This new Dixons ad speaks volumes…

I like this. A recent ad campaign (M&C Saatchi) that is airing in London is a daring approach by Dixons to pique the British conscious. It’s clever because it hones in our own recognisable customer behaviour, which we might all feel a little guilty about. It goes something like this:

 

Discover you need or want to buy a product; Google it to find out more; visit department store to get more information and help to refine your selection; go home and buy online for less.

 

Sound familiar? And that’s why this is clever, and daring at the same time. It recognises that Dixons is not necessarily the destination store of choice and is not shy in letting us know that it sees that. You may also identify that the fonts have changed to mirror other familiar brand identities (Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis etc.)

 

The issues that this highlights though are serious. They are 1/ our fast changing behaviour as a result of rapidly changing market dynamics exacerbated by new technologies; and 2/ in being so honest, it is also admitting to competing on price alone rather than other associated brand values such as customer support etc.

 

John Lewis we all know competes on price ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ but it does it in a way that supports other essential brand values. By admitting to competing on price alone may have an impact on longer term brand value and force the stores into a redundant position.