Face to Face International announces extended reach in Berlin

Face to Face International, a leading specialist field marketing network for the consumer electronics industry, will be present at this year’s IFA conference (Berlin, 6 – 11 September) in Hall 9, Booth 101.1 where it will announce a doubling of its international operations to include Spain, Hungary, Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal and Luxembourg. This expansion consolidates the network’s position as one of the pre-eminent specialist field marketing services in Europe and promises to deliver best of breed field marketing coverage in all of the major European regions.

Specialist field marketing is currently undergoing a huge expansion, particularly within the consumer electronics and technology sectors. More and more brands now recognize how powerful face to face customer evangelism can be, at the retail point of sale. Going beyond its impact as an educational and awareness tool, it also has the ability to reduce the growing trend of ‘show-rooming‘, where customers browse products in retail stores before returning home to purchase online. By ensuring that knowledgeable, friendly sales-staff are on hand to answer questions and demonstrate brand benefits, customers are much more likely to make the purchase immediately, which also improves brand loyalty.

“Online purchasing continues to grow at a tremendous rate,” says Tony Hall, co-founder of Face to Face International and CEO of Channel Advantage UK, “But the major brands are increasingly turning to our European network’s expertise to ensure that their products receive the enhanced differentiation they deserve at the retail point of sale. People still feel a need to touch products before they buy, especially with the increasing complexity of consumer technology, which is why the traditional store based retail environment remains so important; and that’s where we make the difference.”

The expansion of the Face to Face network comes at a time when European retail faces its toughest challenge yet in the run up to the peak Christmas season. By offering a global, yet local approach to brand field marketing, the Face to Face network aims to give major brands a one stop shop for all of their strategic field marketing needs. The network, which now operates in 12 countries, delivers sales training, seasonal promoters, brand evangelists, compliance checks, shopper trends and competitor analysis, all under a single roof, and yet with the necessary regional flavour that ensures local strategies are implemented effectively.

The Face to Face network incorporates leading field marketing agencies in each region, each having a solid record of international experience and strategic expertise:

UK & Ireland – Channel Advantage

Germany, Austria & Switzerland – Jet Services

Benelux & Hungary – Think & Go

France – Alinea Europe

Spain & Portugal – LF Channel