Havas Worldwide Canada is the newest agency partner for furniture and appliance retailer BrandSource.
Selected after an RFP involving select agencies, Havas will develop and execute a new marketing strategy, which will include a brand repositioning and omni-channel activations. The agency will also be handling media for the retailer.
Sandra Becerra, marketing director at BrandSource Canada, says when the brand launched in Canada in 2012, it didn’t build awareness with consumers. Since taking on her role four months ago, Becerra has been focused on bringing more digital touchpoints into the company’s marketing mix.
“We didn’t create that connection at launch, and the traditional ways we were going about it, with TV and radio, weren’t generating results,” she says. “In the last four years, retail has dramatically changed. For the consumers in the categories we operate in, 70% of their touchpoints are on the web. We were not really doing much in that area, and things need to change.”
Becerra says while she expects BrandSource’s marketing will still include traditional campaigns, Havas will be focused on developing more digital and omni-channel elements, and anticipates the budget will increase and be allocated differently in anticipation. The exact elements of BrandSource’s marketing Havas will handle, such as creative, will be dictated by the strategy the agency develops.
“We were looking for a strategic partner that understands the customer journey and what omnichannel is all about,” Becerra says. “They demonstrated that strategically, so now we have to figure out, once the strategy is built, how to apply and execute it.”
BrandSource also works with Express Marketing on direct mail and flyers and digital agency TP1.
BrandSource has 145 owner-operated retail locations across Canada and is part of the Mega Group of independent retailers.
In terms of other digital retail experience, in January, Havas was selected to handle digital initiatives for Quebec-based drugstore Jean Coutu Group. The agency has also boosted its capabilities on the mobile side, having recently acquired Plastic Mobile.
In April, Havas strengthened its creative department with the addition of three new staff, including Cory Eisentraut as VP and CD.
Image courtesy Shutterstock
