Marketing Week Effectiveness Awards Website – October, 2003

If we thought last year was tough going for the marketing industry, this one has been tougher still. All the more important, then, that marketers should torque up their professional skills to prevail in such difficult trading conditions.

You’ll find plenty of evidence they have done just that in this year’s Marketing Week Effectiveness Awards, the fifth so far – and by far the most challenging for the judges as well as contestants. We’re pleased to believe we have come up with plenty of outstanding winners, whose achievements will be duly written up in useful and accessible case studies, thanks to the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

One other thing: no event like this can succeed without support from its audience. This year, you have given the awards an even bigger endorsement by turning up in record numbers to the awards night. With nearly 750 people attending, the Hilton Hotel was at capacity.

Stuart Smith
Chairman of Judges
Editor, Marketing Week

Retail
Argos
Company GUS

Argos is one of the country’s most popular brands. Nearly 70 per cent of the UK population has shopped at an Argos store in the past year, thanks to the chain’s reputation for convenience and value for money.

The challenge for Argos in 2002/2003 was to maintain the momentum of two strong years of sales and profit growth in a slowing market. The idea was to encourage existing customers to shop more frequently by extending choice and value and reducing effort, rather than by trying to increase the already large customer base.

The strategy was backed by a new advertising campaign, starring Richard E Grant and Julia Sawalha, showing the brand as modern and self-confident. Thousands of new products were introduced, including higher-priced items such as furniture and white goods. The store also successfully moved into new areas, including financial services. During 2002/2003, 36 stores were opened and more than 100 were refurbished. Initiatives included quick-payment kiosks, where customers can avoid queueing, and “Text and Take Home”, which allows mobile phone users to reserve items.

Together with further innovations in internet or phone ordering, and having shopping delivered to work or home, Argos has developed a true multi-channel environment.

Such initiatives have proved successful: in less than a year, eight per cent of all sales were paid for at in-store kiosks where these were installed; Text and Take Home generated 1,000 calls a day; and four per cent of annual sales now come through the website.

Other Finalists

Benjys Less Bread
Cancer Research
Phones 4u
Simply Foods
Tesco.com.