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McCain awards eCRM account to Underwired

Wed, 7 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Underwired has been appointed by FMCG company McCain Foods (GB) Ltd. McCain has hired Underwired to deliver eCRM campaigns to support the "It's all good" brand positioning and help build closer relationships with its consumers.

Nicola Ech-Channa, Communications Development Manager at McCain, commented, "Underwired's understanding of how to marry creative with a sophisticated contact strategy was instrumental in the agency's appointment. They have an un-precious approach that means they can work in partnership with our other agencies to help develop and maximise our brand communications and relationship marketing activities."

Felix Velarde, Managing Director at Underwired, commented, "Our strong data and strategic capabilities have brought us a brilliant client with a progressive approach, not just to marketing and the digital arena, but also to business. For example, they were one of the first food manufacturers to use both the FSA's traffic lights as well as GDA (Guideline Daily Amounts) on packs, and they've made extensive use of wind turbines at their Whittlesey plant. As far as I'm aware, no other agency is doing this kind of work in the sector, so it is also a unique opportunity for Underwired to prove the enormous benefits generated from eCRM and what it can do as a brand and sales tool."

Outstanding results with Citrix Systems

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Underwired recently created a series of trial online campaigns for global technology company Citrix Systems, the outcome of which has been an outstanding set of results.

The online advertising and email campaigns were designed to help raise awareness of five Citrix products and services, and were tailored to the UK market, which entailed three months of comparative testing against the existing pan-European creative. The trial of new creative concepts produced remarkable results, including a final set of test executions that generated five times the benchmark European response rate.

The results for the email component included an extraordinary 18% increase in open rates, 200% increase in click-through rates, and a 467% increase in enquiries.

Leigh Quigg, Senior Marketing Manager at Citrix, commented, "Having appointed Underwired whilst at Orange Business Services I knew the agency would be able to generate hard hitting response-generating activity for Citrix. We were delighted with both the creative and the direct responses the campaigns produced."

Felix Velarde, Managing Director of Underwired, commented, "Our brief was to produce a series of online advertising and email campaigns that would appeal specifically to UK IT decision-makers, and generate highly qualified interest in Citrix's products and services. The experience we have gained in the past with B2B clients like Orange, Hewlett-Packard and JP Morgan, coupled with the recent testing campaign, has allowed us to produce exceptional results on Citrix's behalf - in turn giving us an opportunity to continue working with the team at Citrix and build on the trial's success into 2008."

Citrix Systems is the global leader and the most trusted name in application delivery infrastructure. Citrix customers include 100% of the Fortune 100 companies and 98% of the Fortune Global 500, as well as hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers.

Underwired acquires eCRM.co.uk

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Independent digital agency Underwired - whose clients include Peugeot, Virgin Megastores, News International, Institute of Cancer Research and Deutsche Bank - has launched a new website focused specifically on its eCRM work.

Underwired recently announced that eCRM now accounts for 50% of its revenue, and it has made board-level changes accordingly, most notably replacing its planning director with a specialist eCRM team, and hiring former director of Results International Tony Bond as its finance director.

The agency manages eCRM and email marketing programmes for Virgin Holidays, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, and LA Fitness. Underwired also recently managed Peugeot's most successful ever email campaign, with click-through rates of 42% for the launch campaign for the Peugeot 308.

The new website, at www.eCRM.co.uk, provides case studies and elaborates on the agency's view that digital agencies will become better placed to manage CRM programmes over the next few years compared with DM agencies simply because they are focused on immediacy of response and cost effectiveness of the channels involved - email, web and mobile.

Underwired is headed up by Felix Velarde and Jason Holland. Felix set up Hyperinteractive in 1994, and with Jason founded Lowe UK's digital arm Head New Media in 1997 and the UK's first iTV specialist HeadEnd Interactive Television in 1998.

Velarde commented, "eCRM has been a clear focus for Underwired since 2003, when we built our own email segmentation software because of a lack of sophisticated enough tools at the time. While the software has now been replaced by a roster of excellent delivery and data partners, we've been building strategic planning, creative and campaign management expertise ever since and today we're doing great work with Virgin (generating long-term ROI of 14:1 to 26:1) and Nickelodeon, and our Peugeot work is starting to gather momentum. We feel it's time we created a separate platform for case studies and our working principles, especially as the threat of recession focuses marketers minds on the most effective marketing channels."

The eCRM site can be found at www.eCRM.co.uk

Peugeot 308 launched

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Peugeot has selected London-based digital and eCRM agency Underwired to create and produce a new digital campaign to promote the launch of the forthcoming Peugeot 308.

The teaser microsite and email campaign featuring brochure request and 24 hour test drive registration will be followed by a major online advertising push to coincide with the launch of the 308 in mid-September.

The campaign focuses on the 308's key platforms of Style, Quality and Efficiency, with campaign executions based on an abstracted theme of "Inspired by Nature". Key messaging is around high quality build, environmentally friendly design with low CO2 emissions, fantastic road holding and stylish interior and exterior pillars.

