True Stories – Back To School Campaign
Since last December, we have been airing a campaign featuring real stories of how our people helped customers solve a technology problem they had in their lives. Since the campaign tells stories about real situations and includes the actual employee from the story, we call the campaign, True Stories. I have attached the final versions that are running on TV (Max and Chris) and the Web (Shirley and Sultan). This work compliments our “Twelpforce” TV and Web campaign which I discussed in an earlier post.
The intent for our communication messaging is to convey three important ideas. One, you can trust us to always have your best interests in mind. Two, we have a unique take on how technology and entertainment can make your life better and finally, you can always expect to find great prices. Ultimately our expectation is that, you walk out of the store happier, than when you came in.
As I’ve posted before, I believe our people are the most compelling reason to choose Best Buy over competitors. We need to do a better job in telling the people part of our story. And based upon the stories I’ve heard, I know there is a great story to tell. “True Stories,” focuses on our people telling their true story on how they helped customers. We have other work that hits harder at the great prices message that is also necessary. (We are using yellow a lot more in these ads as an aside.) Look forward to your comments.
Shirley
Sultan
Chris
Max
I so hard for me to get my head around how these spots play to an online audience vs a TV audience. As TV spots they seem great. As web videos… they seem like TV spots.
I know that I live in an “online bubble” and I’m not main stream America but my impression of Best Buy is that it’s a brand that you can trust to get middle of the line products at the best price. These “True Stories” TV spots seem to reenforce that for me as spots that have to spend money to get people to watch.
Best Buy stores are inviting to visit and shop much more than their remaining competitors. They are a place where you can find what you are looking for at a decent price. These spots seem to touch on that but not in a conversational way that would make you want to share them with a friend for free.
Having such a strong brand in the traditional marketing place makes it tough to take risks in the new media world but I do think you could explore the True Stories idea in a conversational way that’s more emotionally engaging while providing information that people are searching for.
Maybe combining the true story with a “How To” that would help people narrow down and decide on the product before they get to the store could get you more views online and start a conversation with your customers. Then if you used your on-air media spend to inform people that they could go online to search your How To’s you could build an online community of customers that share their True Stories and educate other customers about your best products and prices.
Just a thought on a Sunday morning.
I love the how the true stories campaign is playing out and think that the campaign is one of the best examples of integrated marketing that I’ve seen. Plus the use of social midia is masterful.
Being a parent to 2 younger kids ages 7 and 9, i like the direction of these type of ads. it gives you that comfortable feeling that best buy can bridge that technology / generation gap between parent and child. being in the music instrument world the same holds true there. best buy being a more comfortable, less intimidating place than the competition to bring your kids in when making their first or second instrument purchase. it is the parents who are bringing their cash in to buy for their kids.
p.s. my 9 year old wants a phone, she can keep dreaming for awhile.
I like ‘em
I do like the brighter colors for the Back To School drive time, but they’re also just more optimsitic and cheery and make you feel even happier about a BBY experience. I don’t think we should stop using them as soon as BTS/summer ends . . .
Thank you for posting the YouTube Videos on Social Media. The numbers are astonishing and media is here to grow. There is however a sector that is being underserved by retailers, and I would appreciate your thoughts. Please read my latest post at http://patientsquad.blogspot.com/ I would really appreciate your feedback from the Best Buy experience. If you would like more details about our study, I can send it for your review at your convenience. Thank you.
I’ve purchased two expensive TV’s from Best Buy. BUT, will never buy anything from Best Buy, again. You are a bunch of cowards.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13151535
I love these. Unfortunately, being a part of this groups shootings up in Minneapolis, I only really got to meet and spend time with Max. I love that we get to be a part of all this, and I hope I get to see myself on here sometime soon!
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“Barry Judge » Blog Archive » True Stories – Back To School Campaign” ( [link to post] )
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I like the spots – unfortunately, MY experience doesn’t match the great stories in the ads. I went into my local Best Buy yesterday because my FM transmitter for my Ipod died. As I stood looking at the various choices, a BB employee walked up and asked if he could help me. I told him I wanted to play my IPod in the car. He asked if I had a plug in my dashboard for the IPod. . . . . I told him “No, my car is a 2001.” He told me the ONLY way I could listen to an IPod in my car was to use the cassette adapter. . . . .
At that time, I was holding an FM Transmitter in my hands, and I showed it to him and said, “I think this will work.” He said, “No, it won’t. You have to buy the cassette adapter.”
I questioned him, so he called someone else over. THAT guy agreed with me that the FM transmitter WOULD indeed transmit from my Ipod through the radio. When I then asked THAT guy how I should figure out which one I needed, he just looked at the products on the aisle and said, “That just depends on what you like. You should just buy the one you like the best.” That’s the extent of the advice he could give me. An exact quote, “This one says it has “Clear Scan” so if you want “Clear Scan” get this one.” I wanted to know what Clear Scan was!!! He just read the box to me.
I bought one. I brought it home. It’s not what I wanted, so I will be returning it and figuring out where else to go where I can get some actual advice. I’m very disappointed.
“We need to do a better job of telling the people part of our story.” That comment struck a chord with me, Barry. All companies–regardless of whether you’re selling products or services, B2B or B2C–need to tell the people side of their story. Nothing you don’t already know here, but people do business with people they like. With businesses they like. Relationships sometimes trump superior products, whether we want to admit that or not. So yeah, I would completely agree, the people side of your story is tremendously important.
Here’s an example. I was at BlogWell last week and heard Scott Monty tell an incredible story about a customer who tweeted Scott asking if Ford CEO, Allan Mullaly, could give him some help in picking out a Ford. Scott took this request seriously (no surprise there). And Allan was on the phone with this customer that very Saturday (as well as a host of other Ford folks). The end result? The customer bought a Ford. But, the people side of the story is bigger than that. I’m willing to bet, based on this experience, this customer is now Ford customer for life. And he’s probably going to tell anyone who will listen the exact same thing. Heck, he already is–check out this post: http://blog.actslike.com/2009/08/10/the-art-of-leadership-a-ford-story/ (it’s an amazing story). And now, as a result, Ford is telling the story, too.
@arikhanson
They all turned out great.
BEST BUY TURKEY IS COMING SOON!!
I SWEAR TO GOD BEST BUY IS BEST COMPANY ON THIS WORLD!!
Thank you Best Buy for sharing my story with the world! My little sister was playing a game online and while it was loading my commercial came up! She called me and said, “Oh my God Shirley! You are famous! I saw you! My big sister is on the internet!” Hahahaha… It made my day.
)
Again, thank you! Keep up the great work! I love ALL of them! (And I get to see them for the month of September in all Best Buy stores!) Yeiiii!
nice blog