SGIS
How can constructive content work harder?
Content has the potential not just to reposition a brand, but to change perceptions and whole industries. That was the opportunity – and the challenge – facing the brands, British Gypsum and Isover, as we helped them find a way for UK construction to start Building Better…
Given the mounting issues facing construction across Britain – from cost and supply issues to the lack of skilled talent – the task at hand for British Gypsum and Isover, was one of building on their positioning as key manufacturers, and repositioning themselves as enablers, educators, and forces for good.
With this challenge in mind, our solution was somewhat unconventional: tapping into the power of episodic content marketing, linking education with entertainment, insight with inspiration – and rich AV content with a meaningful brand experience. The result was Building Better: a storytelling platform designed to deliver news, trend reporting, insights, tutorials and insight pieces in a bitesize format, as part of a compelling narrative that would keep our audience – architects and contractors alike – coming back for more.
Building Better encompasses the full range of construction topics – all codified through a content strategy incorporating five distinct pillars: Better Tomorrow (sustainability), Better Equipped (skills), Better Designs (inspiration), Better Advances (technology), and Better Achieved (awards and recognition). Together, these ensured that – like any go-to broadcast channel – everyone’s needs and interests were covered.
Helmed by well-known architectural designer and TV presenter Charlie Luxton, with episodes scripted, filmed and produced by our in-house digital content production team, then hosted on the Building Better hub, YouTube and owned channels, our platform bypassed the costs and limitations of traditional broadcast content. But, more importantly, it allowed for more than a simple, one-way conversation – we invited dialogue with our audience across social media, opening up British Gypsum and Isover to more constructive conversations.
Supported across paid and earned channels, Building Better is already recording tangible results. In the first two months alone, we recorded a circulation of 225,000, with a massive 20% email open rate – and engagement rates that are more than double the industry averages across social and paid media.
Perhaps the biggest impact, in the long term, is that we’ve proved what’s possible by unifying concept and content: giving British Gypsum and Isover a platform for genuine engagement, and helping UK construction on its way towards Building Better.