By Matthew Henry
SYDNEY: Teac is looking to mend its reputation with Australian retailers in 2007 with a comprehensive new range of products supported by its biggest promotional campaign in over three years, built around the new tagline ‘Relax.Enjoy’.
Following a rocky few years for the Australian subsidiary in which it entered administration, was rescued by its Japanese parent company and then changed hands again in November last year after being acquired by Singapore-based TT International, Teac has set out to restore retailers’ confidence in its brand.
“Retailers pulled back on Teac to see where we were going, especially last year with the administration period,” said Teac national sales manager, Warren Allison, during a media briefing in Sydney today.
“They held back for a while to have a look, but once the TT International acquisition happened in November last year they could see Teac is here for not only today but our future is secure. They have been waiting to see what products we will bring to market and the retailers who have seen the new range have been really positive. Many of the retailers we have been meeting with are saying, ‘Teac is back’.”
Teac will focus on its traditional strengths such as CRT TVs, DVD players, set-top boxes, audio and portable audio products and accessories, while also expanding into some innovative niche categories such as small-screen LCD TVs with built-in DVD players and 12-volt power capability.
The new product range will be launched progressively between April and May.
Teac has also planned a comprehensive national promotional campaign encompassing above-the-line advertising such as billboards, bus and tram advertising, branding inside Suncorp Stadium and product placement in a new miniseries to be aired on Showtime called Satisfaction.
Below-the-line activities will include POS and silent salesmen, a national product roadshow, retail training nights and new product packaging.
The outdoor billboard campaign kicked off today with a highly-visible sign at the beginning of the M4 motorway (westbound) in Sydney and will take be recreated in all major capital cities except Hobart.
Teac today described the billboards as a ‘branding exercise’ which also represents a new approach to promotion for the company.
“Typically in the past we have done most of our above-the-line exposure through catalogues with retailers; we haven’t really gone out and done a large billboard on the side of a highway,” said Allison, who considers the 2007 promotional campaign the brand’s biggest since 2003.