The challenge
James Latham has been a trusted name in the UK timber and panels market since 1757. Its reputation for exceptional service is long-standing, but much of it relied on word of mouth. Now, it needed to win over non-trading customers and drive growth in the quieter winter months with hard evidence that it consistently delivers on its promises.
The challenge was to prove service claims with solid data, and use those insights to engage dormant accounts, attract competitors’ clients and reassure existing customers, all without sounding boastful.
The solution
We started by gathering evidence from the people who matter most: the customers. In May 2023, we designed and managed a 12-question survey sent to 18,000 clients. The results spoke for themselves: over 80% rated service 8/10 or higher, and a third gave a perfect 10/10
With this feedback, James Latham led the creative execution of ‘Think You Know Great Service?’, a campaign specifically aimed at non-trading customers.
The campaign featured a short video, a dedicated landing page and supporting print, digital and social media collateral, all designed to showcase the distributor’s strengths, from product range to supply reliability, using genuine customer feedback.
The Think Tank’s role was central in survey management, results analysis, strategic media planning and buying and ensuring the insights reached the right audiences. The messaging struck the right balance: celebrating positive scores while acknowledging areas for improvement.
The final phase covered migration and SEO, with a full 301 redirect map, refreshed meta data, keyword research and on-page optimisation to protect rankings through the move.
The results
The campaign did not just hit its targets, it exceeded them:
It also provided valuable insight for operational improvements, from depot hours to stock management, and strengthened confidence to drive future growth. And, as an added bonus, the campaign won Best Big Budget Campaign at the Construction Marketing Awards.
We’ve always known our service was a real differentiator, but knowing it and proving it are two very different things. The Think Tank helped us turn customer sentiment into hard evidence, and then built a campaign that put that evidence to work. As a result we’ve gained new customers, reactivated accounts and a level of engagement we hadn’t seen in the winter months before.
Stuart Devoil
Group Head of Marketing,
James Latham
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