RMS in action

Just before the pandemic, we were appointed marketing partner of global ship management company V.Group, responsible for helping the Group communicate with its key stakeholders.

When the lockdown was announced, we had to change our longer-term strategic plans and entire approach to communication. We needed to reach our various audiences quickly to provide reassurance in a time of crisis.

When Covid-19 struck, the maritime industry was hit harder than most. We campaigned tirelessly to highlight the humanitarian aspects of seafarers being stuck on vessels for excessive periods of time and the devastating impact on the global supply chain.

This activity was clearly important but V.Group was also keen to demonstrate its thought leadership during such testing times. They asked us for our advice.

Being immersed in the sector, our B2B team knew that all the major players were simply beating their breasts and parroting each other.  We realised there was a clear opportunity to make V.Group stand out from the crowd.

Our idea seemed simple enough – the creation of a series of papers – but there was a twist.

We wanted to agitate, to stimulate discussion and debate by holding a mirror up and asking questions that challenged long-held views and ways of working.  We wanted V.Group to lead from the front and set out the valuable lessons it had learned that would benefit the wider industry in the future.

Keen to give the discussion papers a simple but striking name that also had longevity, we titled them ‘Life After Lockdown’ and agreed six hot topics we knew would strike a chord.

The first paper, ‘Irreversible shifts in crew engagement’, focussed on how the pandemic highlighted the importance of crew wellbeing and the value of meaningful communication during times of crisis and beyond. The second paper focussed on examining the acceleration of digital engagement during a pandemic.

The content was laid out in an attractive 20-page document that was interspersed with striking images making it an easy read. We also created a digital version and had a quantity printed for V.Group to use in their wider marketing activity. V.Group hosted it on their website and promoted it on their social media channels. Meanwhile, we liaised with the maritime trade media.

You can flick through the digital version here.

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