Shopfloor LOCAL MARKETING “At the heart of the community”
Consumer electronics retailer and audio visual specialist, Avensys, has grown to become an award-winning retail superstore. Its store in Crawley, West Sussex has become the go-to place, and so has it’s website, which has also grown in size and popularity over recent years. As part of a team of three people at Avensys responsible for online and offl ine marketing activity, here Jemma Parsons, Head of Marketing, tells ERT why they do what they do and she offers tips for potential new things for others to try.
40
She begins by explaining that most of the retailer’s marketing is targeted to its local area, within a 20-mile radius of the store. However, through working with Google, new markets across the UK have been opened up. “With offline activity, it’s much harder to
measure results,” she continues, “so we tend to use specific offers, QR codes or SKU’s created to measure response rates. It’s tough to justify activity, but experience shows you get better results from a layered approach to communications. “We know that many of our customers still use
more traditional methods to connect with us, so there is still a place for tactical, short-term offline activity. If budget allows, it’s sensible to include offline activity in your marketing plan.” Avensys’s offline marketing activities include advertising in local press – both weeklies and business press, local community involvement, business networking, radio advertising, leaflet dropping, local industry awards and events, and in-store events – including experiential demonstrations and cooking and music events. Elsewhere, online activity includes pay-per- click (PPC) advertising, search engine optimisation (SEO), e-communications and using social media accounts (the retailer’s platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn).
How else does Avensys engage with its local community? “We are actively involved in both the business and local community – it’s an important part of our growth strategy as well as demonstrating our corporate citizenship,” says Ms Parsons. “Working with local business groups, we’re involved in shaping the economic area for the future and we can influence real outcomes that support valuable projects. “We also host a number of events and business meetings in our smart home and training centre, which gives us the opportunity to showcase what we do.”
As well as this, Avensys is involved with two local charities, a number of education-based charities and the local Borough Council. In addition, over the years, the retailer has provided audio visual equipment (from its Hire &
Events division) for charitable events to help raise awareness of the corporate side of the business. “We view these projects as an opportunity to build our brand purpose and give people a reason to connect with our company – just selling products at a good price isn’t a long-term strategy in today’s competitive market.
Why is this important?
Ms Parsons says: “If we want to compete with the multiples, we need to be at the heart of the community that we’re here to serve. Letting people know who we are and what we do is the daily challenge for marketeers! Evidence shows that if you can connect with consumers as a brand, build loyalty and trust, then it will have a direct impact on sales.
“Consumers are fickle and have the internet at their disposal, so there is nowhere to hide in terms of cost. Our strategy is to offer more – including impartial advice, specialist custom installation and free local delivery.”
Five-star reviews
Despite experiencing a decline in footfall, much like other retailers, as is often reported in the media, Ms Parsons highlights that the retailer’s average order values and total sales values continue to grow. She puts this down to a combination of things: The store offers ‘try before you buy’ – crucial for customers to see things for themselves before spending their money. It is a destination store in an out-of-town location – “everything we do is designed to drive footfall in store (or online). We need to make every visit count and leave customers with a great impression of us, so they come back again,” she explains. And the final part of Ms Parsons’s advice: “Show your values – be transparent, honest and open with customer conversations. Use review and recommendation sites to gather customer feedback – either syndicated or user reviews. Getting
those five stars customer confidence.” is great for building
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
