WECREATE CONNECTED BRANDSBy iCrossing June 2009

From channels to networks

Your customers have been set free… they now live in connected networks of experiences and information

THE BIG SHIFT

In this new world, brands need a new approach…

Brands must live and be valued in their customers’ networks

Those that are aware, active, useful and trusted in these networks will succeed

A NEW APPROACH

These are ‘connected brands’

Search and social media define networks

SEARCH & SOCIAL

They enable the navigation and conversation that is fundamental to your customers’ online journeys

To understand search and social media is to understand the web

A digital marketing agency with search and social at its core

ICROSSING IS…

We blend SEO, paid search, social media, content, display advertising, user experience, web development, and analytics & insight to build connected online marketing strategies

We create connected brands

We are devoted to improving our clients’ businesses

IT’S ALL ABOUT RESULTS

Our unique combination of talent and proprietary technology is focused on meeting clients’ hard marketing targets

iCrossing delivers ROI

OUR CLIENTS

iCrossing delivers client satisfaction

WHAT THEY SAY

Simon Watts:Head of Marketing - Brand, Planning & Online, Consumer Marketing, HBOS: “iCrossing was able to pinpoint the right strategies and help us to deliver them quickly. Search has been a massive success story for us, and iCrossing has been instrumental in delivering that success.”

Sue Gray : Head of Corporate Research, Channel 4:

“iCrossing’s engagement model lays the groundwork for understanding, articulating and capturing the different layers that comprise online engagement.”

UK

12%Of the FTSE 100

UK

120Staff

OUR FACTS

Global

580Staff

Global

13Offices

OUR SERVICESNATURAL SEARCH PAID SEARCH SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENTDISPLAY ADVERTISING USER EXPERIENCE WEB DEVELOPMENTANALYTICS AND INSIGHT

Focus on the basics, detailed analysis, and advanced techniques

NATURAL SEARCH

Search engine optimisation is critical for connected brands

1More than ten years’ experience delivering award-winning SEO programmes

2Marketing-led approach focuses on client’s specific goals 3Synergy: using SEO

expertise to inform paid search, content, user experience, and web development

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Proprietary technology, genuine insight, and a proactive approach

PAID SEARCH

1Merchantize bid technology offers market-leading support for paid search campaigns

2Analytical skill of iCrossing staff provides actionable insight and cutting-edge strategy

3Synergy: close ties with SEO deliver shared insights and integrated strategy

Paid search is fundamental to your customers’ online journeys

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Leading the market in understanding and executing in social media

SOCIAL MEDIA

1World-leading framework for how brands should approach social spaces

2 Proven success with social strategies, including MORE TH>N, Toyota, Channel 4, Unilever

Search synergy: our understanding of customers’ online journeys delivers social strategies that work

Connected brands live in their customers’ networks

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Content that delivers on your business’ marketing goals

CONTENT

1 Award-winning content delivered by dedicated teams of journalists and creatives

2User-driven approach ensures engagement and SEO benefits are built-in to content

3Synergy: content is at the heart of advanced techniques for effective search and social strategy

Great content helps brands be visible and valued in networks

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Unique approach to display creative and planning-buying

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

1Search and social insight delivers creative and media plans informed by users’ real online behaviour

2 Smarter ROI objectives include CPA focus and SEO benefits 3Synergy: display

media campaigns that are truly integrated with brands’ total online strategies

Display advertising is a key part of a connected online approach

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iCrossing understands the customer journey like no other agency

USER EXPERIENCE

1Depth of analysis that delivers market-leading online experiences2 3Synergy: works

closely with search and social to match destination to journey

Great user experience is critical for connected brands

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User-centred approach delivers value for both on and off-site strategy

Brilliant design that delivers positive online experiences

WEB DEVELOPMENT

1Broad sector experience with the UK’s biggest brands 2 Big ideas delivered

with consistency across all channels3Synergy: content,

copywriting, outreach, and display, deliver consistent communications

Compelling creative delivers better results

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Analysis and insight for truly informed marketing strategy

