The Brief

With growth in smartphones and operating systems over the past few years had come increased competition and consumer choice. Consumers knew little about Android, Google’s mobile operating system and Android was lacking a physical retail presence to interact directly with consumers and promote their full range and brand story. In addition,Telstra wanted to promote the full range and features of the platform and mobile devices with an in store display. The objective was to educate consumers about Android, building brand awareness and increasing sales through driving a change in customer behaviour at the point of purchase.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We discovered a growing problem with the smartphone purchase process. It was confusing and overwhelming. So, we simplified things, a unique collaboration was formed between retailer: Telstra, 5 handset vendors: Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG and operating system developer: Google to create a world first retail Android experience. We created a story consumers could relate to and developed a strong theme to tie the brands and experiences together – Androidland. Traditional display spaces were transformed into an immersive Android experience featuring a spaceship, playground and marketplace designed to engage all the senses at Telstra’s flagship store in Melbourne.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Following the launch on December 2nd 2011 and a media spend of $0, Androidland quickly gained interest from around the globe with more than 400,000 mentions online, twitter reach of over 2 million, 700 followers on Google+ and numerous articles including The Australian, PC World, Engadget, Gizmodo, Trend Hunter and Wikipedia. Utilising facial recognition technology we measured an average foot traffic increase in store of 50%, up to 10,500 people interacted with the gesture and touch window each day and the sales mix for Android increased by 38%.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Creating an in-store experiential concept was the best and most relevant channel to influence consumers at the point of purchase. Within the retail experience consumers could interact with the Android brand and products freely, creating an engaging opportunity to educate the target market in a fun and immersive way. Telstra’s range of handsets and the Android operating system were explained through hands on interactions as well as animations, sample products and demonstrations by Google-trained brand ambassadors. This put the consumer in control of their experience and made the transition from play to purchase an easy one.