From DIY disasters to substandard haircuts, lockdown reminded consumers’ just how much they rely on professionals to get the job done properly. This is the strategy at the heart of Curry’s new brand campaign which reminds consumers now is the time to hand back to the experts. 

The merge of Currys PC World, Dixons Carphone, Carphone Warehouse and Team Knowhow under the umbrella brand  Curry’s, created the UK’s largest electrical retailer. In its first campaign since this merger, the brand has teamed up with AMV BBDO to launch a new integrated campaign celebrating Currys as the home of tech expertise.

In a fun, light-hearted slot, the campaign seeks to remind customers of the retailer's key USP; real-life people with genuine tech know-how. Research from Curry’s reveals that 58% of Brits want to speak to a real-life expert before they buy and this new campaign brings to life the brand’s humanity utilising humour and real-life experiences to highlight the pitfalls of buying tech without expertise, via faceless ‘robot retail’ platforms. 

Using a mixture of found and captured footage, the film shows examples of the hilarity, jeopardy and mistakes that can arise should customers go it alone, all of which can be avoided with the advice available from the experts at Currys. 

The TV creative brings to life Currys’ belief that life is better with expertise, showing that there are many times when an expert is needed and that buying tech is no different. The film features real colleagues people will be able to find both in-store and on ShopLive as the retailer is home to over 13,500 tech experts. 

In-store expertise

“As the film proves it’s time to bring back the experts, because we do NOT got this! If you want something done right, talk to someone who actually knows their stuff. Someone who’s spent thousands of hours understanding how and why technology works, not 10 minutes. Talk to an expert. Talk to Currys.” explains Alex Grieve, CCO at AMV BBDO.

Post-pandemic, one of the major pulls back to the physical store is the people. Staff and the expertise that they can offer sets in-store shopping apart from online. After 18 months, shoppers are eager to return to stores but are seeking an experience that they are unable to get elsewhere. The intense digital shelf space, ease and convenience of online are unmatched. Instead, physical retailers need to focus on the unique benefits of the store which lie in experience, people and ambience; factors that combine to ensure people return time and time again. 

Investing time into tech 

According to research from Currys, unassisted selling, with its mix of fake reviews, overwhelming choice and hours wasted researching purchases, is letting tech buyers down. Particularly when purchasing high ticket items, customers need advice and reassurance to guide them through the journey. This was exemplified in further data from Curry’s that showed 58% of people shopping for expensive and unfamiliar tech products would like to speak to a real-life human expert before they buy, whether that be in-store or online.

“Technology is such an intrinsic part of our lives now that how you buy it matters more than ever before. Our research shows that prior to handing over their hard-earned cash, people want advice about the tech they buy from a real-life human expert, particularly when it comes to those expensive and more complex pieces of kit.” explains Dan Rubel, Brand and Marketing Director at Currys.

Rubel continues: “This new campaign launches our new brand, Currys, and at the same time, reminds customers one of the most important reasons we are special – our expert colleagues. Our real-life human experts are able to help tech buyers work out the right tech for them, whether that’s in-store or online via our pioneering 24/7 ShopLive video shopping platform. This is unique to Currys and our omnichannel model, and something that the algorithms used by faceless robot retailers simply can’t replicate, because life really is better when you listen to experts.”

The campaign is further supported by OOH creative that again focuses on this unique expertise, drilling down on specific pieces of tech, these executions declare how Curry’s real-life human experts have the answer to customers’ tech questions. One of the more memorable executions highlights how the brand’s experts even know “which beard trimmers are best for trimming things that aren’t beards”. 

Supercharged loyalty

In addition to the rollout of the new Currys superbrand, the retailer is also launching its first customer loyalty scheme. Marking a new omnichannel chapter in its 137-year history, by merging its four brands Currys PC World, Dixons Carphone, Carphone Warehouse, Team Knowhow to become one superbrand, Currys, the recharged retailer has created the scheme to support customer retention, engagement and connection to drive longer, more meaningful relationships with tech lovers for life. The scheme is said to have been developed for customers by customers. 

Main benefits of the scheme will be member discounts, monthly ‘surprises’ (such as tech giveaways) and partner benefits which will see customers gain additional perks from some of Curry’s biggest brands – starting with a free three-month Apple TV subscription. Loyalty schemes aim to serve customers with the most relevant products and reward return visits. 

As these four large tech brands consolidate to make Curry’s a superbrand, in-store expertise and rewarding customer loyalty will be what sets the retailer apart from its online rivals.