INSIGHT & ANALYTICS

A true understanding of online behaviour defines our strategies

1Technology and talent devoted to understanding customers’ real online behaviour

2 Leading-edge techniques include: linguistic profiling, social media audits, and engagement framework

3 Insights that can inform clients’ entire on and offline marketing strategies

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OUR WORK

iQ hypermiling test reaches 105 million people and increased traffic to iQ blog by 200%

STRATEGY/ Marketing activity driven around strong editorial input/ Hypermiling project developed to produce exclusive content/ Exclusive content written by journalists not marketers for collaboratively designed blog/ Project reported through a range of social media channels, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Google maps mashup and the iQ blog/ Word of mouth used to contact influential bloggers lightly informing them of project

SCENARIO/ Raise awareness of the new iQ city car through the use of social media

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RESULTS/ Programme reached 105 million people worldwide. 3.7 in the UK/ 64 blogs, including Wired, the New York Times and Treehugger

/ Traffic to iQ blog increased by 212%/ Advocacy increased along with positive editorial coverage

IQ SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAMME

Editorial driven content key to success

Content worth finding: Our content-focused approach beat Virgin Holidays’ targets for natural search at a critical time

Highly successful SEO campaign at 1- shot critical buying time

BRIEF / Drive Virgin sites visits throughout key buying period/ Drive volume around high-margin destinations where the company already had a reputation

/ Promote VH as a trusted lighthouse brand in light of other major companies (XL) going bust,

RESULTS / Achieved 114% of target/ 50-second engagement and low 6% bounce rate with content/ Site now ranks stronger than ever for key terms including Disney Holidays and Caribbean Holidays

SOLUTION / Produced high-quality, authoritative content that is useful / Increase site visit and sales through useful content/ Linguistic profiling used to determine exactly what language customers use to search/ Preparation and timing – campaign refined before busiest two months/ Open collaboration with other agencies around sharing search term sets

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TRAVEL : VIRGIN HOLIDAYS

Content that pays: Editorially driven SEO strategy delivers 300% ROI

B2B : MORE TH>N BUSINESS

Editorially driven SEO strategy delivering 300% ROI

BRIEF / Increase natural search visits to morethanbusiness.com / Increase number of small business insurance policies sold

RESULTS / Top 3 in Google for ‘small business insurance’ / Visibility in Google increased on all associated terms / Total natural search traffic increased more than 6.5 times/ No. of successful applications to site from natural listings increased by 90%/ No. of sales from natural listings increased by 70%/ An ROI of 300% for iCrossing’s SEO work

SOLUTION / Lingusitic analysis of existing search behaviour related to small business insurance terms/ Discovery of powerful niche traffic driving terms/ Produce & disseminate strong, useful and unique content relevant to potential customers using discovered language/ Increase natural rankings against small business terms, driven by unique content produced

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To understand how Cornhill Direct’s customers searched, we started with how they talked

FINANCIAL SERVICES : CORNHILL DIRECT

Increasing brand engagement

BRIEF / To drive brand awareness for Cornhill Direct online/ To drive engagement with the Cornhill Direct Brand/ To grow the network of sites that interact and engage with Cornhill Direct/ To drive profile in search engines for Cornhill Direct around key search terms

RESULTS / Higher engagement with brand through use of cost calculator/ Traffic increase from optmised creation of eBooks and cost calculator/ A significant rise in traffic increase/ Positive brand sentiment rose by some 40%/ Brand mentions rose by 185% from Nov – Feb

SOLUTION / Create useful and interactive content to help brand;- Involvement- Interaction

- Intimacy- Influence

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Highest ever PPC click-through rates and lowest cost per sale

RETAIL/FASHION : LIPSY

BRIEF / Higher online revenues / More targeted traffic/ Increase online brand awareness as major online fashion player

SOLUTION / Social media research and linguistic profiling tools/ Full site optimisation tailored to consumer language / Online PR campaign grew quality links/ Targeted paid search campaign

RESULTS / 1,500 new unique users to Lipsy.co.uk/ 400% increase in natural search visibility/ 10% higher paid search click-through rates/ 50% drop in cost per click in first month/ 40% increase in average revenues/ 40% cost per sale drop/ ‘Party dresses’ from #45 to #3

1,500 new unique usersto lipsy.co.uk

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Tangible search success for HBOS

