Best Buy hopes to combat sluggish tech sales with a focus on discovery and back-to-school ads starring brand character Gram.
Best Buy is vying to combat lacklustre tech sales with a brand refresh that arrives in time for the back-to-school shopping season, which is again expected to be a rough period for tech marketers. Spending by parents is forecast to fall 11% year over year in the tech category as kids head back to school, per Deloitte.
The unveiling of “imagine that.” is inspired by the evolving role that Best Buy plays in consumers’ lives. Consumers are looking less to the retailer for expertise, instead looking to it for help discovering new technology and understanding how it can elevate their lives. The tagline is centred around asking consumers, “What if?,” a question meant to help showcase new possibilities for how technology can be used.
“We’re embracing this change, and we’re excited about it, because we know it’s where our customers want us to go,” said CMO Jennie Weber in release details.
A modernised version of the brand’s tag will show up across a variety of channels. Notably, the brand is also introducing Gram, a “spokeshologram” who will be a regular character in the retailer’s ads to help spark curiosity and help with discovery. The character stars in a series of comedic back-to-school ads spanning TV, online and social media platforms.
The broader decline in tech spending has been reflected in Best Buy’s results: The retailer in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2025 reported a 6.1% decline in comparable sales. Discussing the results on an earnings call, CEO Corie Barry said Best Buy expects this year “to be a year of increasing industry stabilisation,” though the executive also noted that the retailer still faces challenges like inflation, high mortgage rates and the pull forward of tech purchases made during the pandemic that have lowered current demand.
Along with its refresh, Best Buy is also focusing on personalisation, including with the recent rollout of new features for its app that include a Discover tab, a personalised home page and personalised push notifications. The brand is also creating a new lineup of video content focused around discovery, tech tips, new products and more to satisfy the growing number of its customers who prefer video content when learning about technology, per release details. Over 500 videos — over three times more than what was shared last year — will be rolled out by the end of the year on the brand’s YouTube channel, the Best Buy app and its website.
Best Buy this summer and fall will introduce more experiential spaces in hundreds of its stores to showcase the latest tech, including from brands like GoPro, Tesla, Lovesac and Starlink. Through a partnership with Google Cloud, the retailer is focusing on offering more personalised tech experiences, including with a generative artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant. A partnership with CNET will also allow Best Buy to integrate editorial advice through various stages of the customer journey, including online, in-store and via the Best Buy app.
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