A European Product Expansion

Pure Electric, a trailblazer in e-mobility, faced the challenge of introducing their new range of e-scooters into the mature and competitive markets of France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg in Q2 of 2023 as part of their mission to make a massive positive impact on the planet.

They confronted multiple hurdles including stringent regulations, a plethora of established competitors, gaining the trust of a new customer base, and converting existing scepticism into acceptance. This required community engagement and customer education.

Faced with these challenges, Pure Electric turned to us to support with our extensive market insight and experience in executing successful product launches across Europe.

Entrusted with this responsibility, we had to undertake a multi-faceted task. The goal was to formulate and implement a robust strategy to position Pure Electric’s e-scooters as safe, sustainable, and convenient, fostering acceptance and enthusiasm in the retail environment.

This involved understanding the specific market dynamics of France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, the regulatory environment, and the competitive landscape. We also needed to address public scepticism towards e-scooters and unveil a campaign that would not only educate potential customers about the benefits of e-mobility but also foster community engagement.

Embracing the challenge head-on, we devised a multi-pronged strategy to address Pure Electric’s hurdles. We partnered with SiG Europe, a respected field marketing agency in France, to enhance execution capabilities.

A unified understanding between us and SiG Europe formed the foundation for our shared approach.

We took an innovative approach to solve Pure Electric’s challenges, focusing on the power of human touch in the retail environment. We carefully crafted and created the campaign strategy, recruitment personas required for a team of top talent, the crucial training blueprint and managed the overall project, whilst SiG Europe supported our strategy by recruiting the dedicated team of promoters and sales ambassadors who matched with our defined personas understood the cultural nuances and local retail landscape. This partnership combined our retail solutions expertise with SiG Europe’s on-ground insights and connections. We worked directly with the Pure Electric training team to equip and empower the promoters and sales ambassadors with the necessary product knowledge and customer relationship-building skills to effectively represent Pure Electric’s e-scooter range in retail.

Carefully selected individuals were placed in Pure Electric’s FNAC flagship store in Paris and other FNAC stores across nine French cities. Their mission was not just to sell e-scooters, but to act as brand ambassadors, embodying Pure Electric’s values and promoting the benefits of e-mobility. They debunked myths, addressed safety concerns, improved customer sentiment, and converted scepticism through personalised interactions. Promoters and sales ambassadors used various techniques to achieve these goals: showcasing the e-scooters and key features, engaging customers in conversations, and providing reassurance. Test-riding the e-scooters both on in-store test tracks and dedicated entire streets throughout Paris, proved pivotal in customers’ decision-making, alleviating doubts and fostering confidence. This interactive and experiential approach successfully transformed potential customers into confident Pure Electric adopters.

In parallel, Blue Square enhanced retail environments for Pure Electric in France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, updating Point-of-Sale (POS) fixtures to showcase e-scooters attractively.

The fixtures were designed to facilitate holistic interactions, with some displays featuring TV content to highlight key features. Customers were encouraged to touch, feel, and test-ride the vehicles, creating a dynamic shopping experience.

The campaign, from start to finish, was an incredible success.

Promoters in the FNAC flagship store in Paris delivered 425 demonstrations over five weeks, resulting in 12 e-scooter sales, a 3% conversion rate, and most sales being from Pure Electric’s premium range.

Sales ambassadors made significant contributions at mobility events held at various FNAC locations across France. They initiated 134 interactions and conducted 166 demonstrations, resulting in 9 sales with a conversion rate of 5%. These results demonstrate the crucial role of knowledgeable promoters in boosting product visibility, customer engagement, and sales.

Enhanced POS fixtures across Europe drove customer engagement and sales for Pure Electric’s e-scooters. Sleek designs, interactive components, and TV content differentiated them from the competition, contributing to increased customer engagement and sales.

Work on the fixtures started just two weeks after the initial brief, and store setups were completed in seven days, showcasing commitment to project timelines. Swift implementation ensured timely accessibility of Pure Electric’s products, boosting sales momentum.

Each E-scooter sale was a significant, considered purchase. In the decision phase, customers weighed up cost, brand perception, model, features, speed, battery life, weight, and foldability. Safety and legal considerations like helmet laws, age restrictions, and insurance were important factors, and maintenance, charging, and potentially insurance and registration were also sizeable commitments. Each individual e-scooter sale represented a huge success, showcasing the incredibly successful marketing and sales strategies crafted and delivered by us and SiG Europe.

Pure Electric was delighted with the results, “Blue Square provided us with a team of expert sales ambassadors who seamlessly integrated with ours, enhancing our capabilities and allowing us to engage in more meaningful interactions and demonstrations with customers, resulting in more sales and an improvement in customer sentiment towards our brand. They also supported us by sourcing updated POS fixtures for our E-Scooters which encouraged customers to more actively engage with our products and truly set us apart from the competition.”