Case Study: Data-Led Research a Powerful B2B Content Tool for Logistics Company

Ann-Kristin Kruuk
May 14
3 min read

Updated: May 15

Client: Asendia

Agency: The Think Tank, UK's b2b agency of the year 2024

Region: UK

Background

Asendia is the international mailing arm of La Poste and Swiss Post, operating solely in the B2B space, unlike competitors such as DHL, UPS, and Royal Mail. Their core market is e-commerce and retail. They lacked inherent consumer-facing brand awareness.

The Goal

The primary objective of the Global Retail Voices campaign was to build awareness within the retail sector and engage senior professionals in logistics, operations, and management across the globe. Asendia aimed to strengthen brand recognition, generate high-quality leads, and position itself as a global authority in e-commerce and logistics. The campaign needed to gain traction across Asendia’s key markets, including the USA, UK and Nordics, as well as APAC, Germany, Italy and Spain, ensuring an integrated yet locally relevant approach.

The Strategy

Influential Figures in Retail

The central idea was to establish Asendia as a thought leader. The strategy was built around content that celebrated influential figures shaping retail through sustainability, technology, and innovation. This involved researching individuals in the retail sector based on their profiles, speaking engagements, and thought leadership activities aligned with Asendia's priorities.

Marketing Parrot caught up with Liam Bateman, Founding Director of The Think Tank, to gather additional insight.

Global Retail Voices E-book

The outcome was the Global Retail Voices e-book, a curated selection of leaders making an impact in the retail market. The selection methodology was robust, evaluating factors such as the volume and quality of content around sustainability and technology, speaking engagements, social media activity, and media presence. Influence was not tied to company size. The research was done in-house for consistency and accuracy. The agency identified 50 influential retail figures from an initial list of 200 and reached out for their approval and engagement. The final selection was showcased in an eBook, featuring expert commentary from industry spokespeople, supported by a range of blog and social content. Each leader received digital assets, including badges and banners, to share their inclusion across online channels.

The campaign followed a phased activation strategy:

Thought Leadership Development: Focused on identifying key retail leaders through in-house research, culminating in a visually compelling eBook featuring expert commentary and supporting content.
Brand & Digital Activation: Aimed at generating awareness and engagement using PR to promote the report and its key insights. Targeted LinkedIn and Google Display ads were run, aimed at C-suite decision-makers and retail influencers across markets, including the UK. Lead generation and thought leadership ads were leveraged on LinkedIn, and organic social media channels were utilised.
Sector-Wide Digital Activation & Retargeting: The ongoing phase focused on maximising reach and nurturing leads by repurposing eBook content into country-, region-, and topic-specific pieces, including webinars and editorial content. Digital advertising and retargeting of engaged audiences continued.

Results

The campaign significantly exceeded its goals. It delivered millions of impressions, tens of thousands of clicks, and a high volume of eBook downloads—well over the original target. Media coverage included dozens of secured articles, and LinkedIn engagement was particularly strong, with a substantial increase in both followers and page visitors. Most importantly, a high proportion of LinkedIn impressions and clicks came from C-suite executives, confirming that they reached the intended audience.

Key metrics included:

Impressions: 5.9 million achieved (68% over target)
Clicks: 22,234 generated (48% over target)
eBook Downloads: 2,117 resulted (110% over target)
Articles: 58 secured (45% over target)
Estimated Views: 1,230,000 achieved
LinkedIn Growth: Followers grew by 33%, gaining 8,943 new followers
75% of LinkedIn impressions and 82% of LinkedIn clicks were from C-suite executives

The campaign reinforced Asendia's authority in global e-commerce and logistics by associating the brand with respected industry leaders. It built long-term credibility and opened up valuable networking opportunities. Most critically, it generated high-value marketing-qualified leads and provided a clear return on investment by contributing directly to business growth.

Lessons

It demonstrated the power of thought leadership in driving brand awareness and lead generation in the B2B space. Creating valuable content that highlights industry voices can be incredibly effective.
It showed the importance of a truly integrated, multi-channel strategy. Coordinating PR, social media, and targeted digital ads significantly amplified the campaign's impact.
Focusing on targeted audience engagement—especially reaching C-suite decision-makers through platforms like LinkedIn—was crucial.
Creating content that could be repurposed over time allowed for extended engagement and maximised ROI.