Situation
A number of factors had come together to cause Sony UK to review the effectiveness and efficiency of their retail marketing expenditure:
The three key factors were:
- The electrical retail sector was - and still is - experiencing increasing pressure from the growth of online sales and the economic downturn. As in other markets, this pressure has been passed through to the manufacturers. This in turn required new, fresh, innovative, strategic thinking.
- There was - and still is - a greater demand to see ROI on all marketing expenditure across the board.
- The contract with the retail agency had run for three years and was up for review.
Action
The overall objective was to use the exercise as a catalyst to create a fresh retail agenda for a new retail landscape. This involved driving the brand towards a more premium, higher margin business, developing the strategic importance of Sony Centres and using new thinking and technologies to deliver a different consumer experience, bringing the brand alive in store.
We worked through a thorough selection process with the Sony team. A key factor in the shortlist selection was not only the ability to deliver but also to fit in with the existing agency rosters who were working well as one joined-up team.
Outcome
The follow-up was unusual. We identified that two of the agencies had complementary skills and together had the potential to meet the challenge. HS&P in London were already the CRM agency of record and had demonstrated strong strategic and creative thinking about the future role of retail. Live & Breathe in Leeds was a state-of-the-art retail design and delivery agency. And so it was that in the final pitch HS&P and Live & Breathe both convinced Sony that together they could form a dream team for the business.