Best Buy Packs the Same Bag for College

Best Buy reprised many of its previous tactics for its annual back-to-college effort, while adding new social and cause-focused elements.Online, the retailer is working with Donors Choose to provide technology equipment such as laptops and tablets to underserved classrooms by soliciting donations when shoppers complete their purchase on bestbuy.com from July 9 to Sept. 9.In stores, Best Buy largely is recycling its P-O-P package from last year. The retailer's “Tech to Impress” message appears on ceiling signs and header cards. Security shrouds and A-boards invite students to protect their devices with Geek Squad technical support services and offer special one-year coverage deals. Table displays merchandise graphing calculators from Texas Instruments and Microsoft student software bundles.Much of the signage also touts "student deals." The exclusive coupons are redeemable by texting a designated number, registering online or through the Best Buy mobile application.In addition, the retailer once again enlisted actor and comedian Adam Devine to star in a series of humorous how-to videos. (See below.) Most of the TV spots are brand agnostic but one spotlights Geek Squad.Online, an “Almost College University” student hub hosts the videos along with a series of irreverent “starter park” memes lampooning college stereotypes such as “the guy who brings his guitar to every frat party.” The memes appear alongside e-commerce links for relevant tech from Samsung, Garmin, HP and others.Numerous Facebook and Twitter updates from the retailer link to a student deals page within the hub touting coupons available for laptops from Microsoft and Apple as well as instant savings on other products, such as Insignia televisions and HP printers.A bevy of themed email blasts and circular features beginning mid-July extended the occasion past laptops and printers to spotlight connected home devices, wearables and appliances such as microwaves.Best Buy also reached out to a series of college-aged musicians, YouTubers, bloggers and other social influencers to promote Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 touch screen laptops powered by Intel. The influencers posted Twitter updates, some of which included custom videos, that linked to an e-commerce page within bestbuy.com offering up to $150 in savings on the product. A home page carousel ad linked to the page as well. The SKU also received prominent placement in emails and social media updates from the retailer.Radio spots, and display and banner ads on websites such as washingtonpost.com (many also picturing the Dell laptop) round out the effort.

Best Buy Packs the Same Bag for College

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