Staples "easy button" ad campaign has made a big impression on individual and small business consumers and the result has been a market-leading share of the office supplies business, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
Last year, Staples booked $18.2 billion in revenue, outpacing Office Depot ($15 billion) and OfficeMax ($9 billion).
The "easy button" began as central visual element in Staples' new ad campaign and was picked up on immediately by consumers who came to the chain's stores looking to buy their own buttons. Eventually, the office supply retailer began selling the large red buttons ($4.98) in its stores and online.
Tim Bernicke, Denver District Manager for Staples, said the "easy button" clearly defines the company's reason for being. "It's our whole philosophy, trying to make it easy for small-business customers," he told the Rocky Mountain News.
Consumers can bring the "easy button" right to their desktop by downloading an application from Staples' "Take it easy" website. The application enables customers to search online for a product and either find a local store with the item or go directly to the company site to make a purchase.
Among the areas where Staples is looking to make life and business easier for its customers is in the area of "green" products.
The company began publishing its Staples' Soul corporate responsibility report that, among other things, points out the steps it is taking to seek out "green" product suppliers and also reduce its environmental footprint. Staples reported that by the end of last year, it offered nearly 3,000 items for sale with recycled content.
Recently, Staples announced a recycling program for personal computers and office equipment. For a fee of $10 per item, Staples will recycle items that companies and consumers no longer have a use for.
The company drew praise from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the program. "It's not always easy being green. However, through the leadership of Staples, Americans will see that preventing pollution by recycling unwanted electronics is as easy as it gets," said Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator of the EPA.
Discussion Question: What is it about the Staples "easy button" that has made such a quick, and clear impression on consumers? Are there lessons from Staples' "easy" campaign that can serve as a lesson to other retailers?