About the company:
Endell Point is a London-based start-up aiming to improve the last-mile parcel delivery for online shoppers. They offer parcel collection on behalf of its customers across its "Points Network" and provides flexible and quick pick-up service. They serve as an alternative to a traditional courier service, parcel shops and postal lockers, which usually serve a single delivery company. Instead, Endell allows customers to ship/order parcels to any of its locations, from any retailer and with any delivery provider - thus ensuring convenience for customers who are unable to use, or are otherwise dissatisfied with traditional delivery methods. It is a technology-driven business, operating via a customer mobile app to track and collect deliveries (with further functionalities added following the launch). They are expecting to open their first "Point" in May and subsequently expand across London.
About the project:
Endell Point needed to understand how they could best market their business online. They needed to reach their target audience on social media and through digital advertising and be able to convincingly explain the benefits of their service. As a start-up, they did not always have the expertise or availability to expore particular fields. Whilst they had a plan for on-the-ground marketing (such as, giving away brochures and installing posters), they lacked digital marketing experience and needed assistance with developing the basis of a digital marketing strategy.
Project Objective:
Endell Point were looking for:
1) Insight into social media channel selection and planning, and social media and online advertising strategies - with a focus on value for money, mediums, budgeting and efficiency in attracting target audiences.
2) Advertising planning insight, such as: ad keywords, use of geolocation, exploring online shopping interests and browsing habits - to ensure adverts are appropriate for the target audience.
3) Content themes and engagement initiatives that create highest appeal for and interest in our service offer.
Endell Point's statement:
What do you think the students brought to the business? Were their ideas different from what you could have achieved if you have conducted this project in-house?
As a start-up, we’re operating on limited team resource and often don’t have the capacity to conduct full-scale investigations. The students brought the data-driven validation we needed for our business, specifically in terms of pricing and messaging, through their research.
The team tested our proposed pricing through different analysis methods in the survey and confirmed that our ideas were in line with real people’s opinion. This brought us further reassurance that we’re on the right track.
In terms of messaging, the team suggested new lines of thought that we hadn’t focussed on – again, supported by data. This allowed us to focus our communications on what’s truly important to the consumer and make our marketing wording more precise. The team also suggested that as a start-up, we can look at local community groups as potential business endorsers – something we haven’t thought of previously. This resonated with us instantly!
How do you think the Business Projects have helped your business?
We’re now reaching the final steps of pre-launch, where we are developing our marketing strategy. The Business Project gave us the much-needed insight about what we need to focus on in our communications, as well as how to best promote our company within the local community.
We got a clearer idea of how to further communicate with our customers and how to attract potential non-customers in the future after a full-scale launch.
How would you use the outcomes in your business going forward?
We’ll be using the student’s recommendations in our upcoming marketing campaign. We will also further explore the pricing avenues suggested by the team once we have successfully established proof of the business concept.
