Our Work.
Start Up Angels
Start Up Angels
Helping new businesses get started.
Supporting SMEs is second nature to AXA.
They understand that starting a new business is daunting; in fact, around 80% of UK companies fail within their first year. Through their Start-Up Angels competition and mentoring programme, AXA have offered entrepreneurs the chance to make their dream a reality. With prizes ranging from a £10,000 digital ad campaign to £25,000 of funding and insurance, plus mentoring from SME leaders, winners have a unique opportunity to get their ideas off the ground.
AXA needed to outsmart copycat offerings from competitors. They were looking for a credible partner to make the 2022 campaign work harder than ever and reach this niche audience at scale.
A partnership was born that saw the launch of the most highly integrated campaign that the Evening Standard has ever embarked upon. A truly integrated, multi-platform campaign that exceeded all expectations.
Platform
Print, Digital, Podcast, Social, OOH, Live event
Solution
For this campaign collaboration was key.Our Studio27 team worked tirelessly from brief to delivery with a huge range of teams; from editorial and data teams, through to commercial content, web developers and even our CEO; we all worked together to produce audience touchpoints across each and every one of our platforms. This included finding new ways of working, and a new OOH partnership, that would seamlessly facilitate the execution of the 2022 campaign.
Unmissable formats:
We grabbed our audience’s attention with cover wraps, supported by home page and channel takeovers.
ES bespoke digital format ‘BrandStories’ reached millions through mobile and social, and in a media first was also broadcast on DOOH screens in a brand new partnership with JC Decaux, targeting SME hotspots nationwide.
Thought leading content:
AXA’s credibility was built through sponsored reads of our award-winning ‘How to be a CEO’ podcast, plus an editorial episode with AXA’s CEO.
Complementing this was a multi-platform editorial series in the Business sections, and a dedicated, integrated channel accessed through the main navigation bar on-site.
Feel-good factor:
Heart-warming winner reveal videos showcased the delight of our winners when they were surprised with the news that they had won. These were seeded across multiple social platforms.
ES added to the prize by offering runners up mentoring from our design, marketing and social experts, and a digital advertising campaign to help boost their business potential and reach.
Face to face contact:
A stand at the inaugural ES SME XPO offered AXA a face-to-face connection with a bulls-eye audience, followed with data targeting to prompt further entries.
Results
327% increase in awareness
327% increase in awareness
of the AXA
of the AXA
Start-Up Angel
Start-Up Angel
competition
competition
70% felt AXA "is
70% felt AXA "is
a good fit for me
a good fit for me
and my business"
and my business"
82% would
82% would
consider AXA
consider AXA
for their business
for their business
insurance
insurance
Spontaneous
Spontaneous
awareness of AXA
awareness of AXA
business insurance was 100% higher
business insurance was 100% higher
amongst our readers
amongst our readers
Changed perceptions
Changed perceptions
Although an already salient brand, our activity shifted the dial on perception, with AXA recognised as the champion of small businesses.
- 72% of those who saw the campaign agreed AXA ‘helps support new start-ups’. Significantly, this was double that of non-readers.
- 8 in 10 of those considering starting up their own business who saw the campaign agreed AXA ‘cares about supporting my business’
Increased consideration
Increased consideration
Within an increasingly competitive insurance landscape, the Start-Up Angels campaign achieved true stand-out and significantly increased consideration of AXA Business Insurance.
- 1 in 4 talked about AXA with friends, family and colleagues
- 4 in 10 have or intend to get a business insurance quote from AXA.
- Consideration was 34% higher for those who saw the campaign vs non-readers