Massive improvement in SEO referrals

BRIEF / Deliver significant increase in traffic from non- branded terms in natural search:/ Own, contract and manage SEO strategy and execution in the UK and globally/ Maintain non-product specific areas on halifax.co.uk and bankofscotlandhalifax.co.uk/ Share knowledge throughout the business

SOLUTION / Competitor audits/ Internal link audits and reconfiguration/ PPC and SEO synergy analysis/ Site copy optimisation/ Content for engagement-to-external link generation

RESULTS / 35% site traffic from search engines / 23% traffic increase over major competitors / #1 in Google for key terms ‘fixed rate mortgage’ and ‘online saving’/ Top 5 in Google for key terms ‘bank accounts’, ‘online saving’ and ‘home insurance’

FINANCIAL : HBOS

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Winning the content game: measuring engagement

MEDIA : CHANNEL 4 EDUCATION

First benchmark for online engagement

BRIEF / Evaluate success of game in social media framework / Understand consumer motivation/ Visibility on how users engaged with content outside of broadcaster’s online properties./ Develop working model for social media planning

RESULTS / Research showed key audience of 14-19 year olds were living online – digital ‘natives’/ Channel 4 Education commissioned for attention not platforms/ Understanding our users and the spaces they occupy

SOLUTION / Developed bespoke Measuring Engagement scorecard based on Forrester model: - Involvement- Interaction

- Intimacy- Influence

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Producing a massive ROI by optimising the tail of search

RETAIL/FASHION : KIDDICARE

BRIEF / Increase traffic to site by opening out IBM Websphere URLs to search traffic/ Increase ROI by optimising tail of search

SOLUTION / Carried out advanced Search Term Research and Linguistic Profiling ™/ Template optimisation for all product and category level pages/ Ensured over 15,000 pages visible to Google

RESULTS / 175,000 traffic driving terms from natural search/ 165,000 terms drove only 1 click/ Niche terms drive 94% of traffic to site/ Generated ROI of 172:1/ Cost per acquisition of 0.6pence for every £1 earned

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Natural Search ROI of 172:1 & CPA of 0.6p

Number of referring search terms in Feb 09:

175,000

Percentage of these terms driving a single

visitor

94.2%

Drive efficiency in your paid search with a shared risk commercial model

TRAVEL: MONARCH HOLIDAYS

STRATEGY/ Highly evolve campaign structure to maximise quality score and reduced CPCs/ CPCs were decreased with in-depth research into the 'long-tail' of destination search terms/ Landing page testing and optimistion increased conversion rates and reduced the cost per passenger

RESULTS SCENARIO/ Strong relationship based on openness - sharing everything/ Commercial model devised on shared risk and reward - iCrossing paid purely on results i.e. passengers delivered

Cost per passenger reduced by

49%

Sales revenue up

325%

Sharing risks, driving results and optimizing UX

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Tangible search success for HBOS

Massive improvement in SEO referrals

BRIEF / Deliver significant increase in traffic from non- branded terms in natural search:/ Own, contract and manage SEO strategy and execution in the UK and globally/ Maintain non-product specific areas on halifax.co.uk and bankofscotlandhalifax.co.uk/ Share knowledge throughout the business

SOLUTION / Competitor audits/ Internal link audits and reconfiguration/ PPC and SEO synergy analysis/ Site copy optimisation/ Content for engagement-to-external link generation

RESULTS / 35% site traffic from search engines / 23% traffic increase over major competitors / #1 in Google for key terms ‘fixed rate mortgage’ and ‘online saving’/ Top 5 in Google for key terms ‘bank accounts’, ‘online saving’ and ‘home insurance’

FINANCIAL : HBOS

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Find out more about how we can help your business

SPEAK TO US

Call us: +44 (0) 1273 827 700 Email: results@icrossing.co.ukSite: www.iCrossing.co.ukBlog: http://connect.icrossing.co.ukTwitter: www.twitter.com/icrossinguk

Find out more about how we can help your business

SPEAK TO US

Mel AlcockChief Client Officer

Moore House 13 Black Lion Street Brighton BN1 1ND

+44 (0)1273 82 77 00 Office+44 (0)7500 067 742 Mobile

mel.alcock@icrossing.co.ukwww.icrossing.co.uk