3 B2B PR campaigns we’ve loved this September

Wise: The impact of costs on small businesses

Wise , the fintech brand that aims to make transferring money internationally easier, has long been calling for an end to hidden fees for SMEs, stating that all costs should be equally transparent for consumers and businesses when it comes to sending money internationally.? So passionate about the topic, they launched their End the Opt Out campaign earlier this year, calling for government action to bring this to law.

To further support the campaign and show the impact this is having on UK SMEs (which make up 99% of the business population in the UK), Wise released research showing the pressure small businesses are under.

It discovered that a number of worrying statistics that show the overall picture of the UK SME market, such as:

• seven in 10 small businesses are facing closure due to rising costs
• 35% are trying to negotiate better rates with suppliers

As well as relevant stats:

• 31% are slashing energy use
• 56% have had to implement redundancies, with 84% of those saying it was their ‘last resort’
• 35% are worried about the impact of high energy prices
• A quarter believe that this Christmas will be the most important their business has ever faced

Why we loved it:

Research may be PR bread and butter, but research that ties into a wider campaign, especially one that needs to build or continue momentum, is the perfect way to reaffirm the messaging and rationale behind the campaign.

Including data that ties to moments that impact everyone - such as rising energy costs and redundancy - and not just business owners adds a more human layer that evokes an emotional reaction.

The landing page is effective; simple and on brand, it shows headline statistics that support the overall campaign’s message, and allows you to sign the petition to the UK Government.

Premier Inn: Downtime Series

Clearly looking to raise awareness of their offering for businesses, Business Booker, Premier Inn launched their Downtime Series, a campaign that encourages business travellers to take time to relax when away from home on business trips. The Premier Inn team partnered with TV and radio presenter, Angelica Bell sat down in front of the camera and interviewed a number of people, including a sleep expert and the Premier Inn CEO, where they discussed why downtime is important, the impact of not winding down on your life, and gave tips for how to relax.

To accompany the video, Premier Inn also commissioned a survey to find out how people spend their time when travelling for work.

They found:

• The most common activities to kill time between meetings are watching TV, reading a book, and playing video games
• 94% liked to find time to explore the local area
• 60% find it frustrating if they don’t manage to do anything useful with their free time
• 15% aren’t a fan of travelling for work
• 85% have visited a new place for just one night and haven’t been able to experience anything besides travelling between their hotel and place of work
• 42% said they feel lonely or awkward if they go away for work themselves
• 35% prefer to travel with a colleague.

Why we loved it:

Premier Inn has invested heavily in sleep, and is placing itself as an expert in sleep when away from home thanks to the Good Sleep Guarantee and partnerships with mattress companies to allow anyone to buy the exact mattress they slept on through their website.

This campaign further supports that messaging, and tying the hotel chain and a good night’s sleep together. The campaign landing pages hosts the survey findings and hosts the videos, making it much more interactive and engaging than reading a long list of tips and advice.

AXA UK: Small business struggles

安盛 , an insurance provider which offers insurance for consumers as well as business owners, commissioned a survey of 1,000 small business owners in the UK to further support their ‘Being self-employed shouldn't be a risk' campaign - an initiative which aims to assist small business owners in better managing their daily work lives.

The campaign has been supported by different datasets, including the UK Start-Up Report 2023, and video content which launched the campaign.

The research discovered:

• Three-quarters of small business owners wear more hats than they had anticipated
• More than eight in 10 feel like they have to be a 'Jack of all trades' in their workplace
• The average small business owner takes on at least five different roles, including accounting and social media marketing
• 40% of respondents said being a sole trader is the root cause of many of the issues they encounter

Why we loved it:

Much like Wise’s recent study, this further drives home the messaging and importance of their overarching campaign. The research drives awareness and traffic to the campaign landing page, which hosts a whole library of resources, placing AXA as experts in business insurance, as well as links to their commercial pages.

The campaign is also really well-timed. The business landscape is tricky at the moment, with the cost of living impacting small businesses and entrepreneurs. More Gen Zs are also entering the workplace, and we know from research that Gen Zs are more entrepreneurial than other generations.

Got a favourite B2B PR campaign this month? Let us know in the comments!