between the two brands.

THE FOLLOW UP

Each DM piece featured a QR code that directed the recipient to a personalised hub page, so that we could track whether an individual had scanned, enabling a timely sales follow-up. 

We also created an e-book that formed a comprehensive guide about the customs proposition as a whole and why it could make a real difference to global brands. And a personalised thought piece was written on behalf of the Head of Growth Enablement, Customs & Trade Services in Europe, to further demonstrate how much Maersk knew about the target businesses, creating an additional opportunity for sales follow-up. 

Not only did this project need to ‘open the door’ to customs with existing large customers, it was also a prospecting exercise involving data and content syndication on a European scale.

The results

Of the 6 target 1:1 brands, Maersk has subsequently won customs business with 2, and is in conversation with others. As a result, the pipeline ROI is currently 44x the cost of the project. And this pilot has since led onto a number of other ABM projects with Maersk, across different products and verticals. 

“The project was really successful in opening doors with our customers and articulating our new customs proposition. We look forward to future ABM projects with The Creative Consultancy.” – Alexander Häuser, Head of Vertical Marketing, Europe, Maersk