SVI Magazine May Issue 72 - Draper Group Ltd

SVI WORLD CUP SALES
Football Fever
SVI kicks off the pre-World Cup sales push with
a look at the products and promotions
that can boost your profits this summer...
In case you haven’t heard the news, it’s almost time
for the 19th World Cup. Why is that relevant to SVI?
Well, FIFA’s four-yearly carnival of football might be first and
foremost a celebration of sporting prowess, and secondly an
excuse for the English to renew the bitter rivalries they’ve
spent the last 2000 years cultivating with the majority of the
nations on Earth, but it’s also a focus for global business and
a beacon of hope for retailers.
Taking advantage of the hype generated by the
prospect of another quarter final exit at the hands of a
resurgent France and Le Hand of God will be the intention
of businesses from brewers to garden gnome manufacturers
(and we have the press release to prove it), but for those in
the AV trade it represents an unrivalled opportunity to sell
upgrades to a nation of armchair football fans desperate to
immerse themselves in the action.
The possibilities for tempting customers with new
flatscreens or projectors are clear to see, but related
products such as mounting solutions and alternative routes
to tuning in such as DAB shouldn’t be ignored either. Over
the following three pages, we look at a selection of the
products likely to get consumers reaching for their wallets
and some of the promotions manufacturers are introducing
to help retailers secure the sale.
FREEVIEW HD
Customers desperate for hi-def international football
have an option besides Freesat and Sky: Freeview
HD. Like Freesat, Freeview HD offers viewers access
to free-to-air HD channels; unlike Freesat, a standard
TV aerial is all that’s required (other than compatible
receiver – either a separate set-top box or Freeview
HD TV), to receive it; and, what’s more, it offers 4HD
on top of the BBC HD and ITV 1HD Freesat roster.
As you’d expect, there’s a catch – this being
that Freeview HD coverage is languishing at
around the 50% mark, a figure that won’t have
improved by the time the World Cup hits. On
top of this, there’s a decided lack of Freeview HD
products at the moment. Humax is offering the
only box (see What’s New? for details), whilst
Panasonic, Sony and Sharp are the only flatscreen
manufacturers to embrace the technology to date
(the former is reported to have Freeview HD Bluray
recorders coming to market too but, again,
not in time for this summer’s festival of football).
Despite these issues, Freeview HD remains a
tempting proposition, one that should entice those
capable of receiving it over the coming weeks.
Visit: www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/HD
Panasonic’s TX-P42G20B, one of the few screens with
integrated Freeview HD currently available
14 www.svimag.com
TOSHIBA ‘ENGLAND EXPECTS’ PROMOTION
Toshiba must have mixed emotions
about the World Cup. On the
one hand its ‘England Expects’
promotion – which offers customers
a full refund on the price of
their new Full HD 1080p Regza
TV (32-inches and over), and/
or Intel i3, i5 and i7 processorequipped
laptop, should Capello’s
men go on to lift trophy in July
– may well tempt many patriotic/
optimistic types to invest in the lead-up to
the event; on the other, if England actually
shake off the disappointments of the last 44
years and bring football home, they could
be in line for a fairly hefty financial hit.
The promotion was launched in early
April by a, presumably breathless, Chris
Kamara, and conditions, of course, apply.
The offer is open to those buying between
April 12th and June 10th, and products must
be registered at www.toshiba.co.uk/england
within seven days of purchase to qualify.
“This summer we will see one of the
world’s most important football events, and
VIVITEK
Projector manufacturer Vivitek is getting
into the World Cup spirit by packaging
selected models in football-themed boxes,
designed to encourage both consumer and
dealer demand over the next few weeks.
Models included in the promotion are the
1080p H1080 and H1085, plus mobile/
business models D510 and D511. With both
the H1085 and the D511 having received
glowing reviews in the consumer press
in recent times, you can expect them to prove popular.
Contact: +44 (0)871 984 3225 | www.rapesco-av.com
we wanted to do as much as we
could to demonstrate our passion
and really get behind the England
team,” explained Matt McDowell,
Marketing Director, Toshiba
Information Systems (UK) Ltd.
“We’re exceptionally proud to be
backing the team with the ‘England
Expects’ promotion, and it will give
fans an added incentive to enjoy
this summer’s finals and celebrate
with the squad if they are successful. The
England team has a great chance at this year’s
tournament, and as official consumer electronics
supplier, we’ll be supporting them all the way.”
At the time of writing, SVI can confirm
that www.toshiba.co.uk/spain and www.
toshiba.co.uk/brazil are, sadly, not online...
Contact: +44 (0)20 7332 9888
www.toshiba.co.uk/england