Ollie Griffin, Peugeot's Manager of New Media commented; "Our aim is to get people talking on and offline about the forthcoming 308 launch in September. We appointed Underwired to this task because of their experience at producing effective sites and online campaigns for brands such as LA Fitness, Virgin Megastores and Virgin Holidays."

Planning, creative and production is by Underwired with media buying through OMD.

This is the second campaign by Underwired for Peugeot following its debut work on the 207CC online ad campaign earlier this year, and follows the agency's appointment to Peugeot's roster in January.

Institute of Cancer Research intranet win

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:00:00 GMT

The Institute of Cancer Research has appointed independent eCRM and web specialist Underwired to create its new intranet, which will span all of the organisation’s operating groups, including scientists, researchers and policymakers. The project includes functional specification, information architecture, usability and interface design. The agency has also cemented its eight year relationship with The Institute by being selected for its first digital roster.

Underwired started working with The Institute in 1999, designing its website and scientific extranet. In 2005, after the site had been live for five years, Underwired won the task of re-planning and redesigning the 5,000-page website working with fifteen internal and external stakeholder groups to design a site that serves all The Institute's national and international audiences, and managing the procurement of the site's content management system. The current website can be seen at www.icr.ac.uk.

Ranji Thangiah, The Institute's Intranet Project Manager commented: "I am delighted that we are continuing our creative partnership with Underwired. With Underwired leading the design process I am sure we can deliver a world class intranet that demonstrates cutting edge design and functionality that will truly meet the needs of our staff."

In addition to this latest project win, Underwired has added Virgin Megastores, Peugeot, Nickelodeon, JP Morgan and Oystercard to its client list in the last year.

Virgin Megastores e-commerce site launched

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:00:00 GMT

The new Virgin Megastores e-commerce website launches this week following a complete re-design by web and eCRM agency Underwired. The new site was built and project managed by Javelin Group with contributions from companies Hybris and Mercado.

Underwired was tasked with re-designing the user interface for Virgin Megastores' online presence and to refresh the brand's online look and feel incorporating its latest brand imagery. Underwired worked closely alongside retail and e-commerce consultancy Javelin Group, which headed up the overall project and developed the site's functionality as well as implementing the e-commerce platform. Underwired created the customer journey plans and information architecture, before designing an Ajax-driven interface that improves usability and reduces time to transaction with the aim of shortening customer journeys and thereby increasing sales.

Underwired also works for group company Virgin Holidays, managing its award-winning 5 million-email eCRM programme, as well as producing its online advertising campaigns and websites.

Jason Holland, Underwired's creative director, commented, "I've always had the greatest respect for the Virgin Megastores brand, having worked for them as a student in Newcastle, so strengthening its online web presence has been an exciting challenge. The key words for this design brief were clarity and simplicity. We wanted to make the customer selection and interactive experience fun and enjoyable, but above all it had to feel clear and easy to use. We're very pleased with the resulting look and feel of the site."

www.virginmegastores.co.uk

RSA's CarbonDAQ to align with Defra

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMT

RSA CarbonLimited’s online demonstration of the idea for personal carbon allowances, carbonDAQ, is to receive a major overhaul this summer. In line with the new data being issued by Defra to support their online carbon calculator, Act On CO2, launched today, the new carbonDAQ will be one of the first initiatives supported by approved government data, and will offer a comprehensive personal carbon dashboard, enabling users to explore the idea for a personal carbon allowances, as well as forming groups to trade them.

Speaking to Channel 4 last night, Matt Prescott, CarbonLimited's project director, spoke of the essential contribution made by the release of government approved data, for supporting a range of forward-looking initiatives such as carbonDAQ.

Data and user feedback will support CarbonLimited’s examination of the ways in which a personal carbon trading scheme could be brought into fruition, with an interim report due next month.

Since its launch in October 2006, carbonDAQ has been running on data kindly supplied by ClimateCare. The new version, being built by Underwired, will be unveiled later this year.

Underwired and The Institute of Cancer Research extend their eight year relationship

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Independent eCRM and web specialist Underwired has cemented its eight year relationship with The Institute of Cancer Research by being selected for the Institute's first digital roster.

The agency has added Virgin Megastores, Peugeot, Nickelodeon, JP Morgan and Oystercard to its client list in the last year.

Underwired started working with The Institute in 1999, designing its website and scientific extranet. In 2005, after the site had been live for five years, Underwired won the task of re-planning and redesigning the 5,000-page website working with 15 stakeholder groups. The current website can be seen at www.icr.ac.uk

The roster procurement process was managed Dominic Milburn and co-ordinated by David Singleton.

Nickelodeon launches major eCRM programme

Fri, 11 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

The UK's premier kids TV network, Nickelodeon, is launching an eCRM programme created by specialist digital agency Underwired. This is the first eCRM work Underwired has produced for Nickelodeon following the agency's appointment in December 2006, and email activity launches in early May 2007.

Underwired was tasked to progress the existing eCRM programme using its creative ideas to develop deeper relationships with Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. viewers. The eCRM programme also aims to increase brand engagement and brand preference among viewers.

