German Confederation Of Chambers Of Skilled Crafts: SKILLED CRAFTS

Credits & Description:

Category: Corporate Communication
Advertiser: GERMAN CONFEDERATION OF CHAMBERS OF SKILLED CRAFTS (DHKT)
Product/Service: GERMAN TRADESMEN
Executive: Dominik Thesing (Scholz & Friends Agenda)
Director Client Service: Benjamin Baader (Scholz & Friends Berlin)
Account Director: Sven Weiche (Scholz & Friends Berlin)
PR Manager: Janna Trauernicht (Scholz & Friends Agenda)
Creative Director: Mathias Rebmann (Scholz & Friends Berlin)
Media placement: TV Spot - Various TV Stations - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Advertising - Various National Daily Newspaper - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Posters - National Poster Campaign - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Press Releases - Various National Daily Newspaper - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Website - N/a - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Online Banner - N/a - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Brochure With Professions - N/a - 01.03.2010
Media placement: Presence At Trade Fair Internationale Handwerksmesse (IHM) Munich - N/a - 15.03.2010
Media placement: Interactive Trade Fair Tools - N/a - 15.03.2010
Summary of the Campaign
The skilled crafts are "the economic power. On your doorstep." But many Germans underestimate their importance and appeal. The national image campaign has therefore set out to enhance the reputation of the skilled crafts in the public eye and to increase their relevance in everyday life.
The integrated communication campaign targets the general public, young people, multipliers and the tradesmen themselves. Striking images, new perspectives and persuasive messages credibly convey the sector’s breadth, diversity, modernity and relevance to everyday life. The overall messaging is condensed in the claim "Skilled Crafts. The economic power. On your doorstep."
The campaign utilises a variety of communication channels to reach the target groups - classic advertising with TV and cinema spots, ad and poster placement, PR measures, press conferences, media co-operation and trade fair attendance as well as online activities such as a campaign website.
At the centre of the campaign are also participation opportunities for skilled crafts organisations and businesses. This involves integrating them into the campaign, incorporating logos in their corporate design and online presence, interlocking regional events or company specific campaigns with the image campaign and designing individual motifs to fit in with the campaign’s look.
The Situation
According to a representative survey by Forsa in 2008, many Germans underestimate the importance and appeal of the skilled crafts - despite some 4.8 million workers employed, 480,000 apprentices and an estimated annual turnover of 500 billion Euro. Especially among the young people surveyed, the skilled crafts were perceived as old-fashioned and not considered as attractive career prospects or opportunities. This has led the German Association of Chambers of Artisans (DHKT) to commission a five-year long campaign to achieve a positive perception of the skilled crafts and deliver a realistic image among the public.
The Goal
The campaign’s goal is to highlight the skilled crafts’ importance, inspire young people to embark on apprenticeships and instil pride in tradesmen. The old-fashioned image of the skilled crafts is to be revamped with positive associations and messages to capture their breadth, diversity, modernity and relevance to everyday life.
The following conductive idea is at the core of the image campaign: "What would life be like with-out skilled crafts?" This question highlights the importance of the skilled crafts for society and economy alike and positions them as modern and popular employment opportunities for young people.
The Strategy
Breadth, diversity, modernity and relevance to everyday life are the skilled crafts’ key attributes and receive individual attention during the campaign. While breadth and modernity took centre-stage in 2010, diversity and relevance will be highlighted in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Many channels are used for communication: classic TV, cinema and print media advertising, PR measures, e.g. press conferences, media co-operation and trade fairs as well as online activities e.g. campaign website and banner advertising. A designated hotline for young people, information on career prospects, entertaining online tools and nationwide interactive event modules instigate young people’s interest. To illustrate the breadth and diversity of the skilled crafts, the campaign offers organisations and businesses an opportunity to participate. Even before the official kick-off, the entire sector has been alerted about the campaign and engaged in its design and implementation with internal communication measures, such as a popular online forum and PR guidelines.
Execution
To kick-off the campaign, organisations and businesses received support materials and assistance with almost 150 press conferences. A TV and cinema spot and various poster and advertising motifs convey the campaign’s messages in multiple flights. Supporting press work and the "number of the week" also highlight the skilled crafts’ achievements, while in-depth information and entertaining tools are available on the website.
To involve almost a million enterprises nationwide, they received various advertising tools. All poster and advertising motifs are available to everyone as printable data files as well as numerous features for online use. Event props such as a photo box, where members of the public can insert their portraits into 37 everyday skilled crafts situations, are ready for use at trade fairs and events. A brochure introducing all career paths in the skilled crafts sector is also being used to target young people.
Documented Results
At the campaign kick-off, some 150 press conferences combined with press and publicity work, achieved press coverage in the national and regional media: ca. 500 articles in the daily press, 200 reports on TV and the radio and hundreds of online contributions. The widespread placement of commercials, advertisements in the leading German print media and a nationwide poster campaign increased the visibility of the skilled crafts even further. The website has also registered almost one million visitors in the first year.
Organisations and businesses have taken up the campaign and disseminated its messages. Numerous trade associations deploy their own motifs, adapted to the image campaign’s look, to promote their profession. Businesses all across Germany utilise the supplied advertising tools to introduce the campaign to the wider society. Multipliers from politics, sport, science, business and media contribute to the campaign and highlight the importance of the skilled crafts to the public.