CorpComms Magazine

'In the 1950s you could buy a kettle that could kill you,' reads the Which? website. 'People needed to know which products were safe.'

In 1957 Michael Young founded the Consumers' Association, now known as Which?, with the intention of providing the consumer with the information needed to purchase the right product. The first Which? magazine was put together in a converted garage in Bethnal Green, and saw 10,000 members enrol within a month.

With more than 700,000 members, Which? is now Europe's largest consumer rights organisation. It is trusted for its reliability and impartiality due to the fact that products are thoroughly tested over thousands of hours, and it receives no advertising or samples from any of the brands in question.

The organisation has spawned numerous magazines and books, and has also campaigned to achieve significant legislative milestones, such as making the wearing of seatbelts compulsory. It has even released a consumer rights iPhone application which provides users with useful information on the move, should they encounter difficulties with a retailer. Key information includes dealing with faulty goods, cancelling a contract and handling flight delays or cancellations.

Highlighting the positive

Over the years, Which? has become the go-to source for information on poor practice, from individual product faults, right up to more wide-reaching concerns like payment protection insurance or healthcare standards.

But in addition to campaigning against negative issues, the organisation has more recently sought to reward good quality products through its 'Best Buy' scheme. If a particular product or service stands up to rigorous comparative testing and analysis, it can achieve 'Best Buy' status. In other words, it receives the Which? seal of approval.

'We're known for standing up for consumers' rights,' explains Alex Ellis, head of external affairs at Which?. 'But the 'Best Buy' scheme is a way of making sure we're also seen in a positive way by consumers and companies alike. It's about recognising the best companies and products and saying Well done. But it's also about helping consumers at the point of sale.'

In 2007, the organisation went one step further, launching the 'Best Buy' icon licensing scheme. This allows companies which have been awarded 'Best Buy' status to purchase the 'Best Buy' icon in order to display it on promotional material relating to the relevant product or service.

'It is not a revenue generating scheme,' explains Ellis. 'The fee is very low in comparison to other schemes, which is deliberate, to make sure it's accessible to everyone. In keeping with the Which? ethos, we didn't want it to be an exclusive thing for those who can afford it.'

As Which? is a subscription-based organisation, the team were unsure how their members would react when they saw that the 'Best Buy' information usually reserved for publication solely to members, is now visible on products for all to see. But members have responded positively.

Meanwhile, brand tracking research has shown that consumers who have never subscribed but are aware of the 'Best Buy' icon have become more positive towards the brand as it is now more relevant to them and their families.

And ultimately, exposure of the icon benefits all consumers. 'Once some manufacturers see it, they want it too,' says Ellis. 'It helps us get into conversations with them about how they can improve their products [in order to obtain 'Best Buy' status]. They've made changes to their products as a result.'

A record year

During the past year, the external affairs team has expanded and developed the scheme, increasing its reach through a variety of creative and targeted marketing and promotional materials.

Sales of the icon have increased by 50 per cent since last year. This means that uptake of the logo has increased to 37.5 per cent of those eligible to buy it. Seventy per cent of consumers recognise the icon, up 22 per cent on the previous year, while 77 per cent said they would be likely to purchase a product if it carried a 'Best Buy' icon.

Research has shown that the icon is increasingly valued and coveted by brands. As such, the initiative has proven to be an extremely successful brand communications tool.

Ellis explains that building the brand was not one of the primary motivations when launching the scheme. But due to Which?'s independent status and the fact that much of its data is restricted to members only, the initiative represents a rare opportunity to use the Which? brand alongside a company's own brand. It has therefore become highly sought after.

'The Which? recommendation is like having a trusted friend giving unbiased advice,' says one happy company.

Even though brand building was not on the original agenda, the team at Which? are unsurprisingly thrilled with this unexpected result.

'We're a not-for-profit organisation and we don't have a big marketing budget,' says Ellis. 'So it's a great outcome for us.'

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