Case Study: The Congestion & Recession Double Whammy

The Challenge: The client had reduced staff and could not carry out an extended sales campaign internally. With the London Congestion Charge, the number of annual car parking contracts had fallen sharply. Selling annual spaces at up to £3,500 became even more challenging when the price of petrol soared and the recession descended.

The AQL Solution: Developed a direct phone campaign focusing on businesses within a half-mile radius of each car park, backed up with email marketing collateral. Maximizing the data from one car park before moving on to the next, AQL identified those business people who were already commuting by car or would like to. It required being persistent so warm sales opportunities did not go cold, which often meant many calls before closing a deal. AQL also carried out market research to discover other potential revenue streams for the client and provided intelligence about competing car parks.

The Result: After a year of highly successful activity, AQL won a 2 year tender which has provided the client with a multiple return on investment, far in excess of that contractually required. As the client came to trust and rely on AQL, we took on greater responsibility for establishing selling price and closing deals, which helped to further free up our client.

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