Outspoken entrepreneur Dick Smith has issued an SOS to the creative industry, saying unless "another Neville Corbett or John Singleton" can help turn sales of his OzeSauce around within six months, he will shut down Dick Smith Foods and "move to Monaco".
In a full-page long-copy print ad in tomorrow's AdNews, Smith – who has so far done all advertising and branding himself – calls for an "advertising genius" with a "strong sense of patriotism" to come up with an "inexpensive form of marketing so every Australian family becomes a supporter". His goal is to boost market share from 1.6% to 5%.
Dick Smith Foods works on the Paul Newman model where all profits are given to charity, but Smith says most of his money at the moment is spent on advertising – including a “small fortune” of the $1.4 million last year “we had to spend with the American-owned Murdoch press which, in turn, rubbishes us all the time because we dare mention the importance of Aussie ownership”.
“I have finally realised I'm a failure,” Smith told AdNews. “I used to be quite good [at marketing] when I was young, but I must have lost it. I do all the labels [for OzeSauce] myself – nothing's standardised. It gets anyone who knows anything about branding and marketing really mad.”
Smith said he was looking for an Australian agency "because I'd be destroyed by you people in the media if I didn't", but admitted "if a foreign company came up with a great idea I'd have to use it and then say, look how rubbish we are".
However, he said he would “rather it's just an individual, some brilliant creative person who works for some terrible foreign agency and is disillusioned, who rings me up or sends me an email with a fantastic idea, and I'd ask them how much they want”.
Coles has given OzeSauce a six-month stay of execution before being cut from its shelves, and Smith says it's “make or break” – if he can't turn sales around within that time “it'll be the end of Dick Smith Foods”. “I'll go and live in Monaco. Why would you want to be living here if you can't be patriotic and support Australian farmers?”
He also slammed marketing on social media as “a complete waste of time, a complete sham”, referring to his infamous Australia Day ad (“There's only one Dick I'll be eating on Australia Day”). Smith said despite nearly three quarters of a million views, the ad had “zero effect on sales”.
“All this raving about how fantastic the internet is at advertising, it doesn't work. Clearly people who buy groceries don't look at things like that. It seems to be only young people – they must not buy groceries. Maybe they're still living at home and their parents do the shopping.”
Smith said he was “amazed” that Heinz could “sack our farmers” and still be “rewarded handsomely by Aussie consumers”. Maybe the average consumer just doesn't care if it doesn't directly affect them? “Maybe they don't. And I think that's sad.”
Download a copy of the ad here: 'Wanted by Dick Smith, Another Neville Corbett or John Singleton'
Read BRW's take here: 'When it comes to marketing, I've lost the plot': Dick Smith sends out an SOS for the next Singo
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at frankchung@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.