'Bacs late payment campaign' by Ware Anthony Rust for Bacs Payment Schemes

About the client company
Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd (Bacs) is a not-for-profit, membership based industry body, owned by 15 of the leading banks and building societies in the UK and Europe.  Bacs has been running the clearing and settlement of automated payments in the UK , including the Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit schemes since 1968.

Strategy - broader business issues the company is facing
For several years Bacs has carried out a business omnibus to gain insights into SME owners' eperiences of shouldering late payment related debt.  The research findings provide Bacs with material to communicate the extent of the issue, and enhance corporate profile through offering best practice advice to its business audience (including the benefits of using the Bacs Direct Credit payment scheme).

The challenge in 2009/10 was to develop a fresh way of combining the tailored research with a compelling media strategy focused on:

• Taking 'ownership' of the growing late payments issue
• Communicating hard hitting findings
• Creating a momentum building 'customer' call-to-action
• Building and extending relationships with influential third parties