Fitch helps launch Vodafone in Qatar Using a bold approach to retail design


In the latest stage of an ongoing five-year global relationship, Fitch has been working with Vodafone to start-up its latest venture in Qatar – launching a fresh new Vodafone brand from scratch and revolutionising their approach to retail design and consumer engagement.
 
Vodafone Qatar launched in July 2009 with a target to become the country’s most-admired company. This is the first time in over 10 years that Vodafone have entered a new market without buying and rebranding an existing operator - launching an entirely new business and brand with all operations and communications channels going live in parallel.
 
The launch was pre-empted by the existing state-owned incumbent, Qtel, which bought up all ATL media space for the next 3 years to try and neutralise the competitive threat before it had even arrived. A truly unique set of circumstances.
 
As a consequence, the launch has been driven by a mix of retail experience and traditional and non-traditional media channels. The market acted as a test bed for a new high-value focussed launch strategy. Led by Alasdair Lennox, Fitch Design Director, we worked with Michael Portz, Vodafone Qatar CMO, and alongside a multi-agency team to set and deliver this strategy. Our brief from the client was specifically to create a space moved far beyond the standard way telecommunications retailing is generally approached, to set new standards in the category.
 
The core focus has been on developing a world-class customer experience that is alive, brand focused and centred around retail. A major advancement on from the Vodafone standard global store format (also designed by Fitch), Vodafone Qatar’s three flagship stores (known as “icon” stores) act as high-tech and interactive brand experiences – immersing consumers in the new brand in a country where retail is a major national past time. The level of in-store experience has helped to create enormous buzz around the launch, amplified by online communications and press activity.
 
The stores bring the exciting, rich and colourful world of Vodafone Qatar to the varied and international population of the country, using interactive digital media to communicate changing features on F1, music, sport and exclusive merchandise. Unlike creating a retail space for an existing brand, the focus of this environment, given that it’s a new challenger entering the market, was all about customer acquisition.

To facilitate this, the retail design concept is centred around a focal ‘ignition point’ in the centre of each store which is brought to life with an electric and bold design language that becomes a metaphor for the start of an exciting new world that the customer is joining.  Customers entering the store are channelled into the centre of this spark, where they can either be attended to by Vodafone staff, or browse the


offer unaided via a series of touchscreen self-service units providing digital and printed product information.

The central idea of the ignition point unites the entire store – walls, ceilings and floor all designed to draw the customer into the central area where they can join.  Unique design features include:
•    Seamless interior furniture – all store workings are hidden or recessed to ensure nothing detracts from the flow towards the central ignition point, including innovative magnetic modular wall bays along both sides.
•    An angular design language to bring the ignition spark to life in the environment, with premium mirrored finishes to appeal to the regional customers and convey the energy and vitality of the Vodafone brand personality.
•    Breaking with convention, the handsets are not given primary consideration in the space. The focus is very much on acquiring customers for Vodafone as a whole, rather than just enticing them with the latest gadgets.
•    The carefully placed lighting reflects off the reflective surfaces, enhancing the overall look and feel of the space and adding to the spark effect.
•    The front of the store features an extremely large supergraphic vinyl, the largest Fitch has ever created.
This is also the first time that Vodafone have used just the iconic “speech mark” as a sole brand identifier on the front of the store without the logotype. The entrance of the store also clearly showcases Vodafone Qatar’s new brand positioning statement - “It’s a big world, jump in”.
 
In order to connect with every demographic, six smaller standard stores, numerous mall-based retail kiosks, and a fleet of custom designed “nomadic retail” trucks that travel to villages and worker camps have launched simultaneously. This has allowed Vodafone to activate the new brand exclusively through retail and online activity, whilst at the same time using the stores for their main purpose –connecting Qataris and expatriates with an exciting global community.

Although clearly referencing the Vodafone parent brand, Vodafone Qatar’s forward-looking format strategy means that each of these retail experiences has been specifically developed for the unique needs of this market.
 
“Vodafone Qatar and our stores are full of vitality, energy, and positivity. Our customers love the fresh and bold way in which Vodafone provides a premium world-class-kick-ass retail experience. This has been a major brand statement part of our launch in this exciting market.”
Michael Portz, Chief Marketing Officer, Vodafone Qatar
 
“This groundbreaking approach to a brand launch is testament to what can be achieved with world-class creativity and a bold client with a single minded vision of what they want to achieve”
 Alasdair Lennox, Design Director, Fitch London



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