Generating awareness with suppliers and international consumers through a highly successful B2B and B2C coverage campaign supported rapid expansion for Vitis PR’s mobile accessories retail client.
Vitis PR was hired by Mobile Fun, the UK’s leading online mobile accessories retailer, in July 2010 to generate awareness with suppliers and, in turn, help the business to grow, both in the UK and internationally.
Mobile Fun is now a leading international online retailer of accessories for mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices. Headquartered in Birmingham, UK, with a product range of 8,500 mobile accessories sourced from over 170 suppliers, Mobile Fun is firmly established as a market leader within the competitive mobile, smartphone and tablet sectors, providing ‘Everything First’.
This position is thanks to the company’s rapid international expansion over the past four years. Vitis PR has worked to position the company nationally as a leading specialist retailer and communicate its global growth across key mobile trade, national and technology media.
Challenges
- Mobile Fun wanted to raise its profile to attract suppliers and promote its tagline of ‘Everything First’, allowing it to become the first choice for consumers seeking mobile accessories with a wide range of products.
- Competition from other retailers for limited space in trade media meant Mobile Fun required a tech-savvy agency to boost its profile with key audiences and to source ongoing editorial opportunities that would be read by suppliers and customers alike.
- Mobile Fun wanted to share its expertise with target audiences across the UK and internationally, so an integrated approach was required.
Solution
Vitis PR was selected by Mobile Fun due to its experience within relevant industry sectors such as mobile trade and retail.
The Vitis PR team offered Mobile Fun an all senior level team with a proven track record in supporting large, and start-up, technology and ecommerce companies.
Working with Mobile Fun’s internal marketing team from day one, Vitis PR created an ongoing, flexible schedule of news stories and profile opportunities to ensure that the company secured and maintained a strong share of voice in the mobile trade and retail media. Awards activity also helped to raise the retailer’s profile.
Vitis PR also used marketing collateral and product reviews to generate profiles on the company.
From releases on Mobile Fun’s international offices opening and new sister websites being launched to award entries with mobile and retail trade events, Vitis PR drafted, organised approval, issued and followed up news, ensuring that mentions were gained in top tier media.
Mohammed Hussain, Managing Director
“Vitis PR team's understanding of the technology and mobile industries has been a key benefit to us. The agency has its finger on the pulse of the technology and mobile industries – the team's knowledge of the media in the mobile and tech sectors is a real advantage. This has been essential in helping us achieve our two main aims: raising company and management profiles in the business press while promoting our services to potential B2B customers.
“I'm delighted with Vitis PR's work on promoting our brand. The team's hard work and excellent writing skills have helped us put together excellent award entries - leading to our wins including the prestigious Mobile News awards for 'Online Retailer of the Year'.”
Results
- Mobile Fun is now known as the UK’s leading international mobile accessories online retailer
- Articles on the company have appeared in trade titles such as Internet Retailer, Retail Week, Direct Commerce, Mobile Today, Mobile Choice, Mobile Magazine, Mobile News) regional (Birmingham Post, Midlands Insider, The Business Desk, Midlands Business News), national media (The Telegraph, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, The Guardian, Sunday Times) and broadcast (The Gadget Show).
- Coverage of Vitis PR’s international expansion press release appeared within all target mobile and retail trade media. This coverage was supported with by-lined guest articles in Mobile Business, Mobile News, Retail Times and Growth Business, amongst others. These coverage successes led to Vitis PR pitching the topic and securing interviews with national media such as The Telegraph, which appeared as a double page spread, and The Guardian.
- Positioning Mobile Fun as a market leader following its initial expansion into Europe, Vitis PR also used this topic to secure speaking opportunities at retail events such as Internet Retailing Expo 2011.
- The company has continued to grow, taking on a distribution arm in the form of Accessory Lab, which has given Vitis PR the chance to work with Mobile Fun on its consumer relations, pitching and securing product reviews with The Digital Lifestyle, eSeller News, Fortitude Magazine, Auto Express, Mobile Choice and PC Advisor, amongst others, and competitions with media including Tech Radar plus comments on breaking news stories online with PC Retail and blogs such as Tracy and Matt and LondonMums.
- Vitis PR also worked closely with Mobile Fun’s internal management and marketing teams to draft award-winning submissions for various awards, including, amongst others ‘Online Retailer of the Year’ at the Mobile News Awards 2011 and 2012, ‘Best Online Business (Consumer)’ at ECMOD Awards 2012, the Online Retail Awards 2011 and 2012 ‘Computers and Telecommunications’ category and What Mobile’s ‘Best Accessory Retailer’ in 2012 and 2013. The company was also a finalist in the Online Retail Awards 2013 and the Retail Week Enterprise Awards 2013 and won ‘Online Retailer/Website of the Year’ at 2014’s Mobile Choice Accessories Awards.