When your space works everything works
In Stats
13,910,717
online news readers
324,000
television views
Key Results
1.5 million website visitors
Content, materials and media outreach coordinated across 13 countries
Five radio features from ‘Vocation Frustration’ launch
Sky News live broadcast from ‘Happy Space’ pop-up event
30 bloggers, online influencers and journalists attended ‘Happiness Lunch’
Tags
Date November 2018 – March 2019
Intro
Three years after office supplier Staples closed its UK stores and several outlets in Europe, the brand was looking to re-launch to a business audience, with a focus on SMEs. Berkeley Communications won a competitive pitch to grow the company’s profile across 13 European countries.
The problem
Staples wanted to be seen as more than just a stationery supplier. To make that happen, we needed a campaign that would shake off preconceptions about their brand and engage with new customers. It also had to focus on the needs of the end-user: office workers.
By creating a compelling story that ran through the PR campaign, we elevated the Staples mantra, ‘when your space works, everything works’, by illustrating how European office workers are frustrated in their current jobs and often lose passion for their work, causing them to seek happiness elsewhere.
The solution
Phase one of the campaign launched the ‘Vocation Frustration’ report, which brought the research findings to life around workers’ job frustrations, driving visitors to the Staples website. We followed that with a series of lighting stations built in London and Munich where visitors could bathe in light on the darkest day of the year. This told a compelling visual story around office lighting and the importance of effective workspaces in promoting productivity and boosting staff morale. The accompanying report showcased the harsh reality of office lighting and its impact on the workforce.
The final phase of the campaign brought a pop-up space to central London. The ‘Staples Happy Space’ opened its doors on 21 January – also known as Blue Monday – to provide a place for local office workers to escape the frustrations of their office and enjoy an oasis of happiness. Golden retriever puppies, free massages and refreshing smoothies all helped to create a calm and content environment.
Underpinning the campaign was our consumer research of 7,000 European office workers, which gave us a better understanding of how workers felt and what could be done to improve their work experiences.
