BEALES

THE BRIEF
Winning the Beales account in 2008 could be regarded as something of a ‘hospital pass’. Bang in the middle of the recession with many ‘High Street’ stores already suffering against the burgeoning online shopping boom. The business had appointed Tony Brown, right hand man to Philip Green to turnaround the company. The client needed fresh ideas, and fast! And one of the first things they did was review their agency partners.

We won the 11 departments store strong PLC in a giant pitch phase against leading London and regional agencies. It was a great win and a big challenge. Just the way we like it. We meticulously evaluated the competition and analysed our client’s strengths and weaknesses. We recommended improvements to the in-store environment and then got to work on the perennial retail mission of increasing footfall, average shopping basket value and a mass of other promotional activities.

THE WORK - PRESS, DIGITAL, RADIO, DIGITAL AND RETAIL COMMUNICATIONS
Our strategy was to remind customers why they love to shop at Beales, rekindling their desire spend time in a welcoming and high quality environment where superb choice and great value are paramount attractions. First up, we made their window posters fresher, brighter and more eye-catching. Using bold and simple graphics allied to short and sharp messages, we ensured the windows oozed ‘discerning shopper’ appeal at the same time as the business reinvented itself and its product offering.

To reach people who were not regularly passing-by we devised a regular mailer/doordrop to the catchment areas. These stylish items announced upcoming promotions and events plus highlighting special offers to ensure maximum response.

THE RESULT(S)
We’ve enjoyed great success with Beales and delivered a number of powerful campaigns. During promotions we’re consistently hitting targets and creating an uplift in sales. The business is ahead year-on-year, margins have improved by 30% and the business is aggressively planning a range of developments throughout 2010. We’ve also delivered a new online store that has increased sales by over 500%.