Freemans, owned by home-shopping giant Otto and originally famous as a catalogue business, is repositioning as a “vibrant digital department store”.
The changes go live today across Freemans’ operations including its website and app, and will be promoted on social media as well as on prime-time television for the first time.
The shift reflects and coincides with a move to put product at the heart of the proposition, including what Freemans chief customer officer Richard Cristofoli described as “the biggest influx of new product and brands in over 10 years”.
The marketing campaign uses the strapline #BeMoreFree and the intention is to shine a spotlight on Freemans’ status as “a leading multi-category digital destination with a breadth of new choice”.
Freemans has bolstered its stable of brands to include names such as Joules, Radley, Seasalt and Villeroy & Boch for the first time, and will launch a range in partnership with designer Julien Macdonald for spring next year.
Cristofoli, who was previously managing director for beauty, marketing and digital at Debenhams before joining Freemans earlier this year, said: “We’re incredibly excited about relaunching Freemans into the market at pace – we think there’s never been a better time for launching a vibrant digital department store backed by new product offer and a refreshed credit proposition.”
Other initiatives for the relaunch include a digital-first move away from paper, including the catalogue. Freemans has struck a deal with Mail Metro Media through which MailOnline and MetroOnline will create exclusive editorial content for the retailer.
Cristofoli said: “The reality is people carry the largest catalogue in the world in their pocket. It’s not about removing all paper but refocusing it on inspirational, magazine-like content and then letting the m-site and app do the catalogue and content role.”
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