8 decades. That's the amount of time the IT industry has existed.
And in that relatively short amount of time, the industry has revolutionised the world we live in and our lives.
But when it comes to marketing their services, especially in the B2B field, IT brands can be less revolutionary and take a pretty traditional approach.
Fusionex. The right client at the right time.
So when Fusionex reached out to us for a fresh new set of creatives for billboards across the Klang Valley, we saw it as an opportunity to shake things up.
Fusionex anticipated early on the adverse impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns on physical brick-and-mortar businesses and knew that they could help them go digital and be prepared for the 'new normal'.
We needed to drive home the message that Fusionex can digitalise their entire business or specific business units and transform them to be more efficient and cost-effective.
Research.
For every client we work with, we study the industry thoroughly. We come up with a visual image board that gives us a big picture of the competition. For the IT industry, visuals from competing brands tend to be technical, human-centric and sometimes very industry-focused.
We knew that in locations with multiple billboards, the one with standout visuals is the one that will garner more attention.
Inspiration.
We looked at the real world, and a futuristic view of how our lives intersect with technology.
The final set of creatives is a combination of these two. Nature transforms into digital. Showcasing the convergence of our world and digital technology.
We wanted to avoid the usual businessmen shaking hands or using their computers and create a sense of mystery and curiosity in our visuals.
So we asked the question "what if we transformed our world into a digital one?". Plants, environments, and animals entering a new futuristic digital world.
The end result.
We ended up with a set on wildlife that we connected with Fusionex's target audience.
What the animals mean.
Each wildlife is analogous to a business function or department. The feature of the animal or its behaviour symbolically represents what the business does.
Not only did these creatives look different and they stood out from the competition, but they also led to higher brand recall and more inquiries for Fusionex.
Clarity is a fundamental aspect of marketing communication. But taking advantage of creatives that create curiosity, and a sense of mystery can ramp up interest.
The key to using curiosity is to ensure the rest of the communication provides razor-sharp clarity to build trust with the target audience and to avoid any discontent with the viewer.
Learning points:
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Look beyond the industry.
Curiosity is a good thing. It leads to more interest to want to know more.
We're always ready to take on new challenges. If you'd like to see what we can do for your brand, do get in touch with us by emailing michelle@cogent-international.com.