Digital agency Code has scored another client coup with the news that Brother UK has taken on the firm as its online marketing agency. However, due to a potential client conflict Code has been forced to resign its Epson account.
Code reportedly came through a three-way pitch against Mediavest and McCanns to collect the brief and will now undertake a long-term strategy to push Brother’s printer product lines to the SME market.
This strategy is said to hinge on online brand marketing, site developments, usability and conversion work, SEO, PPC, affiliate partnerships and online PR in conjunction with Brother’s existing agency CityPress.
Both firms will also be investigating how to get the most of social networking channels in a way that benefits Brother.
Although the win is undoubtedly great news for the agency - especially as MD Tony Foggett described it as “huge” - it has been tempered a little by the fact that Code has been forced to resign its Epson business to avoid client conflict.
The Northern-Quarter based firm only picked up the Epson business, itself believed to be considerable, last year, going on to produce the Digigraphie site and provide creative support for the new 40th anniversary portal.
Brother: Advertising from Clear
However, the Brother opportunity was one that was clearly to good to miss, as Foggett took time out to explain to How-Do: “It's true that we have had to resign the Epson Account.
“It wasn't an easy decision as it represented a significant piece of business for us, but the Brother account not only presents us with an opportunity to provide our full service offer, it allows us to be in the driving seat of their digital strategy.”
In an official release from the firm Phil Jones, sales and marketing director for Brother, said of the motivation behind the review: "The UK printer market is one the most aggressive in Europe, with major brands fighting it out daily for a slice of the market.
"The aim of our digital agency review was to bring in a partner to help us to build our brand on the web and to capitalise on the opportunities the internet offers in the printer buying process to ultimately increase sales.”
He added that, in the final agency run off, Code’s track record in the retail sector with brands of the order of HMV and Waterstone’s “swayed our decision."
Foggett concluded that his team would now be focusing on helping to build the brand online and to “ultimately, increase sales.”
Audenshaw-based Brother has an established record of working with local agencies, including the aforementioned Citypress, TBWA\Manchester and Clear Marketing.
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