When HP wanted to build genuine brand love across its full ecosystem, we created HP Crush, a sales enablement programme designed to engage, educate and reward retail teams across One HP.
How HP Crush turned training into measurable retail growth
THE CHALLENGE
HP needed a way to drive engagement and sales across its complete product ecosystem, while building lasting brand advocacy at store level rather than short-term spikes. The ambition was clear from the outset: engage teams, educate them on the full HP range, and reward the behaviours that drive sell-out.
HOW DID IT START?
RDM TRAINING WORKSHOPS WITH DEMO KITS
- HP Regional Development Managers (RDMs) delivered hands-on workshops using demo kits, ensuring every team member could confidently showcase and train in-store staff across HP’s complete product ecosystem
- Workshops and drop-in sessions were supported by the HP Crush Academy app, created by our sister agency, Cyphr, to drive knowledge, engagement and customer trust while directly supporting sell-out
- Early results proved the model worked: 24% knowledge uplift through workshops, 93% of stores engaged, and over 28k staff trained across PC, Print and Peripherals through workshops and drop-in visits
HOW FAR HAS IT COME?
What began as a programme focused on in-store activations has scaled in budget, activity and incentives, including reward trips, gamified learning and in-person events. The existing activity remains ongoing and performing, while the programme has scaled to encompass new layers such as the NYC incentive trip, recurring Gaming Experts gamified training, YOUniverse live events and the Store of the Year recognition.
GAMING EXPERTS
- Gamified learning proved so popular in its first run that it’s now a recurring feature of the programme
- The “Gaming Experts Enhanced” escape room ranked #1 out of 12 competitors for best execution, validating the format as a repeatable engagement tool
NYC INCENTIVE TRIP
- A sales enablement incentive tied performance directly to rewards: the more sales a Currys colleague made, the more raffle entries they earned
- The 10 top-performing staff won an all-inclusive long weekend in New York, including Times Square, Grand Central Station, The Lion King on Broadway, a helicopter tour, a baseball game and the top of the Rockefeller
YOUniverse
- Four events brought to life by our own and KRU Live’s energetic team, where retail teams took part in immersion zones (Game Your Way, Get Creative, AI Playground, Your Goals), completing tasks tracked via the app with an HP tech bundle as the incentive
- A live, app-connected experience that deepened product fluency, strengthened ecosystem selling and drove uplift across premium PC, volume and accessories sales
- 375 attendees took part across four events, with 79% completing all zones and a 4.7/5 overall experience score
STORE OF THE YEAR
- 10 Stores of the Month were crowned in 2025, each nominated by HP RDMs for outstanding training, compliance and sales impact
- Two semi-finalists received a final review and tour from HP and Blue Square teams
- Across all Currys plc stores covered in the UK and Ireland, Currys Merry Hill was named the ultimate winner
THE IMPACT
Every layer of HP Crush was designed to make engagement measurable rather than passive. Through the HP Crush Academy app, workshop attendance, knowledge checks and drop-in visits were tracked, turning training activity into verifiable participation and clear business impact. What began as a single in-store training activation has since evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem of learning, gamification, live events and rewards, driving sustained engagement, stronger brand advocacy and measurable retail growth.
It’s performed so well that HP Crush 1.0 won Silver at FMBE 2024 for Most Effective Retail Experience.
But don’t just take our word for it; let the impact do the talking.
28k+
total staff trained across workshops and drop-in visits
24%
knowledge uplift delivered through workshops
1,400
HP Crush vouches achieved
98.5
NPS score
93.7%
completion rate on HP Crush Academy app
9.92/10
feedback score on HP Crush app
248
Group sessions completed by RDMs, reaching 93% of stores engaged in workshops
73%
of seeded stores outperformed the market YoY average
WHAT'S NEXT
HP Crush continues to evolve into 2026. Local Heroes (Life Goals) is coming next, a new activation adding a “for good” dimension to Crush 3.0. We’re also launching Crush Academy, HP’s first-ever training engagement application, and preparing for the next round of YOUniverse events in September.