The parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose has finished a year of significant investment in its brand and staff with a huge hole in its pocket – weighed down by a sharp 56% decline in non-food profit.
Both John Lewis and Waitrose increased sales in the run-up to Christmas, however they say it is too early to tell what impact the festive campaigns had on both brands.
The two brands are increasingly focusing on connecting their businesses following their rebrand, with loyalty the next area where they see potential common ground.
Retailer promises to speed up pace of innovation after a challenging year that saw profits plummet and its staff bonus fall to the lowest level in 63 years.
While marketing alone is not enough to turn around a business, if the two retailers can use the rebrands to help propel more strategic initiatives, aimed at bolstering the business in the long term, it can help them prepare for challenges and opportunities in the sector.
The annual study from Kantar Millward Brown reveals consumers have responded better to simple Christmas stories than blockbuster ads this year.
The eight 10-second ads will each feature a different brand with a different Elton John song that relates to the product.
Tongue-in-cheek spot from Waitrose shows a family fast-forwarding through the new John Lewis ad because they simply can’t wait to eat some festive Waitrose fare.
John Lewis made the decision to “turn left” for this year’s Christmas campaign, according to its customer boss Craig Inglis. But do marketers think that shift in creative has worked, both in terms of engagement and driving sales?
Elton John has replaced the likes of Moz the Monster and Buster the Boxer this year after John Lewis pushed its long-standing creative agency adam&eveDDB to try something new.
The 140-second ad, which tells the story of Elton John’s life after he received a piano for Christmas, marks a change in creative direction for the retailer although keeps its festive positioning focused on thoughtful giving.
Department stores are struggling to sustain profitable sales in the face of online competition and mounting property costs, which is impacting the brands they sell. So how can these high street stalwarts survive?
John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners are hoping the new visual identities will help reinforce their key point of difference in a challenging retail market and provide a halo effect for each brand.
