May 1, 2013
Is RadioShack’s New TV Spot a Step in the Right Direction?
When Joe Magnacca took over as CEO at RadioShack, many wondered if the former Duane Reade exec would be able to rid the consumer electronics chain of its dull image. The first commercial created on Mr. Magnacca’s watch is a step in a very different direction.
The spot, which features wireless Beats speakers by Dr Dre, is an attempt by RadioShack to reach younger consumers who are not currently shopping in its stores or on its website. The spot relies heavily on "adult" imagery to the soundtrack of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke.
"Partnering with a strong brand like Beats marks one of the ways RadioShack is broadening our customer appeal," said Jennifer Warren, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for RadioShack, in a statement. "Teaming up with Beats on this campaign invites more consumers to discover RadioShack as a destination for the hottest music accessories including the Pill and Beats headphones."
Consumers who purchase any Beats by Dr Dre product at RadioShack stores can get a free download of the "Blurred Lines" track. The spot will air during the NBA Finals on ESPN and ABC. It will also be broadcast on Comedy Central, MTV, Spike and VH1.
![[Image: RadioShack Beats Pill]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iJTJGcHVibGljJTJGaW1hZ2VzJTJGZGlzY3Vzc2lvbnMlMkYxNjc0MSUyRnJhZGlvc2hhY2stc3BvdC1zdGlsbC5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iMSIgZGF0YS1oPSIxIiBkYXRhLWJpcD0iIj48L3N2Zz4=)
On RadioShack’s earnings call last week with analysts, Mr. Magnacca said the chain was at the beginning stages of rolling out its new "Let’s Play" brand platform.
"With our vast store base, we want to become the neighborhood technology playground and there are many ways you’ll begin to see this come to life in our media communication plans, from TV advertising and weekly new newspaper inserts, as well as all other forms of consumer touch points, including social and digital," said Mr. Magnacca.
- RadioShack Beats Pill #UWANTIT Commercial – YouTube
- Will New CEO Be the Right Rx For What Ails RadioShack? – RetailWire
- RadioShack and Beats By Dr. Dre Partner on New Campaign Featuring Star Track Entertainment/Interscope Records Recording Artist Robin Thicke and the Beats Pill Speaker – RadioShack/PRNewswire
- RadioShack Management Discusses Q1 2013 Results (Earnings Call Transcript) – Seeking Alpha
BrainTrust
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Is RadioShack’s Beats Pill commercial a step in the right direction for the chain? What do you think of RadioShack’s plan to present itself as “the neighborhood technology playground?”
Poll
If this is the image they are trying to communicate to the younger crowd in “the neighborhood,” I think it borders on very creepy and unfortunately will probably work. What’s next though? Will they need to push it even further and perhaps follow the lead of A&F with low lighting, music blasting and heavily scented stores?
They are going to have to be much better at pricing if they want to be the tech playground.
I think RadioShack’s new ad will be effective in breaking through clutter. I’m not certain it will establish RadioShack as the brand or further reinforce Beats Pill. Although I find a certain “ick” factor to the commercial, it’s for others, consumers notwithstanding, to identify with the message…or not.
RadioShack has for years been the neighborhood go-to destination for technology emergencies and occasional other purchases. Successfully positioning it as a “technology playground” creates an opportunity for more visits by a broader shopper base and consequently more purchases such as the Pill.
I just wish the commercial wasn’t so demeaning to women and consequently to RadioShack.
RadioShack has a long way to go in order to reposition itself. The ad (and the focus on “Beats” product) is one step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done.
Right now RadioShack is plagued by an image as “the store in the local strip center carrying a bunch of random tech supplies that I can buy cheaper at Amazon”…not a good place to be. But some focus, narrowing of assortments and specialization do allow RadioShack to take advantage of its “non-big box” format. One bold place to start a repositioning campaign might be with the company’s brand name itself.
The spot certainly is different from past RadioShack advertisements, but it’s not enough to change the store’s image. RadioShack needs to tell its core story. Consumers need to know why they should visit their local store. Being the local technology playground is not enough. Too many other stores, online and offline, offer the same technology, often at lower prices and with better customer service.
