matt bennett - advertising

The brief
William Hill needed a campaign strapline for their sponsorship of Rugby League's engage Super League. They also needed ad copy that helped match programme ads sell their betting services 'off the page'.

The execution
The twist on the well-known phrase "in league with..." works of several levels. It flatters readers, implying that the players and fans of rugby league are "the best" - but it also suggests that William Hill is.

The rest of the ad copy deals with William Hill's key rugby league proposition: more ways to win than any other bookmaker.

The outcome
The 'In League with the Best' slogan has been taken and used in perimeter advertising, on-pitch advertising and in video ads, including one shown at Wembley before and during rugby league's prestigious Challenge Cup final.

matt bennett - web content - pixelbuilders.com

The brief
Pixelbuilders, a Leeds-based web design company, needed more search-engine-friendly content on their website. The existing copy was also lacking in clear calls-to-action and unique selling points.

They also had an in-house style of not using capitalisation, which had to be considered.

The execution
Using a list of keywords supplied by the client, I re-wrote the copy on five key landing pages, as well as the page titles, meta description and alt tags - critical elements in the SEO marketing mix.

The outcome
Pixelbuilders.com has been steadily climbing the Google page rankings and currently occupies the number one position on Yahoo! for "web design agency leeds".

The client also reported a 29% increase in new visitors following Google's re-crawling of the site.

matt bennett - web content - Yorkshire Laser Clinic

The Brief

The Yorkshire Laser Clinic's website had no web visibility at all, with little copy, no meta tags and no consideration of search keywords or the target audience's needs.

The execution

I carried out keyword and competitor research to identify the key phrases needed to optimise the site. I also identified a key unique selling point of the Yorkshire Laser Clinic: safety (all procedures are carried out by doctors, unlike at rival laser clinics), which the Clinic were happy to emphasise.

The outcome

The website rapidly climbed the Google rankings and the client began to report prospective customers ringing up having found them via online search.

matt bennett - advertising

The brief
As a British company, William Hill has traditionally been viewed with scepticism in the lucrative Irish market. The company wanted to change this, in part through its sponsorship of the Dublin-based Shamrock Rovers, Ireland's most successful football club.

The execution
The ad copy could have delivered a shorter, punchier headline: "Two proud histories, one bright future. You can bet on it."

This, however, could have been misconstrued as a references to the often bitter history of relations between Britain and Ireland, and so the copy instead focused on "heritage" rather than "history".

The outcome
The finished copy evokes the idea that both Shamrock Rovers and William Hill both have, and value, proud heritages, making them ideal partners in an implicitly successful future. And the payoff line, "You can bet on it", brings the reader back to the idea of betting, while reinforcing William Hill's image as a dependable, trusted partner.

matt bennett - PR

The brief
An online press release was needed as part of a campaign to search-engine-optimise (SEO) William Hill's US election betting microsite.

The execution
SEO for its own sake was not enough in this case. Brand protection and the concerns of the offline public relations team had to be considered. The press release was therefore written to the same quality, if not better, as a release from the usual PR team, with a news angle worthy of an offline press release.

I also had to write and get sign-off on a quote from a senior William Hill figure.

The outcome
The press release was viewed more than 2,500 times and the competition received more than 100 entries. The US election betting microsite benefited from improved search rankings, in part thanks to the high-quality links generated by the press release.

matt bennett - advertorial

The brief
William Hill's VIP manager bought advertorial space in a glossy lifestyle magazine aimed specifically at Premier League footballers, managers, agents and other assorted business people. He needed a full creative treatment, including copy, to supply to the publishers.

The article's aim was to generate new high-value customer accounts. "High rollers" tend to be so valuable in the gambling industry that just one new VIP-level account would ensure a profitable return on the manager's investment.

The execution
We developed an angle that sold William Hill's VIP programme as a shortcut to a glamorous high life for cash-rich, time-poor sports professionals.

The article also focused more than usual for a high-street bookmaker on Hill's origins as a high-end service provider, helping position the VIP programme as a premium brand with the target market.

The outcome
The magazine was still in production when this portfolio was put together, so its full impact has yet to be seen. However, the copy was praised by senior managers and used as a template for further advertorials in 2009. And when William Hill Online - the company's dedicated online arm - decided to produce a print magazine as a loyalty tool for their most valuable customers, I was asked to write the copy on the strength of this article.

matt bennett - email marketing

The brief
William Hill needed copy written for regular CRM emails to retain, up-sell and cross-sell sports betting and other e-gaming products to their existing customer database.

The execution
A long-term programme of testing and refinement was used to learn the most successful approach to the copy. A lively but practical and recognisably human voicetone and writing style was developed as a result of the analysis of email performance.

The outcome
Under my direction bet revenue per email sent grew by nearly 130% and email open rates went up more than 50 per cent. Click-through rates also increased significantly as a result of the continual cycle of testing, analysis and refinement.

matt bennett - direct mail

The brief
William Hill wanted to reactivate dormant horse racing customers with a direct mailshot offering a £10 free bet.

The execution
Analysis of horse racing bettor behaviour had emphasised that racing bettors had a strong desire for high-quality independent information about the sport (tips and form, in other words). The copy highlighted a third-party microsite William Hill had commissioned to tie in with the world-famous Cheltenham Festival.

The outcome
By all measures the campaign was a success, driving high levels of free bet redemption and subsequent reactivation among the target audience. Please contact me for a full analysis of the campaign's results.