Christmas campaign positions Ebay as low-cost gift alternative

by Miranda Fitzgerald, Marketing 11-Nov-08, 16:05

LONDON - Ebay is launching its Christmas campaign, worth an estimated £1.2m, on 14 November promoting the online retailer as the best place for low-price gifts.

The 'Guess What' campaign, created by Albion, includes national press, outdoor and direct mail. It focuses on Ebay's unused products section, purchased instantly through its 'buy it now' function, which it believes are more suitable for Christmas shoppers.

Ebay's decision to emphasise the value of its offerings follows a survey by Frontier Economics that compared prices of 288 of its goods in 12 categories with those from high street retailers including Debenhams and John Lewis. It found clothing and computers in particular to be better value on Ebay.

The company is also planning events in key shopping locations and commuter stations to promote the value message. Although details of the events are being kept under wraps, Ebay's director of communications Richard Kanareck said they 'quite good fun'.

Aegis-owned Carat is handling the media for the Christmas campaign, but a formal pitch will begin next year for its £15m media planning and buying account.