Burda has always seen itself as a company that is committed to and involved in important issues of society. In the same year, an initiative was founded to campaign for one of nature’s most important insect species: #beebetter. The initiative campaigned for the well-being of bees in Germany with numerous events and projects. For example, a bee adventure garden was set up in Offenburg, a plant campaign with free, bee-friendly garden flowers was started and the #beebetter Award was launched. This award honours outstanding bee conservation projects in Germany and was presented for the first time on 5 November. There were nearly 250 projects vying for this award.
The stronger the partners, the more successful the campaign – for everyone.
Prominent partners were recruited for this large-scale initiative, including the WWF, Lidl and Neudorff, which happens to be one of the leading manufacturers of organic pest control products. Neudorff was not only a sponsoring partner, but also a committed supporter and initiator from the very beginning: the company provided support in terms of content and concept for #beebetter as well as an impressive range of ideas and activities in the initiative’s committee. In this manner, the company integrated the campaign into all of its own sales channels: #beebetter was communicated strongly at the POS wherever Neudorff products were sold. Thanks to Neudorff, #beebetter was also visible in DIY stores throughout Germany. In addition, the initiative was communicated in sales and marketing materials, which meant it reached target audiences that hold nature conservation as a matter of personal importance.
„It was only natural that we are committed to #beebetter, as the protection of beneficial insects, especially (wild) bees, is in Neudorff’s DNA. The approach of combining as many partly local or regional campaigns as possible into a larger joint initiative was also important for Neudorff. In addition, we had strong brand partners who can each make a difference in their area. We are extremely satisfied with the implementation and the results!“
If you reach more people, you can achieve more.
The commitment paid off not only for the bees, but also for Neudorff itself. The company generated a large reach outside its own core target audience in addition to greatly improving its image. This was made possible by the strong presence of #beebetter in the media, which was managed by the BCN Brand Community Network (BCN).
#beebetter was picked up in more than 390 editorial posts in media from Hubert Burda. In addition, more than 15,000 posters in retail stores across Germany drew attention to the initiative. The accompanying ad campaign had a media value of over €4 million and was run over 250 times, reaching over 200 million contacts. 20,000 flyers and 14,000 sachets of seeds for bee-friendly garden flowers were distributed during the campaign period. And the bees also got the attention on social media that they deserved, with almost 23,000 fans on Facebook and over 4,000 followers on Instagram.
„A cooperation with the #beebetter initiative was obvious since Neudorff embraces its responsibility in protecting nature and beneficial insects ever since the company was founded. Through the cooperation, we succeeded in developing an eye-catching communication concept that is entirely in line with the purpose of the company. The ongoing dialog provided an apt basis to foster the development of approaches for the joint media appearance as well as generate new impulses for the further development of the initiative’s content.“
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