Partnership is a first for retail sector

M3 has joined forces with one of the UK’s leading point-of-sale and visual merchandising display specialists to provide an industry first.

The full-service advertising agency, which has offices in Birmingham, London and Wolverhampton, has signed a strategic collaboration with SDI that is promising to transform the way retailers and brands deliver the best possible customer experience.

It is anticipated that the end-to-end solution will give clients a single point of contact for all their POS systems and display work, from the initial design and marketing planning to the manufacture, install and digital disruption that will drive traffic and improved sales.

This new approach is expected to generate £2.5m of new sales, with the possibility of creating up to 10 jobs across the two businesses.

“It’s a partnership that makes perfect sense; we’re pretty much fusing together the best of the advertising, marketing and digital world with experts in point of sale and retail displays,” said Nick Lovett, managing director of M3.

“What would normally happen is that the retailer or brand would use one, two or even three agencies to come up with the plan and the idea, then attempt to bring in a display specialist to try to make it happen. As many people in the sector will tell you, this can lead to a lot of failed dreams and expensive mistakes.

“What we are doing with this collaboration is offering a single solution where both parties are involved from the outset. This will help us deliver our value-added expertise earlier on in the process and should speed up lead times, be more cost effective for the customer and, importantly, unlock customer engagement.

“We already work with Marston’s, F1 Autocentres and Harley Davidson, while SDI have a client book that features some of the world’s largest brands, including Dior, Harrods, Marks & Spencer and Tesco.”

The partnership approach seems to be working, with the first client signed up to use this new solution.

ROKiT, a new player in the 3D smartphones marketplace, has appointed M3 and SDI to look after the fit-out and digital engagement strategy for the first of many retail outlets.

Matt Evans, retail sales director at SDI, said: “We are really excited with this collaboration and believe it gives us a natural partner to help us move our business to the next level. All retailers and brands are looking for their displays to work harder so they get the consumer engaged, drive footfall, promote special offers and deliver successful proximity marketing. Our collaboration gives them a clear way of achieving the best of both worlds.”

2019 is a big year for SDI as it celebrates 40 years of creating, making and installing point-of-sale and visual merchandising retail displays.

The firm, which employs over 100 people and is on course for £13m sales, operates from a 75,000 sq. ft design and manufacturing facility in Loughborough that offers in-house joinery services, metal and acrylic fabrication.

Pictured: From left, Stuart Tilley (SDI), Glen Pawson, Nick Lovett (both M3), Ian Wright, Matt Evans and Ashley Parr (all from SDI)