Currys/PC World: This ad is clearly a typical product and price promotion ad

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Curry's/PC World spotted earlier than anyone, and just in time, that in the world of e-commerce, the decline in the high street, price comparison sites and 'show rooming', there was no role in remaining merely a 'retailer'.  To differentiate and survive, they had to become a 'specialist' - an expert in, and an enthusiast for, their category.  And that this category wasn't two categories, and that therefore the two brands could be brought together.

What's ironic is that it was this exact strategy that had led to Best Buy's sensational growth in the US, culminating in gracing the Harvard Business Review as the 'poster child' of social media enabled customer service, 'Twelp Force'.

But best of all, and most instructively for other UK retailers, PC/World did it all in the right order.  First, they retrained the staff, in what 'help' really means.  Definitely improved basic customer service, but then giving the colleagues (as I'm sure they're called), a real understanding of what customers really want – advice up front on which product to buy, help with installation, after sales service and even recycling of obsolete products. Finally, turn the colleagues from just shop floor assistants to real experts in TV, PC, and white goods.

Next revamp the retail environment, light and merchandise the products in a way that reflects that this is an exciting, innovative, technology rich category, and takes best in category learning from Apple and John Lewis.  And negotiate exclusive distribution arrangements with the one brand that can provide a beautiful aura over everything – Apple.

And finally, and only finally, when the colleagues and experience lives up to it, use advertising to communicate the new positioning.  Brand ads to showcase the 'differentiation' featuring unexpected examples of service – washing machine recycling; wall mounting Smart TVs; ads to talk to the technological expertise of the new colleagues (Darth Vader).  And then product and price ads to 'compete' in the market.  But product and price ads that have a '21st century tech' feel consistent with the new retail environment, and end with the Currys/PC World philosophy – We can help.

In the fascinating world of retail, Currys/PC World is a masterclass in survival and adaptation.  

Adwatch (Nov 28) Top 20 recall: Currys/PC World
Latest	Nov-21	Brand	Agency/TV Buyer	Recall
rank				%
1	(–)	McDonald's	Leo Burnett/OMD UK	49
2	-6	DFS	Krow/MediaCom	45
3=	(–)	Lloyds TSB	RKCR Y&R/MEC	37
3=	(–)	Microsoft Surface	BMB, in-house/UM London	37
5	(–)	Harveys	HMDG/MediaVest	36
6	(–)	Burger King	CHI&Partners/Initiative	35
7	(19=)	Currys/PC World	M&C Saatchi/Walker Media	33
8	(–)	B&Q	McCann London/ZenithOptimedia	32
9	-12	WH Smith	DLKW Lowe/Carat	31
10	-3	Argos	CHI&Partners/MindShare	29
10=	(-)	Costa Coffee	Karmarama/Zenith Optimedia	29
12	(-)	Sony	Wieden + Kennedy Portland/OMD UK	27
13	(-)	Freesat	VCCP/MPG	26
14=	(-)	O2	VCCP/Zenith Optimedia	23
14=	(16=)	Homebase	Leo Burnett/Mindshare	23
16	(-)	Toys R Us	Active Pictures/MEC	22
17=	(33=)	Panasonic (Lumix G5)	LLR + Brave/Vizeum	20
17=	(-)	National Lottery	AMV BBDO/OMD UK	20
17=	(29=)	Tesco	The Red Brick Road/Initiative	19
20	(-)	Rooster Potatoes	MPH/Carat	19

Webwatch (Nov 28) Top 20 recall: Currys/PC World
Latest	Oct-31	Brand	Agency/TV Buyer	Recall
rank				%
1	(–)	eBay	In-house/Carat	41
2	-1	Netflix	In-house/MEC	35
3	(–)	Sony Pictures (Skyfall)	Spinnaker/Manning Gottlieb OMD	34
4	(–)	Tesco	Engine Creative/Initiative	32
5	(–)	Paramount Pictures (Madagascar 3)	In-house/MEC	27
6	(–)	Marks & Spencer	In-house/In-house	24
7	(7=)	Barclays	Dare/Maxus	23
8	(–)	Halifax	Adam & Eve DDB/MEC	19
9=	(–)	Sony Xperia	Iris/PHD	17
9=	(–)	Vodafone	Dare/OMD UK	17
11	(-)	O2	VCCP/Zenith Optimedia	16
12	(-)	Macmillan Cancer Support	Ranch/Vizeum	14
13=	(-)	Barclaycard	BBH/Maxus	13
13=	(-)	Microsoft	BMB.LLP + In-house/In-house	13
15	(-)	Motorola Razr i	Goodby Silverstein + Ogilvy & Mather/Mindshare	12
16=	(-)	Mercedes Benz	Weapon 7/Maxus	11
16=	(-)	Dulux	In-house/Mediacom	11
18=	(15=)	YouView TV	Adam & Eve DDB/OMD UK	10
18=	(11=)	Orange	Publicis Chemistry/MEC	10
18=	(7=)	Jackpotjoy.com	In-house/In-house	10

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk