In a move that will likely have many suppliers wringing their hands, The Good Guys (TGG) has adopted a conspicuous advertising campaign driven by a ‘pay less’ promise.
Its traditional ‘Pay Less, Pay Cash’ tag line of 18 years which began to be phased out several years ago, has been replaced with the slogan, ‘Pay Less, Pay Less’.
TGG chief marketing officer, Robert Ambler-Frazer, was unambiguous about the retailer’s strategy.
“We know that price is still the most critical customer consideration when shopping for electrical appliances, so our key message is that we are the cheapest in the market, before and after you buy. How better to convey this than to simply repeat what is most important to our customers – Pay Less,” Ambler-Frazer said.
“Pay Less, Pay Less is intended to help our customers trust that they will Pay Less before they buy and Pay less after they buy thanks to some simple PAY LESS promises. Digitally empowered consumers also expect to be able to shop for the products they want at the best price when, where and how they want. They have fingertip access to information wherever they are through mobile devices and are looking for a consistent experience with brands online and in-store,” he said.
One of the promises that TGG makes its customers Ambler-Frazer said is to remain simple and true to what it has always been famous for and includes Daily Price Checks – The Good Guys check competitors’ websites daily.
Ambler-Frazer explained that “These promises have existed for a long time at TGG and for customers starting the shopping the journey online, there is no impact on our ability to continue to deliver these promises today.
“In fact, adoption of online shopping means we have been able to make the Pay Less after you buy promises easier for customers by enabling them to claim our 30 Day Price Guarantee online, without having to return to the store.”
“We have also strengthened our Pay Less after you buy promises by removing blackout periods from our 30 Day Price Guarantee and adding in Pay Less Paybacks in the form of Pay Less eftpos cards,” he said.
The Good Guys 30 Day Price Guarantee, which is the best in the market*( *Competitors are all Australian based businesses and exclude eBay), ensures that every day of the year customers are protected against competitor price drops even after they have made their purchase.
“We are serious about our customers feeling confident when they shop with us and want them to know that we are dedicated to honouring our price guarantee. To date our 30 Day Price Guarantee paybacks have ranged from as little as $5 to as much as $1,171,” Ambler-Frazer said.
Only 15% of sales in cash
According to Ambler-Frazer, less than 15% of The Good Guys transactions now made in cash and more than 60% of store customers research products and prices on TGG own website before buying. As a result, Ambler-Frazer said that the internet has replaced the need to haggle for many customers.
“Pay Less, Pay Cash served the brand enormously well for many years when cash was the way a lot of people paid, but the internet has changed how people shop so we have been thinking about how we could communicate a strong, value based promise to consumers who start the shopping journey online.”
While The Good Guys has a new tag line, its new TV commercial still features a jingle to The Beach Boys song ‘Good Vibrations’, lots of dancers and in-store action and the quirkiness that has differentiated the brand.
“We’ve got it all and a lot more. We wanted to stay a brand that was happy to laugh at itself and not take itself too seriously,” Ambler-Frazer added.
“We have again brought back director Don Percy, who has filmed all our most iconic TV ads to inject a new level of energy into our TV message, while maintaining humour and playfulness,” he concluded.