G shock at harrods

Q&A: Tim Gould, head of marketing, Casio UK

In November G-Shock ran a dedicated brand pop-up in London department store Harrods. To promote it the brand ran a competition in association with Men’s Health magazine, asking consumers to post photos online of themselves posing with their favourite model from the pop-up shop. We talk to Casio UK head of marketing Tim Gould about the project.

WatchPro: Can you describe the photo upload competition and how it worked?
Tim Gould: Customers were required to select their favourite G-Shock timepiece and then pose in front of an branded photo wall for a chance to win the watch, or for one lucky person a G-Shock ski holiday. Images were then uploaded directly to the Men’s Health Facebook page by customers where they would then be added to the MH blog.

WP: What was the thought process behind the feature?
TG: Street style. Men’s Health launched their Urban Active supplement which focuses on fashion driven by performance, which seemed like a perfect fit for G-Shock. We initially began with street photography in three key cities within the UK – Newcastle, Manchester and London – for the supplement. This then expanded into a digital campaign, whereby we sought out independent fan submissions through Facebook.

WP: It was intended to engage people using different types of digital devices – why is this important?
TG: The emphasis was more on individual style and putting that back in the hands of the fans using digital media. We recognised the power/potential of digital campaigns such as Burberry’s Art of the Trench, and used a blog-style platform that people could build upon over the duration of the campaign. Allowing consumers to be able to view other submissions and comment/rate was also important to show the breadth of style. We decided customers should use their own mobile phones for the pictures as it’s more spontaneous and less intimidating than a professional camera. It’s a snapshot. Doing this through Facebook meant that it was accessible to most, and also that it was targeting the correct demographic.

WP: Does the availability of different types of online devices allow brands to be more creative and how?
TG: Definitely. New technology, such as augmented reality, allows brands to fully immerse consumers into custom-built worlds like never before, via their personal mobile phone. Services like Vine, whilst imposing strict timing limits, force some of the most creative content on the internet. As a technological innovator, Casio is always striving to get closer to customers using new digital advances.

WP: Why is interaction with customers increasingly important and how does embracing the internet accommodate that?
TG: In the social media landscape, people are talking about your brand everyday and it’s important brands choose to be involved in those conversations. At Casio we recognise the importance of open dialogue with fans and customers, whether positive or negative, as this allows us to build on our customer relationships and profiles and ultimately be more personal and targeted in our future campaigns.

 

 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *