Sharp Electronics targets web users in the office

Emma Rigby, Revolution UK 18-May-04

Sharp Electronics is launching an online promo targeting professionals during office hours, which aims to boost sales of its electronic business equipment.

Moonfish, the digital communications agency, has booked 'vacant' web site space in the border outside the publisher's page, to drive sales of Sharp's PW-E500 Electronic Dictionary.

Rich-media overlays are running on sites such as the Arts Channel of Telegraph.co.uk, and link to a microsite (www.sharp.co.uk/dictionary/) with a 3D interactive demo. Visitors are prompted to buy online at the main Sharp UK web site, and search marketing on Google, Espotting and Overture aims to bolster the drive. Initial results reveal clickthrough of 13 per cent, Moonfish claimed.

Paul Carysforth, campaign manager at Moonfish, which developed the campaign, said: "Most rich-media overlays tend to appear for a brief period of time to minimise intrusiveness, which can obviously have an impact on clickthrough as the overlay disappears before users would naturally click on it."

He continued: "To overcome this without booking a second media spot, we have utilised the unused space outside the main web site area to display a follow-up ad and encourage further clickthrough."

Mark Klein, product manager at Sharp Electronics, added: "Results have been encouraging and it has been interesting to see how we can use different tactics to generate awareness and drive sales for such an innovative product online. We will build on this knowledge."

The campaign follows the success of Sharp's online sales drive for the Zaurus SL5500, which used skyscrapers, banners, text ads and links, plus business and technology e-bulletins to the Sharp database.