The UPS Store wants small-business owners to see the brand as a partner during their daily struggles. The franchiser of 5,600 retail locations launched a campaign on Aug. 31 featuring its first-ever brand character, Blu, who embodies a UPS Store employee committed to helping small-business owners.

Agency Doner Advertising pitched the idea three years ago, and it resonated immediately with the corporate team, said Michelle Van Slyke, The UPS Store Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. The company then researched and tested the concept for two years before unveiling it in July to franchise owners at its biennial conference. The campaign also included a spot with National Football League player Aidan Hutchinson, who runs a small business himself.

Seven rounds of research before launch

Van Slyke, who holds degrees in marketing, said the company followed a classic research path with "seven pieces of what I call hardcore research." The first step was a focus group with franchise owners through a marketing advisory council that meets monthly and in person quarterly. "The overwhelming feedback from our store owners was positive," she said. "In fact, it went so far as to make them feel proud of this Blu character and what it represents and how it supports small-business owners."

The team then researched conquest customers who don't prefer The UPS Store, customers who do, and loyal customers. Once creative existed, it went into testing as well.

KPIs: transactions first

Transactions top the list of campaign metrics, followed by same-store sales and sales by product category. The company's annual study tracks shifts in awareness and usage levels over time. On ROI, Van Slyke kept it simple: "We always look at our top-line revenue. At the end of the day, we're retail locations, and that's critically important for us."

Why a character works for B2B

Characters are generally seen as a B2C tactic, but Van Slyke said testing told a different story. Small-business owners felt Blu "had a better understanding about them or some type of connection with them in terms of what they go through."

"There is nothing easy about being a small-business owner. It is hard and you need help and you need support," she said. "There was this immediate reaction to Blu as a character of somebody who understands what I'm going through who could help me."

Blu appears in the customer's environment at the moment they struggle. That empathy, paired with an energetic, can-do personality, drove the connection. Van Slyke also noted that Blu works well across media, particularly social channels, where character-driven content feels more authentic while still allowing the brand to talk about its products and services.

One character, for now

The team debated launching one Blu or multiple characters and chose one, leaving the door open to additions. "We're wanting to see how the launch went, how it's resonating, what's's happening before we make any future decisions about where we take this," Van Slyke said. Two weeks in, engagement data wasn't available yet, but the brand will measure resonance across social channels. PR activity is upcoming and has already performed "exceedingly well."

Sticky in a needs-based business

The UPS Store's advertising has long targeted small-business owners, but past work focused on products and services rather than a relatable character. The strategy shift aims to make the brand top of mind when customers need printing, notary or faxing services. "The goal also with Blu as a character is that she will be more sticky and memorable," Van Slyke said, "that they will remember Blu as an individual at The UPS Store that can assist you and provide that support."

No AI in the final spots

The campaign used computer-generated material only for initial research; everything that aired was shot live. "We wanted it to be authentic and thought that individuals could resonate and communicate more effectively in the marketplace than using anything that was computer generated," Van Slyke said.

The Hutchinson partnership marks the brand's first NFL coordination. The UPS Store issued an RFP, and Paramount returned the strongest proposal, bringing Hutchinson and shooting the piece themselves. "Their offering across their platforms was very attractive," Van Slyke said. "We have never done something like that before."

Classical training as an edge

Van Slyke considers her traditional marketing background an advantage. "I'm more of a classic marketer in terms of having creative briefs, having a marketing plan, having the core targets, looking at it from a comprehensive perspective, being fact-based and the like," she said. "In today's environment, it's turned into something else."

She believes formal training improves the probability of success—a stake that matters in a franchise system. "We collect the marketing funds from our franchisees. It's our job to effectively get a return on that investment," she said. She combines in-house rigor with expertise from agencies Doner and Erwin Penland: "I joke with the team that it does take a village."

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Source: Chief Marketer (https://www.chiefmarketer.com/the-ups-store-vp-character-marketing-isnt-just-for-b2c/)