Midnight is thrilled to announce its nomination for Best B2B Campaign at this year’s PRCA Dare Awards, recognising its collaboration with BCIS (Building Cost Information Service).
BCIS, the UK’s leading provider of independent cost data for construction, property, quantity surveying and insurance sectors, saw remarkable growth thanks to Midnight’s strategic efforts.
In 2023, BCIS witnessed a remarkable 47% surge in annual recurring revenue and a 13% increase in new customers – testament to a joint endeavour to position BCIS as an authoritative voice in its field.
Crafting a vision
Midnight’s mission was clear: position BCIS as the trusted authority on construction data and trends. Following its breakaway from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), BCIS sought Midnight’s services to establish an independent identity and captivate a broader audience with its data offering.
To achieve this, Midnight collaborated closely with BCIS’s in-house marketing team, aligning communication strategies seamlessly. Leveraging BCIS’s extensive real-time data supply, Midnight devised a campaign showcasing the company’s expertise while ensuring its spokespeople led industry discussions with innovative insights.
Flo Powell, Joint Managing Director, Midnight, said: “Our approach extended beyond positioning BCIS as an industry expert. We had far loftier ambitions for this burgeoning company and decided to aim high, positioning it as a sector leader. We did this by developing a comprehensive media campaign and a focused B2B thought leadership strategy.
“Why? Thought leaders not only possess deep knowledge but also actively influence their peers and shape their sectors’ trajectories. By partnering with us, BCIS began its journey to become so much more than simply an expert. It was to become an opinion shaper, enhancing its influence and visibility within the industry.”
Through compelling narratives and strategic media placements, Midnight helped develop and amplify BCIS’s thought leadership messages, positioning it as the go-to source for construction data. The company’s vast data collection became the cornerstone of the campaign, elevating its reputation and fostering meaningful industry conversations.
Combined efforts yielded remarkable results. Midnight exceeded all expectations with an impressive 272 appearances in the media, far surpassing the initial target of 40. As well as thought leadership articles in key sector B2B titles, the team published 24 press releases, beating the goal of six. This included placement in prominent titles such as The Times, BBC Newsnight, Sky News, The Independent and Daily Mail.
Midnight also secured four speaker opportunities for UK Construction Week in London and Birmingham, the UK Infrastructure Show and Footprint+, doubling the target of two. Overall, the campaign achieved great success across various metrics.
The team also helped BCIS expand its reach. By incorporating facilities management into the strategy, Midnight was able to enhance BCIS’s reputation in this sector and pave the way for future media relationships.
Understanding audiences
Crafting a successful thought leadership strategy relies on a deep understanding of target audiences. With Midnight’s proven expertise in the built environment, facilities management and insurance sectors, it was the ideal partner for BCIS. Through thorough research, the team gained insights into the interests, needs and challenges of the target demographics. Armed with this understanding, Midnight assisted BCIS in developing content that resonated with its audiences, thereby establishing its reputation as a trusted source of information.
Consistency is another essential aspect of effective thought leadership. Opinion makers must steadily deliver high-quality content to maintain credibility and visibility in their industry. Achieving this requires careful planning and organisation to ensure a continuous flow of inspiring content. Establishing a content calendar and setting goals can aid thought leaders in remaining on track and consistently providing valuable insights to their audience. Having media specialists and content experts on board – like those at Midnight – makes these tasks much more manageable.
Remaining agile and multifaceted
Adopting a multichannel approach is essential for reaching the widest possible audience. By embracing multiple channels, thought leaders can maximise their reach and impact, effectively establishing themselves as influential voices within their industry. Midnight knocked it out of the park for BCIS here, too – press coverage garnered a total of 968 social shares across platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), Reddit and Pinterest.
The campaign remained agile, adapting to evolving news agendas while ensuring BCIS’s core messages resonated with leading B2B publications. The launch the BECD carbon database, a pan-industry initiative, marked a pivotal moment in the journey, generating significant buzz and overwhelming website traffic. In fact, the website briefly crashed, underscoring the campaign’s impact and BCIS’s growing influence.
From transforming BCIS into a trusted authority and a highly regarded thought leader, this collaboration has reshaped the landscape of construction data. Everyone involved is looking forward to driving yet more innovation, seizing further opportunities and empowering BCIS to lead the conversation in the construction industry. It’s been a transformative journey – and the best is yet to come.
Read more: Link to Midnight’s BCIS Case Study
