While Carrefour will continue to leverage its price advantage as part of its regular communications strategy, the new drive, which launched over Chinese New Year, takes a more brand-oriented approach, according to Saatchi & Saatchi Taiwan chief executive officer Chris Fay.
“Now that Carrefour is such a large size, getting people to come into the stores and buy things for a low price is no longer the central issue,” he explained.
“It’s more about telling them that Carrefour can service all their needs.”
The campaign, titled ‘Guan Guan Carrefour’, which translates into ‘Discover Explore Carrefour’, broke with a national TV execution. It will be supported throughout the year by further mainstream media executions, including print, outdoor, online and POS.
The first spot shows a number of people in different situations who are enjoying the added benefits that the retailer can bring them. For example, in one situation, a bus driver on a cold night is finally warmed up by his Carrefour scarf.
“The commercial is not meant to be literal; it’s really less of an attempt to sell and more of a bid to show the warmth and glow of Chinese New Year,” said Fay.
“The branding effort is intended to continue, and consumers will see a message that shows you can enjoy life in Taiwan. In between bursts, we will be keeping our communications fresh, and we will continue to talk about price.”
Carrefour is aggressively expanding its operations in Taiwan, after a takeover of Tesco outlets last year, a move aimed at consolidating its market lead position against key competitors RT Mart and Geant, the second- and third- ranked hypermarket brands in Taiwan respectively.
The push comes after Wal-Mart acquired 35 per cent of Taiwan-based Bounteous for US$1 billion, with a view to expanding its interest in mainland China.
