A retail challenge for a challenger brand
If you haven’t yet heard of Freesat yet, you soon will. Taking on the big boys, they’re the challenger brand offering consumers an alternative to satellite TV, without (and here’s the big scoop) – the monthly subscription. Aiming their arrow squarely at ‘Sky wobblers’, they offer much more than an uninitiated customer would expect from a free-to-air platform; more than 200 channels, pause, record and rewind and ever-growing catch up and on demand players – all without a contract. Just buy the box, plug in and watch. We’ve been Freesat’s brand communications agency since June 2017, working on all their retail communication (and the strategy behind it) as well as packaging and digital campaigns.
Injecting colour into a crowded marketplace
With a bold new brand under its belt, Freesat’s first ATL campaign, ‘Unbelievably Good’ delivered exceptional results in terms of awareness. But the subsequent challenge was how to translate this into the retail channel, an environment where the communication of TV services is notoriously confusing.
They commissioned us to do just that, and create an activation solution that would give genuine standout, educate customers on the unique benefits of the brand and ultimately drive conversion at point of sale.
Redefining the brand for retail
We started with a thorough review of competitors followed by a review of Freesat’s current communications in retail. A rationalisation of the new Freesat brand assets followed, in order to assess how fit they were for the retail environment. We made recommendations on message placement, hierarchy, copy and content, redefining the balance of ‘features’ versus ‘feelings’ to ensure the right amount of engagement at each point in the customer journey.
“From the first brief to the last response, Whippet approach every project with a bullet-proof strategy that’s scarce to find in a creative agency. And their deep understanding of retail means their solutions are always spot on. I always say, it’s a pleasure to be well and truly ‘Whippet-ed’!
Joe Norman
Head of Sales and Retail Marketing, Freesat
A can’t-miss-it solution
With the strategic approach approved, we created a new retail comms kit for use in Curry’s PC World, John Lewis and independent retailers, with solutions for Freesat’s standalone unit as well as for the set top box aisle. Mindful of retailer restraints, our ideas included standard POS requirements (backing boards and shelf edge) but also more innovative solutions like a unique wrap for the set top box, strut cards and wobblers to convey key messages in small spaces. New headlines and copy were written in the brand’s bold, cheeky tone of voice and designed with the brand’s stand-out colour palette. A takeaway leaflet completed the kit.
