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The analogue TV signal in Northern Ireland will be turned off permanently on Tuesday night (23rd October 2012), completing the final stage of the UK digital switchover.

The final stage of the digital switchover will be completed at 11.30pm, when viewers in Northern Ireland will lose their analogue signal.  It is the last part of the UK to switch off the signal, which has been in use for more than 70 years.  Households across the rest of the UK have already switched to digital over the course of the last four years.  

Field Marketing agency Gekko has been instrumental in the switchover programme, working with Digital UK to support the retail channel. Teams of Digital UK Retail Support Executives, recruited and managed by Gekko Field Marketing, have been delivering training and support to retailers across the UK since 2008. The work of the RSEs has been praised by many in the industry who recognise that the face-to-face support has been invaluable in preparing retailers and their staff for the switchover process.

In that time some 34,000 store visits have been completed by the RSE team and nearly 75,000 retail staff have benefitted from the training on offer.  In 2009 the quality of the training provided was recognised at the Field Marketing & Brand Experience awards where the programme won the ‘Best Retail Training’ award.

As the UK’s leading technology focused field marketing agency, Gekko has always been confident in the benefits that this marketing discipline delivers for brands in the retail channel.

To support our claims that field marketing can make a real difference, we commissioned independent research looking at how marketing activity at the point of purchase impacts on consumers buying or thinking about buying technology products (TV, Smart Phone, Tablet device, Digital Camera etc.)  The findings from 2,000 respondents revealed some interesting consumer attitudes.

The survey began by asking consumers whether they would purchase a technology product on the basis of only having seen a TV advert, with 23% responding that they would be very unlikely to do so. When asked whether their buying decisions would be influenced by some form of interaction with the product, such as a demonstration within the retailer, 44% indicated that it would.  With over two fifths of respondents saying they would welcome extra interaction, the case for brand led activity within retailers is certainly strengthened. Despite the prevalence of online shopping, the opportunities for high street retailers are still very much there for the taking.  Interestingly this desire for brand interaction is not just limited to older age groups as 52% of 18 to 24 year olds expressed a preference for a product demonstration before purchasing.

The argument for deploying brand ambassadors in to retail is bolstered further by the fact that  44% of consumers  would be more likely to spend more on their purchases having been subjected to a product demonstration.  In other words the opportunity for increasing the average basket value of each transaction is greatly enhanced through effective selling up through product ranges and of accessories and consumables.  Three quarters of those surveyed said they would be prepared to spend up to 30% more on technology following such a brand interaction.

What is clear from this research is that whilst online research may well feature in many people’s purchasing process for tech gadgets, there is nothing quite like effective face to face contact on the shop floor to clinch the sale.  Employing skilled brand advocates in retail will help in steering consumers to your product line-up.  Evidence for this can been seen in recent campaigns conducted by Gekko.  One client campaign, which ran over Christmas 2011, saw 61% of people who received a product demonstration going on to purchase that particular brand.  Of these buyers, 62% also bought branded attachments, and in doing so increased the average value of each transaction, benefiting both brand and retailer alike.

About Gekko

Field Marketing Agency Gekko is a highly effective award winning agency providing imaginative and results-driven solutions to the technology sector throughout the UK and Ireland.  At Gekko we have a proven track record in the supply of field marketing services including merchandising, product demonstration, mystery shopping, training, events and compliance auditing as well as longer term strategic teams.

Research conducted by OnePoll.  Sample size – 2,000.