Electronics-retailer The Source is trying to challenge public misconceptions of its brand.
On the heels of a successful financial quarter, the “On the Go” campaign – a springtime push for tablets, cameras and personal audio devices that consumers tend to purchase prior to going on vacation – consists of a 30-second TV spot, multiple radio ads and corresponding print promotions, a revamped website and a new in-store design.
The campaign was developed by the Toronto-based Juniper Park. The media assignment resides with PHD.
According to vice-president of marketing Ron Craig, the brand is still contending with an outdated consumer perception leftover from the Radio Shack era. It has shifted its efforts toward repositioning the brand as a go-to destination for top-tier electronics.
In the new TV spot, for example, a skeptical Source customer is surprised to learn that the store carries many different laptops and smartphones, including the new BlackBerry Z10.
The campaign is a continuation of the message it began pushing last fall, that The Source is not just a place to pick up batteries and replacement accessories.
“We’ve fundamentally evolved our merchandising strategy,” said Craig. “We want to position The Source in consumers’ minds as a place for name brands in mobility and electronics.” Craig added that revitalizing a brand’s image is not an “overnight change,” but cited a strong holiday 2012 season as proof that consumer ideas about The Source are changing.
“Our model in the past had been perceived as not having depth of selection. Now we’ve overcome that,” said Craig. “We’re able to compete quite effectively in terms of depth of brands, and to provide a shopping experience that’s much more convenient and accessible.”
The Source operates over 700 retail locations, with 20 more set to open this year.
