AO.com is a an online retailer specialising in electronic goods, it was started in 2000 by John Roberts who was bet £1 that he could not start a business, it was originally called Appliances Online and initially it sold kitchen appliances on behalf of major retail stores. The business then purchased a distribution company giving it a delivery capability.
This was an internet business and faced significant competition from both online and retail outlet businesses. To differentiate itself and to add value to the customer touchpoint experience the business invested in a video production studio to create product reviews for its web presence.
The company at this time was building its social media and web presence and had an ‘appliances online’ and ‘appliance reviews’ websites.
By 2013 the businesses Facebook page had reached 1 million likes, it was at this time the business was rebranded to be the AO.com we see today and this was when it started selling small electrical appliances and offering a same day delivery service.
The AO.com rebrand was a significant marketing exercise as it affected all parts of the business and customer experience. The new logo had a happy smile which was a good brand identifier.
AO.com brand DNA is what drives all aspects of the business and that is ‘Everything we do revolves around our devotion to happiness and amazing customer service’. AO.com unique selling point is that it will deliver seven days a week at a time that suits you and for a cost can do same day delivery if required.
What differentiates AO.com from its competitors is that fact that it has its own delivery network which means that deliveries are not outsourced to third party companies, also this means that the customer has more accurate tracking for the parcel being delivered. Thinking about this customer interaction which can be frustrating for a lot of us, the fact that you can track the truck that is delivering your product is important and imagine that this is on Christmas Eve when your oven has broken and the truck has the replacement. What you will get is an AO.com branded vehicle with two AO.com employees who will deliver at a time you choose , unbox and install the new electrical item. This extremely satisfied customer will in most cases tell their friends and neighbours about their positive experience and this amplifies the brand resonance.
AO.com brand identity is all about customer service and it establishes an ongoing relationship with its customers by offering an aftercare and repair service, it also provides buying guides on the website as well as product care and lifestyle advice.
Looking at the AO.com website what is the prominent thing that you see displayed? It is a Trustpilot rating of 9.5 / 10 based on 74000 reviews, what a way to show to a new customer that the brand deserves their trust.
The website then has an embedded app which helps you find the appropriate product to fit your need, this is very useful as for a lot of online retailers the wide range of similar products can be confusing. There is also a chat window where the customer can talk to a staff member who can give additional advice and support.
But also here AO.com display an important price promise in that they will not be beaten on price by any other retailer. This is another way of attracting new customers and with good service retaining existing ones.
AO.com has become the sponsor of Britain’s Got Talent which is exceptionally popular amateur talent show and this markets the brand to a wide audience and is on a programme that is a major object of discussion in families and with friends. Being the sponsor of this event leverages the AO.com brand awareness. Especially as AO.com will have its television advert screened during the BGT advertising breaks which is a very effective way to make more people aware of the brand.
AO.com makes effective use of the social media channels and its FB page has reached 1.7 million likes. The AO FB page is brilliant, along with promoting products for sale it offers food recipes (this is the Wimbledon tennis tournament so the latest is strawberry tarts and cream). Then there are the competitions, the latest is for people to upload pictures of their pets to win a handheld vacuum cleaner. Also you will find instructions to make a gaming beanbag and you can find a picture of the Queen with her coat photo shopped to be the AO.com brand colour. What is also good is that when you access the AO.com FB page the messaging app is launched and you have the chance to talk to an AO.com employee.
The serious point is by making the FB site fun with interesting content and competitions make it sticky and this allows products and promotions to be marketed without changing the page experience.
The AO.com Twitter page reflects the content on the FB page but much more importantly is a forum for customers to interact with the business, here you can see customers asking for help with a problems and you can see a AO.com employee promptly responding and providing help. Reviewing a business’s Twitter feed is a good way of identifying if you can trust that business and in that way AO.com exceeds. The Twitter feed is not all problems as there are recipes, funny videos and competitions along with product promotions. Again this makes the site sticky and increases interest in the business.
AO.com has a presence on the other social media sites where there is common content , however the AO.com Instagram site is very different. Here we have an artistic lifestyle space where people can upload pictures, however this is a subtle promotion for the AO.com lifestyle platform which is an organic companion to the retail space as it is a subtle way of nudging people toward products even though they have visited this site for lifestyle advice.
Lets not forget that this business bought a video production company and they make full use of this which adds significant value towards their brand. They have a dedicated you tube channel which shows product reviews, TV adverts, how to guides, food and drink recipes etc. Again this makes the site sticky and promotes the brand.
There is a consistent brand message and brand identity present across all touch points and media channels.
References
AO Retail Limited (http://ao.com/)
Bucko 