The lack of missing businesses became a national issue.

- It was put on the political agenda.

- No less than 171.157 gaps in the market were reported.(on a total of 6 million

people)

- On average 560 reports for every town or city.

- Almost 1500 fresh new business ideas were generated as a direct result of

this campaign.

- the website is now the most popular database for everyone looking to start a

new business.

- KBC bank is now perceived as a good bank.

To address and involve every inhabitant of every town and city all the media had to be local.

First we explained the idea in film and on national radio:

- On local radio stations people could hear exactly what was missing in their

towns.

(radio commercials gave local facts & figures on what was needed in which town)

- Every town and city got its own personalized posters.

- Online banners did the same by using IP-tracking.

- The windows of empty stores in popular shopping areas were covered with

messages urging people to go to the website.

- And a partnership with the regional journalists of one of the biggest

newspapers made it possible to publish articles and reports specifically about

the needs of every single town and city.

Banks don’t have a good relationship with future business owners these days. So, to attract new clients KBC had to change the way they were perceived. How to become a partner instead of the enemy?

The main focus was to support and attract future business owners (client and non-client) and to become partners, not enemies. But the campaign also involved every Belgian.

In every town or city there’s a store missing that people desperately need.

On thegapinthemarket.be we asked everyone to fill in the type of business they were missing in their town.

That way future business owners could see which kind of businesses were needed in which towns.

KBC Bank became an intermediary between the people in the towns and future business owners in order to find a solution for both their problems. The bank became a true partner in times of crisis which was never seen before.