SDI partners with M3 to deliver best customer experience

POS and visual merchandising display specialist SDI is collaborating with advertising agency M3 to transform the way retailers and brands deliver customer experiences.

M3, which has offices in Birmingham, London and Wolverhampton, has signed a strategic collaboration with SDI to deliver end-to-end solutions that will give clients a single point of contact for all of their POS systems and display work, from the initial design and marketing planning to the manufacture and installation. This new approach is expected to generate £2.5m of new sales, with the possibility of creating up to 10 jobs across the two businesses. “We’re pretty much fusing together the best of the advertising, marketing and digital world with experts in point-of-sale and retail displays,” said Nick Lovett, MD of M3. “What would normally happen is that the retailer or brand would use one, two or even three agencies to come up with the plan and the idea, then attempt to bring in a display specialist to try to make it happen. What we are doing with this collaboration is offering a single solution where both parties are involved from the outset. This will help us deliver our value-added expertise earlier on in the process and should speed up lead times, be more cost effective for the customer and, importantly, unlock customer engagement. “We already work with Marston’s, F1 Autocentres and Harley Davidson, whilst SDI have a client book that features some of the world’s largest brands, including Dior, Harrods, Marks & Spencer and Tesco.” Matt Evans, retail sales director at SDI, added: “We are really excited with this collaboration and believe it gives us a natural partner to help us move our business to the next level. “Both companies thrive on creativity - we deliver it through the latest techniques, finishes and the technology we build into our displays and visual merchandise, whereas M3 and its team of specialists can provide the digital disruption. “All retailers and brands are looking for their displays to work harder so they get the consumer engaged, drive footfall, promote special offers and deliver successful proximity marketing. Our collaboration gives them a clear way of achieving the best of both worlds.” SDI - which is 40 this year - employs over 100 people and is based in Loughborough with a dedicated factory in Essex for the refurbishment and manufacture of bespoke mannequins. It is on course for £13m turnover in the current financial year.