The last year has been challenging time for Electric Ireland, a challenger energy brand operating in a low interest Northern Ireland utilities market where switching levels are notoriously low. With a double whammy of Covid-19 threatening to impact sales and global rises in wholesale energy costs forcing prices rises for customers, a lot is at stake.
Sponsorship, critical to driving brand differentiation, building an emotional connection and brand affinity as well as integrating the brand into the fabric of local communities, has had to work harder than ever over the past 10 months when other marketing and sales activities were reduced or paused as a result of the pandemic.
The Game Changers campaign launched in 2017, has already proven to be a perfect fit for a brand seeking growth. Run in partnership with the Irish Football Association, Game Changers has had a positive impact on women’s football but over the past year it has also provided a jumping off point to reach new audiences through different activity and the brand has leveraged this potential to make a real and tangible difference on the societal issue of gender equality.
Game Changers 2021, a clever campaign begun in January has delivered against business needs to maintain visibility and sales in innovative ways. The campaign has kept football at its core but expanded activity into literacy and the arts creating new talking points and critically, new audiences. By changing tack the campaign has helped improve brand salience and created opportunity for growth.
