From Print to Primetime: How Stannah Reclaimed Market Leadership
The Brand
A long established independent family business since 1867, Stannah has become the market leader within the Stairlift and Homelift category since entering the sector in 1975. For decades, marketing activity was heavily reliant upon direct response (DR) print advertising, delivering a consistent volume of leads but limiting their ability to grow brand presence in an increasingly competitive marketplace. With new entrants challenging category dominance and shifting consumer expectations, it was time to rethink their media approach.
The Challenge
Despite being a category leader, Stannah faced stagnation in awareness and consideration levels. Their strong legacy was no longer enough to guarantee market leadership, and increased competition was steadily eroding share. Stannah needed to reassert itself as the clear first choice for both Stairlifts and Homelifts while also engaging a broader audience, including those planning for future needs.
The challenge required a two-pronged approach, build long-term brand equity while continuing to generate short-term leads critical for sales.
Strategy
We developed a two-pronged media strategy that balanced brand-building with performance-driven lead generation.
To re-establish Stannah as the category leader, we turned to high-impact awareness channels. Television was chosen as the hero medium, allowing us to communicate Stannah’s trusted heritage, quality, and innovation to a mass audience. Complementing TV, we deployed brand print in key titles to extend reach, drive trust, and emotionally connect with our target demographic. These formats provided the storytelling space to position Stannah as the gold standard in Stairlifts and Homelifts.
While elevating the brand, we refined the existing DR print strategy to work harder. New formats, positions, and titles were tested, enabling us to optimise performance while staying consistent with the broader brand message. This approach reinforced Stannah’s superiority at key decision-making points, all assisted by lower funnel digital demand-driving, nudging audiences closer to conversion. Crucially, it allowed us to continue generating leads while building long-term brand equity.
Results
Increase in Unprompted Brand Awareness (from 53% to 58%)
Post-recall respondents stated they intended to take further action after seeing the campaign.
Increase in Favourable Opinion of Stannah