RadioShack certainly achieved the shock factor with their new ad. If I did not know before I watched it that it was RadioShack, I would not have thought it was and the ad does not really put the RadioShack name out there. I think a large portion of viewers will not even get that it is an ad for RadioShack.
As to the slime factor, I can only assume that I am not the target audience for the ad because it makes me want to avoid RadioShack.
Sure, it’s a step in the right direction, but now they’ll have to deliver at retail as well. At the moment, their stores are sterile, technical and populated by nerds….which is a long way from what the commercial depicts. As a matter of fact, I don’t ever recall seeing a single female employee in my “neighborhood technology playground.”
It will be interesting to see if/how they address all the other “P’s” = place, people, product, etc. Long way to go right now.
Certainly, it’s better than the old image (which was what?). I think the “Lets Play” theme is a good one for RS. If you think about it, RS’s function for years has been to help people play, it’s just that no one thought of it that way. With this invitation, I can see the stores becoming the “place” to go to find solutions to my play problems.
It sure presents a new image. If they can make the stores as hip as the ad, they will hopefully survive and grow. It’s just maybe too little too late.
If consumers are drawn in, what will they experience and how will they respond? I’m thinking they will experience what got and keeps RadioShack in trouble. RadioShack management needs to [address] store issues before conducting a high priced cattle call.
This direction sort of smells like Ron Johnson and JCP to me. Although Mr. Johnson had some great ideas and the stores look great, he tried to jump to a new customer base too soon and lost the old.
The concept of being the neighborhood technology playground is much more in keeping with their roots and the look and feel of the brand.
They can attract the younger customer base by showing how they can put together their own cool stuff while not losing the current base. I can see gaming, competition, style your own, all that stuff young people will love.
After all, I built my first computer from a RadioShack kit. The Sol 80!
Really Madison Ave? Is this “cutting edge” or aspirational or trendy — or simply gross? In the wake of Kmart’s ship my pants commercial, was it just me to see the way these are portrayed as sex toys? RS can try to attract the young crowd all they want, but they might just be ronjohnsoning the brand.
To wit, you never start with the marketing for a makeover; you start with the customer experience in the store.
This is not the RadioShack we have learned to question about having a plan for the future other than terminating long term employees as a plan to return to profitability. It certainly is creative. Let’s see what comes next and the resulting affect on sales before we make a judgement.
As my son would suggest, looks like a bunch of pseudo-hip creatives trying to convince the “younger generation” that RadioShack is cool.
There’s nothing really very meaningful here. Beats are widely available. Perhaps this particular product is unique to RadioShack, but you’d never know that from the ad.
Meaning is what builds brand, not coolness. And that’s true for all age levels — although what’s meaningful will change among them.
By the end of the commercial I still had no idea what was being advertised, and only then learned that RadioShack was the advertiser. And yay!, I get a free download of a Robin Thicke song ($1.29 on Amazon).
Scantily-clad models and an overtly phallic product. Yeah, that’ll work. This commercial sends an entirely inappropriate message and is such a departure from the current RS image as to be unbelievable and non-credible. I’d advise smaller steps.
WRONG! The best thing RS has going for it is store locations. Mr. Magnacca would be advised to spend money on stores making them more consumer friendly and useful, and training employees to be infinitely more knowledgeable about products and technology solutions.
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If this is the image they are trying to communicate to the younger crowd in “the neighborhood,” I think it borders on very creepy and unfortunately will probably work. What’s next though? Will they need to push it even further and perhaps follow the lead of A&F with low lighting, music blasting and heavily scented stores?
They are going to have to be much better at pricing if they want to be the tech playground.
I think RadioShack’s new ad will be effective in breaking through clutter. I’m not certain it will establish RadioShack as the brand or further reinforce Beats Pill. Although I find a certain “ick” factor to the commercial, it’s for others, consumers notwithstanding, to identify with the message…or not.
RadioShack has for years been the neighborhood go-to destination for technology emergencies and occasional other purchases. Successfully positioning it as a “technology playground” creates an opportunity for more visits by a broader shopper base and consequently more purchases such as the Pill.
