Digitalisation gives small manufacturers the same tools to reduce waste, enhance productivity and unlock new commercial models as the world’s industrial giants. For British industry, digitalisation offers the opportunity to overcome decades of under-investment and take on much bigger players in high-tech manufacturing like Germany, China and the US.
Our challenge was to convince small and medium-sized industrial firms to invest in new technology and harness the huge potential benefits.
Government initiatives of this type are usually centred around subsidies – but our research showed that non-financial barriers to investment were equally formidable. New technology needs people who can operate it.
And embracing digitalisation isn’t about buying a new piece of equipment here and there; it’s about creating systems.
Just as important as connecting machines is the task of connecting businesses to their peers, to equipment builders, to talent and to academia. Only then can you unlock new ways of working and create the confidence to invest in modern digital assets.
Our campaign was designed to create ownership of the opportunity. Government initiatives too often fall foul of telling people what they ought to do; our idea was to encourage people to create and join new networks. Made Smarter is more of an ecosystem than a campaign – one that brings together businesses large and small, local and national government bodies and universities. It’s about educating, inspiring and connecting people so they’ll want to invest in connecting their machinery.
WINNER: BEST CORPORATE AFFAIRS CAMPAIGN | CORP COMM AWARDS 2018
This project began with a quick chat over coffee. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more – or just to discuss what we could do for you.
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