BACKGROUND

Proxima is the alternative to the in-house procurement function. And with clients across the US and Europe, such as British Airways, Universal Music and Warburtons, it is a leader in the procurement sector. And yet the term ‘procurement’ is limiting to Proxima – it is a business that adds so much more value. Proxima ‘Sees the change’, the possibilities, that so many miss.

THE CHALLENGE

Working with Proxima we defined a brief that would lead them to question and re-articulate every aspect of their business. We found from our research that they were unlike any other procurement business. They knew this but had not found a way to effectively communicate it internally or externally. Proxima turns one of the most complex problems facing modern businesses – the extent to which operations are now carried out by suppliers, and the lack of control associated with that – into a massive opportunity. In short they provide a profoundly different experience to budget holders, and achieve something that is impossible to replicate in-house.

HOW WE SOLVED IT

Working with copywriter Scott Perry, we developed a new proposition for Proxima which cut through the complexity of their offer and created a new ownable business offer called ‘Catalytic Thinking’.

Catalytic Thinking is about spotting the gaps. It is about noticing and rethinking the spaces, working in the areas that people assume are full or fixed to show that they are anything but. It’s about different perceptions and discovering new perspectives. If you know where to look, the opportunities to really inspire performance are there in abundance.

With this idea we developed the ‘10 rules of Catalytic Thinking’ and a note book aimed at all their staff to explain how Proxima adds-value, in thought and in practice. Storytelling was used to magnify and bring focus on to the real value that Proxima provides to its clients. A series of 10 illustrations were commission from a US-based artist, Dan Funderburgh. Each creatively explain one of the 10 rules.

In addition, The Allotment supported the redesign of Proxima’s website and developed a series of beautifully simple animations to explain Proxima’s proposition and value-add to clients.

This work won a creative award at the prestigious New York Festivals.

CREDITS

Illustration: Dan Funderburgh
Copywriting: Scott Perry
Animation: Alex Dobbin