Challenge & Objective:

In today’s economy it’s very hard to start up your own business.

Banks don’t give out loans easily so how could KBC build up a relationship with future business owners and become a good bank in the eye of the general public?

Idea:

Some towns have businesses that other towns unfortunately don’t. So in every town or city there’s a store missing that people desperately need.

That’s why KBC bank went searching for The Gap in the Market in every single town in the country.

We asked everyone in the country to tell us which business they were missing in their town. That way future business owners could see which kind of businesses were needed in which towns.

Strategy:

By bringing the public and future business owners together in search for a solution for both their needs, KBC BANK became a partner instead of an enemy in these times of crisis.

Results:

- The lack of missing businesses became a national issue.

- It was put on the political agenda issue.

- No less than 171.157 gaps in the market were reported.(on a total of 6 million

people)

- On average 560 reports for every town.

- Almost 1500 new business ideas were generated as a direct result of

this campaign.

- the website is now the most popular database for everyone looking to start a

new business.

Due to the crisis banks have become ‘the public enemy’. So we had to turn KBC into a ‘friend’.

- National campaign (tv & radio) -> Week 1

- Facts and figures about every town on local radio stations -> Week 1-2

- Personalized posters in every town -> Week 1-2

- Online IP-banners -> Week 1-2

- Window posters on empty stores in shopping areas -> Week 1-2

- And a partnership with the regional journalists of one of the biggest

newspapers made it possible to publish articles and reports

specifically about the needs of every single town and city.

-> Week 1-2

Two weeks after the campaign the results where send to journalists and so it

the lack of missing businesses became a national issue and it was put on the

political agenda.

- No less than 171.157 gaps in the market were reported.(on a total of 6 million people)

- On average 560 reports for every town or city.

- Almost 1500 fresh new business ideas were generated as a direct result of

this campaign.

- The lack of missing businesses became a national issue.

- It was put on the political agenda.

The website became an exchange forum in its own right. And the top-tier winning startups got an ad in the national print press about their particular story. Boosting their business, - and the image of KBC.