Client
Nuon is an ambitious energy company whose 10,000 employees serve more than 3 million consumers and organisations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Nuon produces, transports and supplies electricity, gas, heat and cold and trades in energy on the major international markets. Nuon also provides companies and consumers with supplementary services and technical innovations. Nuon strives for a reliable, sustainable and affordable energy supply.
Business Unit
MCPR is lean and mean and has now been providing retail communication at the highest level for more than 10 years. By this we mean simple, no-nonsense communication that touches consumers emotionally and prompts them to purchase. It sounds simple but it requires a thorough knowledge of the retail market. MCPR not only looks after communication but also works with its specialists on developing and/or upgrading retails formulas.
Mission
Every year, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) and the energy company Nuon look for Official Nuon Ball Boys (girls and boys) for the practice and qualifying matches of the Dutch national team (familiarly known as ‘Oranje’) in its run up to the European Championships or the World Cup. Regional selection days are held throughout the country. Nuon and the KNVB offer boys and girls aged 12 to 16 the chance of becoming Official Nuon Ball Boys. After the regional selections, the boys and girls undergo a selection process based on practical and theoretical football skills at the National Ball Boys Selection Event. Here they are supervised by various professional footballers who select candidates on the basis of drive, athleticism and assertiveness.
MCPR generates publicity in the media in various areas. During the opening of the Ball Boys Season, attention has to be focused on the campaign and sympathy generated so that there is sufficient eagerness during the regional recruitment and selection procedure. Then the national selection day is spotlighted. MCPR works constantly at increasing involvement in the campaign. In addition to this, attention is focused on the fact that Nuon is a facilitator of the campaign. MCPR also brings the Ball Boys and Girls personally to the attention of the national and regional press.
Strategy
MCPR sends out various press releases on behalf of Nuon that contain information about such things as the start of the Ball Boys Season, the regional and national selection days, and the results. A creative approach is taken to inviting the press to attend the selection days, where they are taken care of and personally supervised. When the selection days are over, MCPR supplies the press with professional photographic material.
MCPR has developed a concept in which the selected Ball Boys and Girls receive a personal press kit. This helps them to carry out their own local/regional PR campaign. The press kits include posters, stickers and sweatbands. The selected boys and girls are also advised about contacts with the press in an accompanying letter and Q&A.
A special website is set up for the campaign in which boys and girls can register for the selection days. The site also includes the latest news, fun facts and various games.
Result
Both regional and national newspapers frequently carry articles about the Official Nuon Ball Boys. Regional and national television and radio have also covered the campaign. The NOS youth news, SBS Hart van Nederland and the RTL 4 late news are examples of national media that have attended the selection days at the invitation of MCPR. A lot of attention was also devoted to the Nuon ‘Oranje’ Ball Boys in online publications. Holland’s international matches take place throughout the year with regular breaks, which means that the Nuon campaign appears in the media with regularity.
