Develop a direct response event campaign in order to give decision makers in Germany an understanding of the values of GE ecomagination. GE is developing technologies which contribute to solving environmental problems, especially in the segment of water purification.

The solution is a unique and never-seen-before 15 metre tall straw in the river Elbe. It symbolizes the GE technnologies for water treatment. In addition the straw was the heart of a direct mailing campaign to invite selected B2B decision makers to an event around GE's water technologies.

The campaign around the straw achieved more than 3.5 million contacts within the Hamburg area plus 1 million contacts by PR-coverage. The direct mailings achieved 220 registrations for the event equaling a response rate of up to 24% from the mailings lists. 180 participants joined the event, producing 46 key business contacts with 8 contracted projects.