Kobo launches first UK TV push

Kobo, the e-reader company, is set to launch its first UK TV ad campaign, tapping into consumers’ passion for reading “above all else” rather than product functionality, as it looks to differentiate its brand from rivals such as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3VHY0P9C7Q

The TV ad, entitled “Reader’s Passion”, forms part of a global marketing push that as includes online, print and outdoor to recognise people that make reading a part of their daily lives, even when the environment around them could potentially be distracting. It was created by Toronto-based creative agency John St.

Kobo says its celebration of reading is an extension of the company’s vision to encourage people to read more often.

By contrast, Amazon’s Kindle UK TV advertising has tended to focus on functions such as its e-ink screen, storage and size.

Michael Serbinis, Kobo CEO, says: “More than 90 per cent of our customers read every week, with the majority of them reading every day, and we hope these initiatives will inspire more people to celebrate the written word and welcome it into their homes with their families.”

Kobo launched three years ago and since then has grown to more than 13 million customers across 190 countries, the company claims.

It is owned by Japanese retail company Rakuten, which bought Kobo in 2011. In the same year it formed a partnership to sell its e-readers exclusively on the UK high street with WH Smith, although its distribution has now spread to other retailers such as Argo and John Lewis.

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