Designs on inspired brands from Sekforde.

Years ago we used to handle the UK marketing for one of the largest US based travel groups in the business.

Out of everything we handled, on and off-line advertising, email marketing, corporate websites, affiliates, sponsorship, implementing our ideas for the UK as well as globally generated initiatives, nothing, but nothing was as challenging as getting the front cover concepts of the two main holiday brochures approved.

Getting agreement on the brief was one thing, but the care and crafting of the front cover ideas became a twice yearly design pinnacle to conquer. Each had to trounce the previous concept; every one had to be good enough to give Sekforde’s account director that inner-excitement to the point that he couldn’t wait to go and sell it to the client.

Not only that, they had also become something of an industry benchmark - travel agents and direct customers would write in to commend them. Not one or two letters and emails mind, there were loads.

Of course the final sign-off procedure would include product managers, the UK marketing manager, the European marketing director and ultimately a VP in the ‘States. But they were pussycats compared with Flo.

Flo was the receptionist at the company’s UK headquarters and well before any concepts went up to the top floor, Flo’s blessing became an essential part of the approval process.

Flo was the realist. She’d instantly recognise when an idea was too complicated, off-message or self-indulgent.

Flo had that rare gift that makes some clients a joy to work with - the ability to stand back and look at a concept from the product’s point of view rather than her personal likes and dislikes.

In other words, she knew what was right for the market. And because she wasn’t part of any marketing team or reliant on saying the right thing, she’d have no qualms about knocking anything down that she didn’t think was right. On the other hand she’d frequently be surprised (pleasantly of course) by the various new cover concepts she was shown.

Which quite naturally brings us to Dixons.

In particular one of the most controversial campaigns of 2009, you know the one - “The last place you want to go” with the premise being that those in the market for a TV, freezer or whatever should visit John Lewis to view said electrical good before ordering and reaping the savings at Dixons.

Talk about a marmite campaign. Some pundits predicted financial suicide with such a self-deprecating approach. What, with such a dodgy brand in the first place, surely nobody wants to go to Dixons anyway. Featuring it as a headline must be insane.

Me? I thought it brilliant. A n original approach that recognised a brand truth about most peoples’ perception about Dixons and turned it into a positive spin.

As for “The last place you want to go” are the experts sure that the market is so stupid as to take it literally? Surely one of the oldest advertising saws in the book is the headline “Call us last.” It’s a statement of confidence with a bit of “Don’t press the red button” rolled in for good measure. In Dixon’s case it challenged customers to re-think their perceptions of Dixons.

And so when it came to the all important pre-Christmas advertising push, did Dixons chuck out the controversial campaign and ask their agency to think again? Did they heckers. They ran with the same line again, albeit with a suitably festive theme.

DCGI, the parent company of Dixons announced their Christmas results yesterday and although margins had been deliberately trimmed to help drive sales, sales grew by 8% in the 12 weeks to the 9th January smashing the City’s predicted 3%. Over the Christmas period a computer or a TV sold every 2 seconds.

Niall O’Keeffe, DSGi UK marketing director, in Marketing Week commented: “Dixons.co.uk is a challenger brand and the campaign reflects this. The original campaign was a huge success - it really resonated with the public, raised awareness of the Dixons brand and generated significant PR. We believe this latest execution in the campaign coupled with new radio ad seeded on line, will deliver significant cut-through ahead of Christmas.”

And how right he was.

Full marks to Dixons for having faith in their agency, MC Saatchi, and most of all, in their customers.

Oh, and our front cover ideas? In seven years of woking for that client we never had to change a thing after the thumbs up from Flo.