The TV market is dazzlingly exciting and complex, with new channels, new internet-based content-providers and a constant flow of new models, technologies, accessories and partnerships.
Everything from small screens for kitchens to curved, or UHD 4K and OLED “wallpaper” devices are available to suit changing viewing habits and more demanding tastes, with a range of prices that stretches into several thousand pounds.
As consumers in the 27 million UK homes with televisions have become more sophisticated in their use of technology, so the TV has become an internet-enabled, multi-function device, pre-loaded with applications and capable of synching with games consoles, laptops and smartphones.
The challenge for manufacturers is how to design a sales promotion strategy that enables them to stand out and attract new customers in a field of intense competition. For many consumers, buying a TV is a significant purchase for which they will conduct considerable research. Often possessing a firm idea of what they want, price will be significant, but not the only factor.
Opia’s creative insight
It is here that Opia has already been successful in creating highly effective sales promotion campaigns, meeting the challenges set by some of the world’s biggest names in consumer electronics such as LG, Samsung and Sony.
The key to this success has been Opia’s ability to design a bold, bespoke sales promotion strategy for each brand or product, using a combination of flair and an intimate understanding of what will meet the consumer’s needs and trigger a purchase.
As much as specifications such as screen size and type are central to a consumer’s considerations, so too are accessories that turn a purchase into a fully-fledged media centre, featuring sound-bars, headphones, wall-mounts and the ability of the TV to connect seamlessly or wirelessly with other devices including hi-fi systems. Free, subsidised or introductory-offer subscriptions to on-demand video, cable TV and other content services are also increasingly part of the mix that consumers expect to be offered, as viewers shift from free-to-air broadcasters to providers such as Amazon, Netflix, Sky, BT and TalkTalk.
Perfectly-honed sales promotion strategies
All of these stimuli can be creatively integrated into sales promotion strategies, meeting the demands of customers who want a more complete package. Yet at Opia we also recognise that every manufacturer and each of its models is different, requiring detailed analysis of the market and the nature of competitors’ propositions. An effective promotion strategy requires full understanding of the unique challenges and attributes of both the company and its product so that an instantly attractive campaign can be created as a perfect fit.
Opia has already used gift-with-purchase and other well-honed techniques to produce a step-change in loyalty for a manufacturer’s brand, significantly increasing the use of a wider range of its products and accessories by individual consumers.
As part of the product promotion or marketing plan, for example, TV purchasers are offered a free set of headphones or tablet from the manufacturer within a set window for redemption. An alternative is to offer a discounted subscription to a set-top box which synchs with a family’s other mobile devices, plus a bundle package for the content of a partner participating in the promotion.
The complete solution that takes care of everything
Using its skill and long experience in creating stand-out promotions strategies, Opia ensures their success by supporting them as end-to-end solutions, building a branded claim site while managing all validation, fulfilment and customer-service requirements completely in-house.
In fact the scope for creative promotional ideas in this market is very broad, given the expanding range of ways in which televisions are enjoyed and the partnerships that exist between manufacturers, content-providers and broadcasters.
This is where Opia can deploy its expertise and flair so that promotions are calibrated for maximum appeal to the lifestyles and tastes of different age groups, but always underpinned by Opia’s data-driven understanding of consumer behaviour. The values within each promotion can be set in relation to a manufacturer’s sales requirements, with Opia taking on the risk itself through insurance with Lloyd’s of London. Fixed fees also give a manufacturer a predictable outcome and the reassurance of knowing in advance the impact on its P&L.
In the absence of bold, creative sales promotion ideas, there is now a severe risk that manufacturers’ brands in the TV market will fall flat in the face of competition or stall as consumers wait for price-drops or significant technology upgrades before they buy.
It makes sense for brands to challenge Opia to employ its creativity to their advantage, given its proven track record in designing new promotional techniques that have already been shown to exceed sales targets, expanding market-share and brand-awareness without risk to the manufacturer.
