This Holiday season expect to see a lot of RadioShack advertising. Kieran Hannon, RadioShack’s vp of marketing and brand communication, had the following to say regarding RadioShack’s heavy-up Holiday advertising blitz …
“We want to entertain [consumers] and make RadioShack relevant and exciting again for people to shop at. We have high awareness, but not high relevance. People don’t realize the depth and breadth of products we have.” [SOURCE: Adweek | Nov. 7 | pg.6]
Hmm, I’m not sure RadioShack gets it. It being … it’s not what you do during the 6-weeks leading up to Christmas that makes a business relevant. It’s what you do during the 46-weeks leading up to the Holidays that makes a business relevant.
If you are expecting a multi-million/multi-dimensional Holiday advertising blitz to make a brand relevant, then you should expect to fail. Businesses and brands are not made with heavy-up Holiday advertising. They are made with all the everyday marketing and business activities done in the many months before Christmas comes.
I agree with John that a 6-week ad blitz will do little to change long-held perceptions.
Radio Shack is suffering from what I call "The Paradox of Awareness." When you've been around a long time and consumers THINK they know everything about you, it is extremely difficult to get them to hear anything NEW about your brand.
Posted by: Jim Seybert (on FoolsBox) | November 19, 2005 at 09:44 AM
Radio Shack is experiencing what Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams would label - "too much, too little, too late..."
Posted by: Paul (from Idea Sandbox) | November 20, 2005 at 01:20 PM
Oh my.
Radio Shack at it's best is the 7-11 of connectors, plugs and wires; not a bad position to have, but they just forgot to make it. That's where relevance lies for them. Slash the overdone product selection, and focus on the connection-solutions for your mundo-electro-gadgets, and they could do well again, old or not. Personally, I HATE going to one of the big guys like Best Buy for a small item like that. Radio Shack is in every strip mall, they are convenient. I just don't like walking in there and wading through the cheapo remote control monster trucks, to get to the cable I need. And I certainly won't respond to their ad claims of having broad selection and being a great shoopping experience. Just focus guys, get rid of the entertainment-seeking mktng lady, and you'll be fine.
Posted by: Thomas | November 20, 2005 at 09:12 PM
What i am seeing in these commercials is the perfection of greed. A red chair has replaced Santa. And every person that sits down asks for something from a sig-other or a parents for something that costs more than $100, quite a but more. If nothing more Radio Shack feeds the greed monster very well. However, even though the kid is asking for a Nano, if I buy it, I'll buy it at the source, it's not less expensive at RS. I'm sure Apple appreciates the nod though.
I agree with Thomas, also. The biggest problem with RS for is the fact that they STILL want your name and address before you make a purchase. If you press they'll laugh with ya about it, but good grief!
Posted by: chronicler | November 23, 2005 at 11:55 AM
RadioShack stopped asking for name/address/etc 3 yrs ago. Corporate stores does not require it any longer.
Posted by: poster | November 28, 2005 at 10:14 AM
Radio Shack has forgotten to tell (and keep telling) the world who they are and what they do. People know the name. I still remember shopping there as a kid. They had cool stuff. Today, I mostly see the same cell phones I can buy more cheaply at Best Buy and cheap, plastic tech toys.
The last time I heard Radio Shack tell me what they do was a couple of years ago when they decided to be a battery outlet. (I'm not kidding. They wanted to be the place you went when you needed batteries for your gadgets.)
I will tell you that they are the first place I think of when I need a new coaxial cable or RF modulator. But how often is that? About once every three or four years. That doesn't bode well for our friends at the shack.
Posted by: Darrin | November 28, 2005 at 04:52 PM
Every time I see that kid with the hat begging his dad for a radio controlled truck, I want to hurt him.
Now I'm no expert in such matters, but this isn't creating a sort of brand awareness that I really want to have for my business.
Posted by: Radiofreewill | December 11, 2005 at 09:55 PM
My dad in Philly found an old remote control 4x4 at an estate auction.Sent it up to my 5 1/2 year old son for christmas.Mint condition in the original box from RadioShack.I almost hated to take it out of the box.But my son just loves it! They certainly knew how to make them back then.Not sure of it's exact age.But very nice.Anyone know of a good site to research old RadioShack R/C 4x4's?
Thanks,John
Posted by: John | December 30, 2005 at 12:07 PM
I just don't like walking in there and wading through the cheapo remote control monster trucks, to get to the cable I need. And I certainly won't respond to their ad claims of having broad selection and being a great shoopping experience. Just focus guys, get rid of the entertainment-seeking mktng lady, and you'll be fine.
caravans
Posted by: Donald Thorn | April 01, 2010 at 05:52 AM