British Consumer Champion Which? Enters a New Era of Building Trust

After more than 65 years, British not-for-profit organization Which? has come to describe itself as “the consumer champion.” The platform focuses on researching and reporting consumer issues, offering product tests, reviews and expert recommendations from a place of independence.

With a monthly average of 9 million visitors a month to its site (based on the last six months), the organization’s audience tends to skew around 35-64 years old, with 91% recently responding to research that told Which? that they found its Cost of Living crisis content “useful” as they try to navigate the soaring cost of energy and food.

Now, in an age of disinformation and uncertainty, the organization has undergone a brand refresh to underline its relevance and to promote the trustworthy actionable advice it offers to people.

Helping consumers make the right choices

While it offers varying subscription packages, Which? also offers a range of free-to-access content to support people in making purchasing decisions. That ranges from online articles that include consumer rights advice to several podcasts that publish weekly. It also employs journalists and mystery shoppers as part of its arsenal of consumer truth.

“It’s about reminding people that we’re there and we can help them make the right choice,” Kat Chinnock, head of brand and communications planning for Which?, explained to Adweek on the campaign’s aim. “With all this misinformation-and we’ve been there for so long-we’ve got this sort of wealth of free advice and support that to help people with and save money with.”

A mixture of agencies have developed the campaign, including branding agency ODA, advertising agency Brave Spark and media agencies Goodstuff and Brainlabs.

Also being promoted through the six-week campaign is a new visual identity which saw branding agency ODA work with Which?’s in-house creative team to develop. That includes a “masterstroke,” which aims to convey more confidence, filling the space between the brand’s “W” and its famous question mark as it challenges people to fill in the gap while signaling the breadth of answers available through the platform.

“Previously, we’ve not really had anything ownable,” claims Chinnock around the brand assets and the introduction of the short logo.

The home of answers

The campaign plans focus around a “takeover” London to turn it into “the home of answers” explained Chinnock with a series of four special build activation QR codes at key locations across the city. These include a parking ticket build on Mare Street where more tickets are received here than any other street in London. That will offer advice on how to appeal having received a ticket.

Another will be made with moss and will be positioned on the way to the Chelsea Flower Show, which talks about attracting more bees to a garden, while in Southbank, a jigsaw ad will offer advice on free family days out. And a fourth in Shoreditch will work at night with a focus on insomnia tips using UV rays. There will also be flyposting around irreverent locations across London offering insights on the things Which? does.

While live campaign activities will take place in London starting May 22, these will be amplified to the rest of the U.K. through social media channels.

That will include promoting the London activations as well as creating bespoke videos for the website’s landing page from the OOH QR Code special build, while also getting involved pre-launch of posting fly posters too.

We really just want people to know about us and know about what we do. We want to be your trusted home for everyday advice.

—Kat Chinnock, head of brand and communications planning, Which?

Brainlabs also secured broadcaster Laura Whitmore, who previously hosted Love Island on ITV as well as her own BBC Radio 2 show, to amplify some of the activations. A range of other influencers will work to further amplify the campaign across the U.K. over the course of the six-week period too with a Home of Answers day also being planned for Manchester.

Further activity for the campaign will include out of home posters, radio and digital advertising bringing to life the ‘Get Answers’ brand idea.

Increasing brand relevance

While subscriptions are vitally important to Which?, driving those numbers will not be one of the KPIs for this campaign, even in such a “tough environment” as now for digital publishers, reveals Chinnock. Measurement will focus on relevance and increasing brand consideration and regular site visits, including through search.

“We want people to start using us more regularly and get that sort of repeat traffic to the site as well to prove that we are there for more than just that one-time washing machine purchase, or we can help with a sort of variety of everyday things,” said Chinnock.