The challenge

Phones 4u operates in one of the most competitive markets around. At the heart of their proposition is the knowledge that the mobile market is so fiendishly complex that consumers are bewildered.

Their solution was to promise that Phones 4u would help consumers connect to the best network with the best package and the smartest phone. This was all encapsulated in the tagline “We’ll find the right deal 4u”.

Although Phones 4u had a media budget of less than £7m in 2007, which was a fraction of its rivals’ budgets, they set out some competitive goals for their marketing communications.

Phones 4u wanted to rank first for awareness amongst 16-24s, who account for more than 70% of their business within the mobile sector and also first for brand consideration amongst the same group.

They also wanted to boost 2007 footfall by 11% as measured by electronic counters in their stores.

The TV solution

TV has been a strong part of the marketing mix since 2004. Phones 4u used short, measurable bursts of around three weeks to enable them to show as well as tell consumers about their proposition.

The campaigns were co-funded by the mobile networks, who also sell direct, but back Phones 4U because of their ability to reach valuable younger consumers and prove the effectiveness of their marketing strategy.

The message in 2007 continued the brand’s record of quirky, loud and compelling ads. These ads were not designed to appeal to your granny and indeed they may confuse or upset those older than the target demographic.

They featured a comic cast of League of Gentlemen-style characters who all come into contact with Jack, the Phones 4u advocate.

The theme and style has been consistent since 2004. In 2007 three new 30-second executions were used.

Whittling Dan showed a balding dockside man challenging Jack to identify which mobile phone he was fashioning from a piece of wood.

Binoculars featured a couple looking for whales using fixed binoculars on the sea front. After Jack provides one with 10p for the binoculars he sees the latest Phones 4u offer rising out of the water.

Ted The Squid shows a man dressed as a squid asking Jack why he can’t be a shark.

Ads ran across all major terrestrial and non-terrestrial commercial channels in programming that attracts a significant number of 16-24-year-olds.

Campaigns were either male or female biased, depending on the promotion and programmes targeted include Hollyoaks, The Simpsons, and key premiership football matches.

In addition to TV press, outdoor and online were also used.

Results

Phones 4u track their marketing performance using a number of metrics, with Millward Brown used to track awareness and brand consideration.

This tracking showed that awareness of Phones 4u was not only first for mobile brands spending less than £100m among the target audience, but also achieved the same result among 25-39 year olds.

Brand consideration was first for all mobile brands spending under £25m among 16-24s.

Phones 4u’s TV activity was also the fourth most-recalled campaign in the UK from all sectors, while footfall rose by 11% and combined sales increased by 12% in 2007.

They achieved this while spending significantly less than rivals such as Carphone Warehouse, who spent nearly four times as much.