Art on the parcel for the post office
Service marketing Following the fall of the parcel monopoly at the beginning of 2004, Swiss Post wants to maintain its market leadership and is relying on LangGysiKnoll to do so.
Service marketing Following the fall of the parcel monopoly at the beginning of 2004, Swiss Post wants to maintain its market leadership and is relying on LangGysiKnoll to do so.
The complete liberalization of the parcel market on 1 January 2004 poses major problems for Swiss Post. Since the first partial liberalization, private competitors have discovered the lucrative B2B business. In recent years, the parcel volume of competitors has increased to a good quarter of the market. Although competition is not expected to intensify at the beginning of the year for the transport of parcels weighing less than two kilograms due to the lower margin, the "postmen" are still in danger. The cost-intensive monopoly sector has once again torn the biggest hole in Parcel Post's loss-making coffers. And the prospect that existing corporate customers might soon check out the often free trial offer from competitors and acquire a taste for it is unlikely to be encouraging either. Whether last year's improvement in results - a reduction in the deficit to CHF 76 million - will bring the company closer to its goal of being in the black in 2005 depends not least on the market presence of its competitors. In the shrinking Swiss parcel market (-7% since 2001), growth is only possible at the expense of others: Direct Parcel Distribution, better known under the DPD brand, has grown strongly in the franchise country of Switzerland, even in a declining parcel market (2002: +15%). This gives the French Geopost subsidiary, which has been operating in Switzerland for ten years, a market share of around eight percent. DPD Marketing and Sales Director Gregor Menzi: "We will hardly react to the forthcoming partial dismantling of the monopoly with an aggressive campaign, but will continue to improve the price-performance ratio and rely on word of mouth, personal sales and high-profile events."
According to Media Relations Manager Mirjam Steiner, DHL, ParcelPost's second-largest competitor, has recorded "growth of over ten percent in the local market, even in the difficult economic situation". Steiner hopes that the opening of the market will lead to a further increase in parcel volumes. However, the parcel post sector under one kilogram will remain a state monopoly, she says. And: "As long as Swiss Post has competitive advantages, such as the exemption from the night-time driving ban, it cannot be assumed that there will be an increase in parcel volumes.
complete fall of the monopoly." Accordingly, DHL will continue to communicate its strengths in global transport and logistics expertise with the "More Power" campaign, which visualizes the troika of DHL Worldwide Express, Danzas and Euroexpress.
While a private company would have long since considered reducing the "poor dog" in its portfolio, ParcelPost has to make the best of its public service mandate. But it also wants to counter consumers' widespread fear of a reduction in the post office network with a strategy of quality leadership. "With the densest acceptance network and an efficient infrastructure, we offer reliable services, process parcels carefully and deliver them even to the furthest valley," says Daniela Diethelm, responsible for the campaign at ParcelPost, summing up the company's positioning.
"Based on this initial situation, we developed a concept that exudes the self-confidence of the leader without appearing arrogant," says LangGysiKnoll consultant Nicole Huber. Claudia Zechner, also a consultant at Etat: "The campaign was to focus on customer needs and present ParcelPost as a problem solver."
The Bern agency was looking for well-known companies that make use of Swiss Post's service and credibly advertise its advantages: Brütsch-Rüegger for its punctuality, Provins Valais for its nationwide distribution network and Glasi Hergiswil for its careful handling. "On behalf of the various PostParcel customers, we delivered hundreds of yellow parcels to these companies in
factory halls and warehouses," recalls AD Stephan Wittwer of the shootings. Exciting "package images" were created in unusual surroundings, which are reminiscent of land art installations and stand out in the advertising environment. "A modern look for the market leader," comments the art director proudly.
Better efficiency: In 2002, ParcelPost generated sales of CHF 710 million by distributing 500,000 parcels a day, or 18 every second.
Luca Aloisi
The complete liberalization of the parcel market on 1 January 2004 poses major problems for Swiss Post. Since the first partial liberalization, private competitors have discovered the lucrative B2B business. In recent years, the parcel volume of competitors has increased to a good quarter of the market. Although competition is not expected to intensify at the beginning of the year for the transport of parcels weighing less than two kilograms due to the lower margin, the "postmen" are still in danger. The cost-intensive monopoly sector has once again torn the biggest hole in Parcel Post's loss-making coffers. And the prospect that existing corporate customers might soon check out the often free trial offer from competitors and acquire a taste for it is unlikely to be encouraging either. Whether last year's improvement in results - a reduction in the deficit to CHF 76 million - will bring the company closer to its goal of being in the black in 2005 depends not least on the market presence of its competitors. In the shrinking Swiss parcel market (-7% since 2001), growth is only possible at the expense of others: Direct Parcel Distribution, better known under the DPD brand, has grown strongly in the franchise country of Switzerland, even in a declining parcel market (2002: +15%). This gives the French Geopost subsidiary, which has been operating in Switzerland for ten years, a market share of around eight percent. DPD Marketing and Sales Director Gregor Menzi: "We will hardly react to the forthcoming partial dismantling of the monopoly with an aggressive campaign, but will continue to improve the price-performance ratio and rely on word of mouth, personal sales and high-profile events."
According to Media Relations Manager Mirjam Steiner, DHL, ParcelPost's second-largest competitor, has recorded "growth of over ten percent in the local market, even in the difficult economic situation". Steiner hopes that the opening of the market will lead to a further increase in parcel volumes. However, the parcel post sector under one kilogram will remain a state monopoly, she says. And: "As long as Swiss Post has competitive advantages, such as the exemption from the night-time driving ban, it cannot be assumed that there will be an increase in parcel volumes.
complete fall of the monopoly." Accordingly, DHL will continue to communicate its strengths in global transport and logistics expertise with the "More Power" campaign, which visualizes the troika of DHL Worldwide Express, Danzas and Euroexpress.
While a private company would have long since considered reducing the "poor dog" in its portfolio, ParcelPost has to make the best of its public service mandate. But it also wants to counter consumers' widespread fear of a reduction in the post office network with a strategy of quality leadership. "With the densest acceptance network and an efficient infrastructure, we offer reliable services, process parcels carefully and deliver them even to the furthest valley," says Daniela Diethelm, responsible for the campaign at ParcelPost, summing up the company's positioning.
"Based on this initial situation, we developed a concept that exudes the self-confidence of the leader without appearing arrogant," says LangGysiKnoll consultant Nicole Huber. Claudia Zechner, also a consultant at Etat: "The campaign was to focus on customer needs and present ParcelPost as a problem solver."
The Bern agency was looking for well-known companies that make use of Swiss Post's service and credibly advertise its advantages: Brütsch-Rüegger for its punctuality, Provins Valais for its nationwide distribution network and Glasi Hergiswil for its careful handling. "On behalf of the various PostParcel customers, we delivered hundreds of yellow parcels to these companies in
factory halls and warehouses," recalls AD Stephan Wittwer of the shootings. Exciting "package images" were created in unusual surroundings, which are reminiscent of land art installations and stand out in the advertising environment. "A modern look for the market leader," comments the art director proudly.
Better efficiency: In 2002, ParcelPost generated sales of CHF 710 million by distributing 500,000 parcels a day, or 18 every second.
Luca Aloisi
