NBS has been at the forefront of information provision to the construction sector for decades. With its specification platform Chorus, it is the leading provider of connected construction information. NBS tasked The Think Tank for a PR campaign to launch Source, its construction product search engine.

Building products manufacturers had to see NBS Source as the essential marketing platform, maintaining its place as an indispensable resource for specifiers, such as architects, designers, engineers and project managers. Press was key in achieving this, demonstrating why manufacturers needed Source and educating them on forthcoming building regulation legislation.

Securing standalone coverage for products is a challenge in tier one media, so our strategy was to focus on bigger issues faced by NBS customers, while highlighting Source as the solution. We devised a campaign with a tight set of key messages, spearheaded by thought leadership opportunities, backed up with news announcements and newsjacking. 

The campaign culminated in the Construction Product Leaders’ Summit, hosted by NBS. The event was a powerful draw with industry professionals. As the keynote speaker, Dame Judith Hackitt made it clear just how much the new building safety regulations would shake up the industry.

The results speak for themselves: with 132 published articles reaching an online audience of 37m, the campaign has been a smash. This includes 60 pieces of thought leadership, with commentary in the Financial Times as the highlight and blanket coverage in tier 1 construction media.

NBS considers the Source Launch a major milestone, recognising PR as an integral element of the launch. Marketing Director Robin Cordy comments: ‘The Think Tank took our objectives and brought them to life with sustained coverage landing in places our audiences read. The media coverage ensured we were positioned as experts and we exponentially grew our visibility. I have no doubt that without this PR campaign, the Source Launch would not have been the success it has been.’

Winner of Best Global PR Campaign at Global Marketing Awards 2020. Also shortlisted for Best PR Campaign at the European Agency Awards 2020 and Best PR Campaign at the Drum B2B Awards.

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