Lawrence & Schiller 5280. The Extra Mile.

Midcontinent Business Solutions

Assignment

Midcontinent Communications, a cable, broadband and phone provider across the Dakotas and Minnesota, asked Lawrence & Schiller to develop a new campaign that fits both the voice/data and ad sales divisions of their business arm, Midcontinent Business Solutions.

Objective

Along with developing a unique, recognizable brand for Midcontinent Business Solutions and positioning them as the #1 choice for voice and data services, our primary goal was to support sales efforts, bolstering voice/data sales and ad sales.

Midcontinent Business Solutions has attained over 54% of market share in the areas they serve. See the Creative

Strategy

Marketing voice/data services is, essentially, selling the intangible. There is no visible product, no eye-catching packaging and no deliverable to the consumer other than reliable technology and service.

However, Midcontinent Business Solutions offers unique points of differentiation with benefits that are incredibly tangible. The company has outstanding longevity in the communities it serves, with several sales reps on staff for over a decade. Along with the latest technology and faster broadband speeds, their knowledgeable staff also offers technical expertise and dedicated service. For our target audience of business owners and decision makers, these benefits are not only convenient, but necessary to making a decision on a voice/data provider.

To clearly and memorably communicate this information, Lawrence & Schiller developed a third person, omniscient spokesperson for the brand who speaks to both the customers’ needs and the solutions offered by Midcontinent. Utilizing television, print, direct mail and web, this spokesperson is woven into numerous scenarios where Midcontinent Business Solutions is personified in the form of a smart, friendly and tech-savvy guy.

Results

With a strong series of marketing messages, Midcontinent’s identifiable spokesperson and selling points were able to stake out a definite place in the audience’s mind.

Ad and business sales cycles in this industry vary, making exact numbers hard to quantify. However, phones are ringing, as Midcontinent Business Solutions has attained over 54% of market share in the areas they serve. In addition, they view the production quality of these ads as superlative, noting them as some of the best spots they’ve ever run. Plans are already in place to extend the campaign into 2010.