B2B2C digital mapping startup what3words sees incredible user growth thanks to TV ads
What3words is a mapping technology startup that creates a proprietary geocode system for logistics firms.
What3words is a mapping technology startup that creates a proprietary geocode system for logistics firms.
Recently described by the BBC as “the app that can save your life”, what3words enables people to find, share and navigate to what3words addresses in 50+ languages to date. For what3words, scaling up very quickly is important. Operating in a “winner-takes-all” market, a conventional B2B marketing approach wouldn’t do for the company.
what3words signed a deal with Channel 4 in 2020, and in 2021 it became ITV’s first media investment. Later that year, the company launched in India securing a $10 million media for growth investment from Brand Capital International. In 2022 it expanded to Germany with a €60 million media for growth investment from German Media Pool VC (GMPVC).
The team opted for TV ads to educate the mass market about the tool and create a global standard used in everyday life. By driving mass adoption among users, what3words was able to secure partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands including Mercedes-Benz, AirBnB, and DHL, among others.
Millions of people today are using the app thanks largely to a clearly defined B2B2C strategy and a clever marketing plan. Following successive TV campaigns, what3words has seen organic growth in app installs, minimizing the need for marketing spend. Now, there's a new app install every 3 seconds.
Implementation of a media deal doesn't resume only to advertising….It also means mentorship, access to know-how, and if done right, higher market share. A couple of months into our campaign with The Times Group, I had a phone call from a senior executive at one of the largest multinational technology companies saying that he spotted our what3words billboards in Mumbai airport. He wasn’t new to what3words as so many other people in India including businesses like Tata Motors have been using the app already. But it was then when he realised how far we’ve come in our journey of building a world-known brand. That phone call put a (big) smile on my face. - Chris Sheldrick, CEO and Co-Founder at what3words
