Executive Summary

How do you launch an all-new product for a newly formed company against an entrenched competitor to a target not known for embracing (or even wanting) new products? That's exactly what USG Boral faced when it launched its new lightweight, premium priced plasterboard to installers across the Australian market.

T o succeed the team knew we'd have to do more than just promote lighter weight, but connect on a more emotional level. We'd need to bring to life the real impact that their current methods were having on their business and their bodies over the course of an entire job.

Total Campaign Expenditure

$1.9 Million AUD

What was the strategic communications challenge?

Taking on a dominant market leader is never an easy task. And when you're a new company, with a new product, targeting an audience that is conditioned to be suspicious of 'new' it gets even harder. But that's exactly what newly formed building materials manufacturer USG Boral faced when attempting to take on market leader CSR with a new, innovative plasterboard product.

Let's face it, plasterboard is not a sexy product. Not even to the people that use it every day. But, it is essential to building today's modern structures and, when it's overall impact is considered, plays a much larger role in construction workers' lives than most people?or plaster-boarders themselves?may first think.

New USG Boral Sheetrock plasterboard is significantly lighter than traditional plasterboard products, but the team was concerned simply touting "lighter" wouldn't be enough to disrupt behaviours of a brand loyal target accustomed to working with familiar, trusted products. They don't take change lightly and would need to understand the impact of not making a change.

What were your objectives?

1. Conversion: Convert 5% of traditional Plasterboard sales to USG Boral Sheetrock Plasterboard in the first year of launch.

2. Sales: Sell 2.27 square megameters of product within the first 12 months of launch.

3. Behaviour Change: Drive understanding of the positive impact lighter weight plasterboard can have on a

plasterboard installer's efficiency and health.

What was your strategy - and how did you get there?

Plasterboard installers carry the weight of their jobs on their backs. Literally. This weight takes its toll, even if they don't like to admit it. Weight slows productivity reducing installation speed and costing installers money. Weight also leads to fatigue that increases safety risks that can cost installers money.

Additionally, in talking to installers we learned that they tend to stick with product manufacturers they have experience with and know will perform. With their reputations on the line, they are not a particularly experimental group. While impressed with the weight savings per sheet offered by USG Boral Sheetrock plasterboard, it was not enough overcome performance concerns or alter changes in process or purchase behaviour.

To impact the purchase decision, we needed our target to completely reevaluate their current behaviour and see the total value a board weighing significantly less could have on their productivity, safety and profit. We needed to demonstrate the real impact their current methods are having on their business and their bodies over the course of an entire job.

What was your big idea?

If you're not lifting new USG Boral Sheetrock plasterboard panels, what are you really lifting?

How did you bring the idea to life?

To carry standard plasterboard is to literally shoulder an extra 2 tonnes of weight over the course of a day. So we created big, bold imagery that defined this problem by asking, "If you're not lifting USG Boral Sheetrock panels, what are you lifting?" This was anchored by the mantra "Innovation Inspired By You". And rather than simply touting the benefits of the new product, we demonstrated to our end users the impact not using it would have over the course of a job. The creative was designed to be visually arresting and trigger a re-evaluation of our target's current installation practices and the impact the products they were using are really having.

To begin talking to our plasterboard installer target in the most relevant manner we leveraged national print in commercial construction books. We also connected with our audiences online, using contextual, mobile and display units on niche and behavioural network sites. In addition, we participated in industry blogs, and reaches plasterboarders using targeted email and owned channels. Paid search was also a component of the media mix, with messaging asking installers to consider the weight of standard drywall in comparison new USG Boral Sheetrock Panels.

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