Ecobuild
A sustainable brand idea
The UK’s biggest construction event
Thanks to the industry’s growing interest in sustainability, Ecobuild has become one of the UK’s biggest construction events, with attendance doubling annually. By 2010, the event had outgrown its regular home at Earls Court and was ready for the next big step – a move to the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands.
Ecobuild’s original brief was simple: develop a campaign to raise awareness of the event and help meet the new attendance target of 50,000. But we believed that, with a strong communications platform in place, Ecobuild could achieve something more lasting and powerful. Our response was to start by going back to basics and define a brand idea for Ecobuild – one that would position it as the must-attend event in the sector.
Client testimonial
Bostock and Pollitt’s work has transformed the way we think about our brand. We now see the power that a clear brand proposition can have and the impact it can have on the success of our business.
Results
The conference and exhibition for 2011 was a resounding success. More than 55,000 people attended the event, exceeding Ecobuild’s audience targets, while the number of international visitors increased by 50%.
More than 55,000 people attended the event
34% increase in event attendance on the previous year (exceeding their targets by 14%)
45% increase in pre-registration for Ecobuild visitor tickets (exceeding targets by 20%)
The brand idea
In the past, Ecobuild had articulated its offer purely in terms of its size: it was the “biggest” event in the industry. We wanted to define a brand idea that more clearly expressed its vision and ambition.
The idea that ‘Ecobuild is the future of the built environment’ positions Ecobuild as the pioneer in its sector – the place where the future of construction takes shape. It gives the brand the focus and the stable platform it needed to develop its voice and grow its influence in the industry.
Challenge
The next step was to translate this offer into an integrated campaign that would appeal to Ecobuild’s varied audience. Our challenge was to communicate the richness and diversity of the event across all media channels, and at the event itself.
Campaign
Previous campaigns had focused on features of the event. We switched the focus to the audience. An aspirational strapline – “Ecobuild your future” – became the core of a campaign highlighting the benefits of attending: the chance to network with leading figures in construction, explore the latest developments and innovations, and stay ahead of the curve in the industry.
