Freemans extends successful media deal with iProspect UK

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 25, 2023

Online retail giant Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH) has extended its media relationship with iProspect UK following a decade of working together in which they’ve relaunched Freemans as a pureplay digital department store and seen its growth outstripping the rest of the market.

The extension adds an extra two years to FGH’s deal with the digital-first agency that’s part of Dentsu UK&I. It will continue to manage strategy, planning and buying across all media for the Yorkshire-based retail group.

The companies said that “through its deep brand and performance expertise, iProspect is focused on helping accelerate [our] transformation as it focuses on its ongoing reinvigoration of Freemans as a leading digital retailer with a powerful brand, exciting product and compelling financial services offer”.

The extension to the deal will be more of the same, but importantly will also “see a continued expansion into new channels for Freemans, informed by a rigorous test and learn programme, supported by Dentsu’s market-leading measurement solutions”.

iPospect’s 10-year relationship with FGH has included working with Freemans to secure the retailer’s first ever broadcast and radio sponsorships, partnering with ITV1’s Loose Women and Smooth FM, respectively.

FGH’s Chief Customer Officer Richard Cristofoli said: “iProspect has been a key partner, adapting to our new strategic direction as we focused on the relaunch of Freemans into the market as a pureplay digital department store. The past two years have seen Freemans delivering above market growth, taking market share and our media partnership has played a crucial role in that.”

That two-year period was one in which it launched a refreshed brand identity, and bolstered its product offer to deliver a “bigger, better range” of well known third-party brands across home and fashion, complemented by its own brand offer from Aniston, Bon Prix, Lascana and Kaleidoscope.

It has also added designer exclusive ranges from names including Julien Macdonald, Henry Holland, Abigail Ahern, Siobhan Murphy and TV stylist Mark Heyes.