Post Office ranks as one of UK's top brands
More than 80 per cent of consumers consider the Post Office(tm) to be helpful, easy to deal with and knowledgeable, according to new research conducted by Millward Brown.
The survey also found that the Post Office was recognised as more important to the community, helpful and trustworthy than established household names such as British Gas and Marks and Spencer as well as newer companies such as Amazon and Virgin.
“The Post Office is firmly established amongst the most powerful UK brands, showing that it is essential to people’s everyday life,” said Deborah Maxwell, Head of Brand and Marketing, Post Office Ltd. “This enables us to build relationships with potential and existing partners for the development of new products and services to offer a commercial future for subpostmasters and our branches.”
Television advertising, programme sponsorship and the ongoing re-design of in-store posters and leaflets have contributed in raising the brand’s profile and the wide range of products available from the Post Office at its branches, by telephone or from its website. The new campaigns are the result of a brand strategy developed by brand consultancy Marketplace, in partnership with the Post Office and implemented by the Post Office’s roster of agencies over the last 12 months.
Ashley Goodall, Development Director at Marketplace, added: “The survey clearly reveals the strength and popularity of the Post Office brand and suggests that they will be key assets to the company as it moves forward to compete in a deregulated, highly competitive market.”
“Over the past year, television advertising campaigns and the sponsorship of ITV’s `Wish You Were Here’ travel show have encouraged people to think differently about the brand and raise awareness of our products and services,” Deborah Maxwell continued. “They have also been successful in boosting sales; foreign exchange business grew by 250 per cent in 2001 while travel insurance sales jumped by 74 per cent. We will certainly build on this in the coming year to make life even easier for our customers.”
The Post Office is continuing its sponsorship of “Wish You Were Here”, which began a new series on 4 January 2001.
Notes to editors:
Millward Brown polled 400 consumers, 100 nationally representative small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 41 business partners of the Post Office during October 2001. Questions covered awareness of large UK companies, comparative brand image, the Post Office brand inventory, a rating of core brand and service values, awareness and usage of Post Office communications channels and services, suitability of online services as well as the frequency and nature of contact with the brand.
“Wish You Were Here” is broadcast at peak-time on ITV1. The programme has been running since 1973 and is now in its 29th series. It is seen by over 40 per cent of the UK population and regularly gains viewing figures of over 8 million people.
Established in 1985, Marketplace is one of the UKa€™s leading independent brand consultancies, integrating strategy, communications and environmental design. Post Office products and services can be accessed through its network of some 17,500 branches, via its website or by telephone. Around 28 million people visit the Post Office each week.
