staples case study
TRANSCRIPT
staples | case study
www.v-63.com
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today...tomorrow...together
contents
about Staples 3
what the Head of Trading says 4
how we worked with Staples 5
in a nutshell | what we’ve done for Staples 6
the brief 7
the engagement experience
micro site 8
in-store and on-line video 9
staff training 10
the in-store reality 11
pos 12
what a District Manager says 13
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| case study
Staples are the world’s largest office supplier and have in excess of 100 stores across the UK. They quite literally sell thousands of products from pens and pencils to the latest technology. Staples operate in four separate markets: retail, B2B, corporate and e-commerce.
Their flagship UK store is based in the heart of Milton Keynes.
Founded in 1985, Staples also boasts the second largest e-commerce site and is a recognised name in 26 countries. www.staples.co.uk
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“We’d never worked with V63 before and working
with someone new, even after a recommendation, is always going to be risky.
But V63 soon showed us that they could work well with our corporate guidelines and still be creative.
They always met our deadlines and were incredibly accommodating.”
Lee Thompson| Head of Trading for Technology products | Staples
how we worked with Staples
Working directly with their HQ team based in High Wycombe, V63 worked with the senior managers at Staples, helping to launch a brand new technology proposition both to their retail and B2B spaces as well as also creating an e-commerce on line presence.
Flexibility was essential as V63 were asked to often work with a number of regional Staples stores across the country as well as their High Wycombe HQ.
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in a nutshell | what we’ve done for Staples
> new national product launch
> advertising
> in store and external point of sale posters
> in-store live active display stands
> micro website
> on-line video
> packaging
> pos
> press releases
> price point leaflets
> secret shopper
> staff training
> strategy and planning
> training manual
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the brief
‘Connect’ was a totally new concept to the business mobile phone market - a one month rolling subscription contract, with free hardware, with added lifestyle benefits worth on average £150pcm, available on all networks. Connect was a ‘white label’ product offered to Staples by myphoneclub, and it was envisaged to replicate the success using both the retail stores and an on-line presence.
> V63 was responsible for marketing strategy, marketing plans and brand development
> V63 designed, wrote and managed all corporate on line and off line communications, including press releases, social media, exhibitions, marketing collateral, presentations and staff training
> delivered and generated high quality leads through a number of different marketing tactics
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the engagement experience | micro site
As part of the route to market, V63 wrote, designed and developed a micro site which was quite literally integrated, although managed separately, into the main Staples UK site.
Working closely with the strict Staples corporate brand guidelines, V63 successfully managed to keep ‘Connect’ as a distinct sub brand.
The micro site was not a transactional site, but held a secure members area where members could sign in for various membership benefits.
The site was ‘responsive’ meaning it was mobile friendly, and would work equally as well on laptops and tablets.
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the engagement experience | in-store and on-line video
With today’s more visually literate customer it was essential that Connect had quality video content to support the product. V63 wrote, designed and produced a short video outlining the benefits of the proposition. The short film was fast paced and was shown in-store on a loop as well as featuring on the micro site.
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the engagement experience | staff training
V63 were also tasked with training Staples staff, known as ‘Associates’, throughout the UK. The Associates were simply used to introduce customers to the proposition and book an appointment with an advisor using an in-house portal. The Associates knowledge of how the proposition worked was vital to the success of the launch, so a national training programme was organised.
V63 wrote and devised the training manual which was available both in-store and on-line to the Associates, and also wrote and produced the live training sessions which took place throughout the UK.
In addition, V63 even presented large sections of the training, with excellent feedback results.
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the engagement experience | the in-store reality
V63 also designed and produced a number of live in-store display stands. The stand featured a monitor playing a short looped video, which was purposely set at playing every 10 minutes.
In addition, the stand featured a live tablet which was set to the micro site and was designed to assist the Associates in describing the proposition.
The stand also featured a number of live handsets, so customers could have that ‘touchy feely’ experience. Unlike other mobile retail outlets that only display ‘dummy handsets’, the stand made a point of using the most up to date live handsets.
Security of the devices was both via a mechanical steel cord and an electronic alarm system, resulting in no phones being stolen or damaged at any site.
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the engagement experience | pos
Successful product launches also need a variety of supporting collateral. V63 designed and produced a complete range of supporting items Including:
> sim card holders (pictured below)
> pop up display banners (pictured far left)
> price point flyers
> appointment cards
> instore and external posters
> Associate ‘pin on’ roundel badges
> promotional flags
> DL and A5 promotional printed material
> product box, membership folder and inserts
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“The training, resources and promotional material that V63 provided us with were really first class. V63 were totally engaging and I enjoyed a great working relationship with them."
Scott Jackson | District Manager | Staples
3 Lyminster Close | Bury St Edmunds | Suffolk | IP32 7JF 07725 780044 | [email protected] | www.v-63.com ...even better