CASESTUDY AXXON

How to create a brand and address members for a unified professional association?

2009 – Axxon, Belgian Physiotherapists

Strategic & creative PR management

Overview

Challenge

create team spirit
attract new members

FINN solution

survey
strategic marketing plan
logo & housestyle, press campaign, magazine

Success

press coverage with an AVE of over 82.000 euros
positive reactions on the magazine
subscriptions: to be announced Oct 2010

Challenge

In October 2009, several professional organizations of physiotherapists merged into what was to become the first national professional association for physiotherapists in Belgium: Axxon.

The challenges were multiple:

Less than 1/3 of the 27.000 active physiotherapists joined one of the previous professional associations
Disunity reigned amongst the physiotherapists
Physiotherapists had no faith in a unified association to lobby and defend their interests
The most important challenge was to create a team spirit amongst all physiotherapists and thus address and attract new members. The image Axxon wanted to communicate was that of a unified association that would defend the interests of every physiotherapist.

FINN strategy

FINN worked out an overview of the general complaints and demands of physiotherapists (concerning remuneration, administration, appreciation) via a survey amongst the members of the existing professional associations.

Based on the results of the survey, FINN developed a strategic marketing and PR plan for the next few years and identified the most important facts and values for the Axxon brand. It selected one specific request as angle for the following press campaign: free access for the patients to physiotherapy, without a prescription.

Data

FINN developed a new name (Axxon) and brand identity and a strategy for the launch of the new brand. Over 550 journalists were contacted with the announcement of the official launch of the new national association and with the demand of free access.

In order to create an emotional bond between the brand and the stakeholders (mostly physiotherapists who are members of Axxon), FINN also created a magazine. Key words were: information, unity, warmth, emotion, amazement. In order to address all physiotherapists, the magazine was divided into four major parts:

News & Opinion
Expert: in depth information about the profession (e.g.: analyses of the newest physiotherapeutic techniques or devices, opinion of experts, etc.)
Personal: lifestyle interviews with colleagues, networking pages, etc.
Good to Know: practical information about local departments, the agenda, legislation, etc.

Results

The Axxon brand was officially launched in October 2009. The press release sent by FINN was picked up by national television (VTM, on two occasions), the leading national Dutch and French speaking journals (Het Laatste Nieuws, Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Belang van Limburg, La Nouvelle Gazette, La Dernière Heure and the online editions of De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad and La Meuse) and radio stations (Radio 1 (Peeters&Pichal), Q-Music, RTBF La Première, Vivacité, Pure FM). Furthermore, specialized media outlets such as De Artsenkrant, Le Journal du Médecin, Le Généraliste and Mediquality published interviews with Axxon members. In total, the campaign resulted in press coverage with an Advertising Value Equivalent of over 82.000 euros. The Axxon message was expressed 100% correctly.

The new Axxon Magazine, created by FINN, was successfully launched on the same day. 15.000 Dutch copies and 12.000 French copies were sent to all active physiotherapists. The magazine was positively welcomed.

Since the launch of Axxon, a first flow of subscriptions resulted in approximately 1000 members. However, the success of Axxon via memberships will only be measurable in October 2010: physiotherapists can join up during the whole year.