I just wish the commercial wasn’t so demeaning to women and consequently to RadioShack.
RadioShack has a long way to go in order to reposition itself. The ad (and the focus on “Beats” product) is one step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done.
Right now RadioShack is plagued by an image as “the store in the local strip center carrying a bunch of random tech supplies that I can buy cheaper at Amazon”…not a good place to be. But some focus, narrowing of assortments and specialization do allow RadioShack to take advantage of its “non-big box” format. One bold place to start a repositioning campaign might be with the company’s brand name itself.
The spot certainly is different from past RadioShack advertisements, but it’s not enough to change the store’s image. RadioShack needs to tell its core story. Consumers need to know why they should visit their local store. Being the local technology playground is not enough. Too many other stores, online and offline, offer the same technology, often at lower prices and with better customer service.
RadioShack certainly achieved the shock factor with their new ad. If I did not know before I watched it that it was RadioShack, I would not have thought it was and the ad does not really put the RadioShack name out there. I think a large portion of viewers will not even get that it is an ad for RadioShack.
As to the slime factor, I can only assume that I am not the target audience for the ad because it makes me want to avoid RadioShack.
Sure, it’s a step in the right direction, but now they’ll have to deliver at retail as well. At the moment, their stores are sterile, technical and populated by nerds….which is a long way from what the commercial depicts. As a matter of fact, I don’t ever recall seeing a single female employee in my “neighborhood technology playground.”
It will be interesting to see if/how they address all the other “P’s” = place, people, product, etc. Long way to go right now.
Certainly, it’s better than the old image (which was what?). I think the “Lets Play” theme is a good one for RS. If you think about it, RS’s function for years has been to help people play, it’s just that no one thought of it that way. With this invitation, I can see the stores becoming the “place” to go to find solutions to my play problems.
It sure presents a new image. If they can make the stores as hip as the ad, they will hopefully survive and grow. It’s just maybe too little too late.
If consumers are drawn in, what will they experience and how will they respond? I’m thinking they will experience what got and keeps RadioShack in trouble. RadioShack management needs to [address] store issues before conducting a high priced cattle call.
This direction sort of smells like Ron Johnson and JCP to me. Although Mr. Johnson had some great ideas and the stores look great, he tried to jump to a new customer base too soon and lost the old.
The concept of being the neighborhood technology playground is much more in keeping with their roots and the look and feel of the brand.
They can attract the younger customer base by showing how they can put together their own cool stuff while not losing the current base. I can see gaming, competition, style your own, all that stuff young people will love.
After all, I built my first computer from a RadioShack kit. The Sol 80!
Really Madison Ave? Is this “cutting edge” or aspirational or trendy — or simply gross? In the wake of Kmart’s ship my pants commercial, was it just me to see the way these are portrayed as sex toys? RS can try to attract the young crowd all they want, but they might just be ronjohnsoning the brand.
To wit, you never start with the marketing for a makeover; you start with the customer experience in the store.
This is not the RadioShack we have learned to question about having a plan for the future other than terminating long term employees as a plan to return to profitability. It certainly is creative. Let’s see what comes next and the resulting affect on sales before we make a judgement.
As my son would suggest, looks like a bunch of pseudo-hip creatives trying to convince the “younger generation” that RadioShack is cool.
There’s nothing really very meaningful here. Beats are widely available. Perhaps this particular product is unique to RadioShack, but you’d never know that from the ad.
Meaning is what builds brand, not coolness. And that’s true for all age levels — although what’s meaningful will change among them.
By the end of the commercial I still had no idea what was being advertised, and only then learned that RadioShack was the advertiser. And yay!, I get a free download of a Robin Thicke song ($1.29 on Amazon).
Scantily-clad models and an overtly phallic product. Yeah, that’ll work. This commercial sends an entirely inappropriate message and is such a departure from the current RS image as to be unbelievable and non-credible. I’d advise smaller steps.
WRONG! The best thing RS has going for it is store locations. Mr. Magnacca would be advised to spend money on stores making them more consumer friendly and useful, and training employees to be infinitely more knowledgeable about products and technology solutions.