A shoppable catalogue brought Christmas cheer to EE

Standout 450% ROI
Recipients of the catalogue spent £75 more on average than non-recipients
EE brochure

Background

EE, the UK’s largest subscription business, set out to transform its role in customers’ lives by becoming a top-three consumer electronics retailer. 

The challenge was to pivot from selling subscriptions to driving one-off tech purchases. With no existing profile of ideal tech customers, the campaign needed to identify and engage new audiences. 

The objectives were clear:

  • Drive tech sales and cross-sell EE services 
  • Test audience responsiveness across income bands 
  • Deliver a high ROI and measurable uplift vs. control 

Solution

The Christmas Tech Catalogue campaign was a strategic move to showcase EE’s expanded tech offering during the most competitive retail season. Working with their partner Go Inspire, EE used Partially Addressed Mail (PAM) to target households at scale while remaining GDPR compliant.

Targeting began with a full UK household dataset that was narrowed to families in owned homes and singles/couples in owned or rented homes. Each audience was segmented further by income bands. An overlay refined targeting to tech-savvy, high-spending audiences engaged in seasonal promotions. Households were scored and grouped into ‘Invested Families’ and ‘Tech Enthusiasts’, with both high and low-income cohorts included to test spending behaviour.

The catalogue that landed on doormats was designed not just to inform but to surprise and delight — creating a tactile brand experience that gave the campaign real presence in the home while also driving sales. A 4pp carrier with an 8pp stepped-edge booklet provided a premium, engaging experience. 

The design principles were clear. A clean, uncluttered layout ensured products stood out, while bold “offer ends 19th” messaging created urgency and encouraged timely action. Positioning EE as “from the people that connect your life” lent credibility to its new role as a technology retailer, reinforcing the trust already established through its network credentials.

Seamless conversion was built in with QR codes linking directly to digital purchase paths, bridging offline engagement with online sales. To ensure the catalogue performed as intended, the creative was tested through Visual Attention Software (3M VAS) which confirmed high visibility of key elements, with tech products drawing immediate attention and reinforcing EE’s tech credentials. 

By combining reach with precision and strong creative, EE created a campaign that was efficient, measurable, and capable of driving incremental growth.

Results

EE’s Christmas Tech Catalogue campaign achieved a standout 450% ROI, with Partially Addressed Mail generating £212,298 incremental revenue vs the control.

Recipients of the catalogue spent £75 more on average than non-recipients. 5% of orders came from existing customers that received the catalogue, and they spent £65 more per order on average than new customers.

Crucially, the campaign challenged assumptions about income segments. Low-income Invested Families contributed 43.4% of total tech revenue, proving that high-value engagement is not confined to affluent audiences.

Source: SMP Award Winner 2025