Case Studies

O2 and Biscuiteers

About the Client

O2 is the second-largest mobile network operator in the UK, employing some 6700 people and having over 450 retail stores. They have over 25 million subscribers and are a household name, thanks in part to their many sponsorship deals, one of which being the England Rugby team. Biscuiteers are a luxury biscuit boutique offering hand-made iced biscuit gifts and chocolates that they sell both online and from a range of stores.

Details of the Work

O2 and Biscuiteers had teamed up to offer a limited gift to O2 customers – a special biscuit gift pack, to celebrate the birth of the Royal baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Celebration biscuits were to be sent out immediately once the birth of the baby had been announced. The client wanted the impact to be swift, meaning that the enclosing and despatch work had to take place extremely quickly, with only a very small window of opportunity for the limited-edition items to be sent out. The biscuits were to be packed and addressed as per the client’s specification and being a collector’s item, attention to detail and care while assembling the mailing was paramount.

The Solution from CMS

Hand enclosing or bench work, as it is often known, is a huge part of Central Mailing’s production centre. We are almost unique in the industry in that we combine dedicated automation of enclosing along with a dedicated hand enclosing team. We are the mailing house that loves the complex and quirky types of jobs and for us, the more exciting and fiddlier the better! From wrapping Christmas presents for Santa’s grottos to sending out nappy samples, we really do get involved in almost anything, therefore the task of sending out limited-edition packs for the new born Royal Baby was perfect for Central Mailing Services. The packing work was carried out prior to the baby’s due date and the team worked to strict quality standards using scan and match packs to ensure consistent quality throughout the mailing. The packs were then carefully collated and packed away in our secure storage areas, waiting to be addressed. Once the happy news broke that a baby boy had been born, we printed the address labels in mono, and the dedicated Handfill team applied the labels and sorted the mail ready for collection the very same day.

The Result

O2 were delighted with the reception that the limited-edition biscuits received and the lucky recipients received their packs shortly after the baby’s birth. News coverage was extensive and the publicity generated was very positive. The care and attention shown on the hand packing and labelling ensure that many of these packs are now firmly locked away as treasured collector items. The swift turnaround was a key point in the success of the mailing, as the worldwide news of a Royal baby carried a lot of momentum for a short period of time. The experience CMS have in carrying out time critical yet involved work such as this, ensured that the fulfilment cost was very competitive. The client also benefited from our discounted postage rate, saving a significant amount versus what they would pay on their own postage account. All in all, a great way to welcome baby Archie to the world.