With the new Nick Jr. email newsletter design, Underwired faced the challenge of making it appealing to parents and suitable for sharing with children aged two to five. This has been achieved by increasing the visual appeal of the email with a strong illustrative style and by adding practical activities for parents to keep children busy, such as providing video clips of favourite programmes and print outs to be coloured in by kids.

Nickelodeon's e-newsletter, targeting older children aged seven to 12, has been personalised and intelligently uses the rich, creative content available within Nickelodeon to make it relevant and engaging for different audience profiles.

Steven Brabenec, senior marketing manager at Nickelodeon, commented: "Our ambition is to be the most loved kids' entertainment brand, so we wanted to increase our eCRM activity to reflect Nickelodeon's passion for kids' television and our viewers. We already had a successful programme in place, and Underwired's expertise has helped us build on this through personalisation and recognition of how kids are increasingly embracing digital media.

"We believe this will help us forge a closer relationship with our all-important viewers by providing them with an entertaining experience."

Felix Velarde, Underwired's managing partner, added; "We are forging ahead with the change in Nickelodeon's digital and eCRM strategy as the channel fully integrates its email and online presence with its on- and off-air marketing communications. As a result, eCRM is getting more traction as a marketing tool."

Underwired becomes Pure Trust Carbon Offset Partner

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Underwired has become a Pure Carbon Offset Partner, which carries with it a commitment to audit its emissions.

Underwired has long had an ethical policy covering business practices, which has now been extended. The agency recently took the decision to create a specific role within the organisation with responsibility for recycling, reducing the agency's carbon footprint to zero, and creating a roster of carbon-neutral suppliers including courier firms, stationery and related supplies.

Pure: the Clean Planet Trust (registered charity 1112249) is now the UK's leading carbon offset scheme.

Underwired's managing partner Felix Velarde commented "We chose Pure because of its straightforward policy of buying and retiring Kyoto-compliant credits directly from the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism or the European Union Emissions Trading scheme, rather than running a scheme itself."

Some schemes have come under fire because their long-term benefit has been superseded by government actions or overshadowed by local politics or actions by unrelated charities that mitigate the scheme's effects. And doubt has been cast over the efficacy of some tree planting schemes, which can have a delay of between 40 and 100 years before they become effective.

Felix continues: "The UN pool is a capped set of Carbon Credits that constitutes the whole legal carbon footprint of participating nations, so by buying credits we are actively participating both in offsetting the carbon footprint we create and in reducing the overall pool of credits available to polluters. In the meantime we are also actively seeking to reduce our own footprint through a range of internal policies as well as externalised actions like supplier vetting and the use of recycled or carbon-neutral products."

LA Fitness is First UK Gym to Offer Online Sign Up

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Underwired has launched a new website for LA Fitness. As well as improving the commercial performance of the gym's online presence, the site makes LA Fitness - the UK's second largest health and fitness club operator with over a quarter of a million members - the first UK gym to provide customers with online sign-up facilities.

Underwired was commissioned by LA Fitness to improve the site's overall user experience, generate new content to drive repeat visits, and increase the efficiency of the company's online activities. The site is the first part of a six-figure redevelopment by the agency that has included planning, design and build.

Underwired worked with Ink Creations, LA Fitness's existing IT supplier, to create new functionality so visitors can sign up or renew their membership online during the peak in interest in gym membership over the new year period. The agency also worked with Ink to retain key features from the previous website and add important new back end functions that will go live in spring, including improved online sales facilities.

The resulting website is specifically designed to help visitors achieve their fitness goals and includes a Calorie Burn Challenge and a Shape Shifter tool that shows the effects of a structured workout programme.

Underwired also produces LA Fitness's online advertising and email marketing programmes.

UK website launched for P&G's Eukanuba brand

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Procter & Gamble Europe has launched a new website for the UK market for premium petcare brand Eukanuba, part of the Iams product range, through Underwired.

The website is part of a series of sites based on a template format commissioned by P&G's EMEA head office in Geneva, and which are being launched on a market-by-market basis. The first site, which went live at the end of last year, was produced in Dutch (the latest site, launched in March 2007, is in Italian).

Underwired started working with P&G last summer, when it was engaged to produce multimedia trade marketing support materials for the brand. Eukanuba provides a balanced range of special care nutrition for dogs with sensitive skin, sensitive digestion, excess weight or sensitive joints.

Jason Holland, Underwired's creative director, commented, "It's a high-value, deeply trusted brand as anyone who has a pet who needs special dietary care will know. Producing websites that work across the varied cultures of Europe is always a challenge, both from a tone of voice point of view as well as from a usability standpoint. The differences for instance between what can be said on a button in English or Dutch can be considerable - so design has to be planned meticulously to avoid surprises, even though we don't necessarily know in advance which languages we'll have to cater to." Holland has produced work in a wide variety of languages including Finnish, Korean, and most recently Welsh (for JobCentrePlus).

Underwired's website, eCRM and online advertising clients include Virgin Holidays, Peugeot, Nickelodeon, NESTA and LA Fitness.