Showing IT professionals that not all vendors are the same

CASE STUDY

Fujitsu feels storage customers’ pain

“We’ve always prided ourselves on straightforward and honest working, so this campaign instantly reflected our company values.”

David Patrick, Marketing Manager, Fujitsu

INTRODUCING A TRUSTED GUIDEAdventures belong up mountains and in jungles – not in the office, and not with IT storage. But for many in IT, managing their storage had become just that – an adventure.

Fujitsu experts had picked up on a deep disenchantment in the market. They heard how other vendors had tricked customers, applied vendor lock-in and been less than clear about compatibility and future trends.

In contrast, Fujitsu has always been straight talking. Open. Honest. Its brand is based on trust. We needed to convey this to new prospects.

But first, Fujitsu had to show an understanding of their plight. By showing that Fujitsu “get” their problem, an audience who had grown understandably sceptical could start to place their trust in us.

The ultimate aim was to create an impactful way for Fujitsu to engage with customers in the fiercely competitive IT storage market.

The challenge

Fujitsu UK home page

“The research resulted in quite challenging insights – ones that would undoubtedly shake up a lot of our customers.”

David Patrick, Marketing Manager, Fujitsu

The solution

NO MORE STORAGE ADVENTURESThe behaviour of some vendors had turned storage into a journey of unwanted twists and turns. This gave Fujitsu the chance to offer a different way – and enhance customers’ perception of the company.

To do this, it needed a bold creative campaign. One that would challenge poor service.

The first job was to confirm what Fujitsu was hearing anecdotally.

THE INSIGHTS TO MAKE AN IMPACT We paired up with IDG and ComputerWorld to ask IT decision makers about their storage providers. Their answers showed they weren’t happy. Respondents talked about poor service, trickery, and a lack of clear advice.

THE POWER OF STORYTELLING Based on the research outcomes, we developed the theme “No more storage adventures”. We expressed this in a story that placed the audience in the role of adventurer.

During their careers, they’ve travelled in harsh landscapes. Their storage journeys have been full of perils. They’ve faced compatibility issues, unexpected licence fees and storage that was hard to scale or integrate. But now, the adventure is over. With Fujitsu as their guide, they can explore a better future – with simple, safe and scalable storage.

Brochure

The solution

THE VISUAL NARRATIVEEpic and aspirational imagery brought our story to life. It made our campaign stand out and easy to recognize.

We paid a great deal of attention to achieving the right look through make-up, props and retouching. Our photography had to look genuine – a key Fujitsu value.

For the campaign video, we used a real-life adventurer. Our protagonist was an IT man, tackling the mountains of Snowdonia in his spare time. Against a harsh backdrop, he recounted his experiences in IT. While he enjoyed adventures in his free time, he chose Fujitsu to avoid them at work.

THE RIGHT MEDIA MIXWe combined content, events and an integrated media campaign to engage our audience. By backing this up with product details, we turned interest into action.

Campaign photography alternative environments

Studio photography

BenefitsAUDIENCE INSIGHT + IMPACTFUL CREATIVE = RESULTS In this campaign, we captured how our audience was feeling and used it to dramatise how Fujitsu’s approach is different.

A bold tagline – no more storage adventures – and striking imagery cut through the clutter. So, we could connect with key contacts.

MAKING MESSAGES STICK WITH STORIESBy telling the tale of the adventurer, Fujitsu could show that it understands customers’ issues. And we could also take the audience to the logical conclusion: Fujitsu takes the uncertainty and frustration out of storage.

From a static banner to a two-minute video, our story gave us the perfect framework to get our message across. In the words of Fujitsu Marketing Manager David Patrick: “We knew the creativity behind this had to be bold and the message had to stand out. The campaign’s tagline, ‘No more storage adventures’, gave so much scope to be explored.”

“The ROMI is more than we could have expected, and it’s amazing that so much pipeline revenue has come from displaying one set of insights.”

David Patrick, Marketing Manager, Fujitsu

Video shoot with model

Benefits

INSIGHT-LED; ENGAGEMENT-FOCUSED From our research with IT decision makers, we produced a research report. It was co-branded with IDG for extra credibility. This ensured that we led with the concerns of customers – and how Fujitsu takes care of them.

We also made sure there were multiple ways to learn about Fujitsu storage. High impact advertising and emails drew initial interest. People could then learn more through an eGuide, video and expert interviews – as well as the research report itself.

We also arranged events to take the conversation further. These included: a half-day seminar hosted by ComputerWorld’s editor; and a CIO roundtable hosted by CIO Magazine’s editor-in-chief.

TURNING ATTENTION INTO ACTION Downloads and attendance at our events turned into valuable leads – creating a 76:1 return on marketing investment (ROMI). David Patrick: “The ROMI is more than we could have expected, and it’s amazing that so much pipeline revenue has come from displaying one set of insights.”

The success of this campaign was the result of depicting ground-breaking research in a creative, impactful way. We used storytelling which cut through a crowded marketplace. So, we could instantly grab our audience’s attention. And we secured real engagement with striking visuals and compelling copy.

E-guide

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