Incentive Today articles from January 2004

Incentive Today archives from January 2004

Promotional resolutions.(Editor's note)(for the new year)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... The New Year is a time of reflection; of taking stock, and looking forward to the future for us all, and there's no reason why promoters shouldn't join in this round of seasonal navel-gazing. After all, 2003 has been quite a year, with a...

Nothing new in brand experience.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... It is gratifying to know that at last many companies are beginning to realize just how important the brand experience is in the marketplace (Nov/Dec 2003 p24). However some points from your article need addressing: * "There is some...

Insuring accuracy on Hoover.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I was astonished to see that my company, PIMS-SCA, and I have been mentioned in a completely erroneous statement as part of your recent coverage of the proposed reexamination by BBC TV of the ill-famed and disastrous "Free Flights to the USA"...

Diary.(Comment)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... 24-26 February Confex Exhibition and conference for the incentive travel and conference sector Venue: Earls Court 1 Organiser: CMP Tel: 020 7921 8081 www.international-contex.com 9 March The Voucher Market 2004 ...

The BPMA.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The BPMA has accepted the Voucher Association as its first corporate member as part of its strategy to develop its membership options. The two aim to establish a mutually benefitical relationship. The BPMA will use the VA's expertise in part to...

SK8max.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... SK8max, a new network of indoor skatepark centres, has tasked Interfocus with developing third party tie-ups and marketing activity for all its venues, which will start opening around the UK early this year. The parks aim to mirror skatepark...

The Link.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Link teamed up with Rivals Digital Media to offer customers a choice of two bespoke mobile games boxes with specific handset purchases as part of a raft of in-store Christmas offers. 'The Ultimate' pack offers a range of titles with maximum...

Air Miles.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Air Miles has signed a mutually beneficial partnership deal with BAA, to enhance its offering and tap into the 120 million passengers passing through BAA's seven UK airports each year. Through the deal, members of BAA's Worldpoints scheme can...

Deafblind UK.(Fund Raising)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Deafblind UK has teamed up with the famous Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat property to raise awareness and vital funds for the charity. The character is also thought to emulate the red and white striped cane carded by people who are both deaf and...

TLC Marketing.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... TLC Marketing has linked up with 200 UK salons to develop a new free haircut offer to complement its range of lifestyle promotions. The treatments covered include a free haircut, conditioning treatment, blow dry or colouring. The offer can be...

ISP raises objections to Gambling Bill.(Institute of Sales Promotion )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP) has expressed concerns regarding various aspects of the draft Gambling Bill, published by the Government on November 19th. In a submission to the Government in December, the ISP raised issues relating...

Surf drives awareness of tablet variant with net-themed instant-win.(News)(Lever Faberge contracts with Dynamo for advertising)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Lever-Faberge is aiming to drive sales and communicate the convenience of the tablet variant of its Surf brand, in a promotion through Dynamo. The instant win-campaign offers Surf customers the chance to win one of 99 Del PCs, as well as...

Ford drives home wicked image for Sportka.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Ford aimed to push the launch of its Sportka model to a mobile-savvy, 'lad's mag' audience in the run up to Christmas with a digital direct marketing push through Wunderman and Flytxt. The initiative utilised an SMS response mechanic and...

Daily Mail and CAF promote 'good to give' message at Xmas.(The CAF Charity Account)(Charities Aid Foundation )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) teamed up with the Daily Mail to offer readers the chance to give 100,000 [pounds sterling] to charity as part of a bid to spread goodwill over the festive season. The 100,000 [pounds sterling] Charity...

KFC drives sales of kids meals with 'Lord of the Rings' figurines.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... KFC is running a 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King promotion until the end of January, offering KFC Kids Meal customers a pair of collectable figurines modelled on characters from the film with every purchase. The campaign was...

The Home Office hits the road to reduce car crime.(News)(Vehicle Crime Reduction Campaign roadshow)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Government's drive to reduce car crime in the UK is receiving a major boost with the launch of a national face-to-face marketing effort through the Home Office and the Yellow Submarine. The Vehicle Crime Reduction Campaign roadshow...

Primeline.(British Airways Executive Club and Primeline enter promotional partnership)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Primeline, a free 24-hour telephone and Internet banking service from Natwest, is running a partnership promotion with British Airways Executive Club. Club members who open a current account with Primeline will be awarded 12,000 BA miles plus...

Nestle Rowntree.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Nestle Rowntree has developed a family--orientated promotion in conjunction with TLC to support the recent launch of its kids biscuit Rowntrees Fruit Jambos. The reward booklet offers free entry to attractions throughout the UK, including...

Southern Comfort.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Southern Comfort has tasked WWAV Rapp Collins North with devising a programme of relationship marketing activity, which will kick off in the summer with an interactive campaign. Activity aims to target male drinkers aged 18-29 at the time of...

McCain Foods.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... McCain Foods toured the UK for three weeks during the festive season to wish 175,000 shoppers a 'Merry McCain Christmas'. Live activity through ID featured a gazebo outside Sainsbury's and Tesco stores complete with fairy lights and tinsel and...

The RFU.(Rugby Football Union)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The RFU sought to capitalise on England's World Cup win against Australia with the release of a special commemorative stamp sheet in December 2003. me sheet featured two first class and two 68p stamps [the 20g letter rate to Australia]...

Slim Fast.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Slim Fast aims to help people stick to their New Year's resolutions and generate greater brand awareness with a campaign through SMP. Six million copies of a promotional leaflet have been inserted in a targeted selection or consumer and...

www.cheapestflights.co.uk.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Online travel service www.cheapestflights.co.uk persuaded staff to pose naked for its new brochure to raise awareness of a range of travel offers and discounts available throughout January and February 2004. Summer-themed items highlighting the...

Buy and Fly goes electronic to target B2C market.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Buy and Fly--the travel rewards programme operated by Landround--is aiming for a significant expansion in the B2C market through a new electronic points system. Currently Buy and Fly (which was launched three years ago) has a firmer...

Preparations for Incentive & Motivation Week gather pace.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Suppliers, buyers, solutions providers and industry bodies are in preparation for the second National Incentive & Motivation Week--April 19-24th--the centrepiece of which is the Incentive World exhibition (Earls Court 2, April 20-22nd). ...

Emap sticks to mobile strategy for youth.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Bliss--Emap's glossy teen title--has become the first publication to tap into the burgeoning youth market for mobile content by offering free ring tones and logos as cover mounts. Youth spend in Europe on ring tones is estimated at 381m...

Black Cat becomes part of JWT's RMG network.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... JWT has moved one step closer in its ambition of turning RMG Connect into a pan-European below-the-line agency network with the merger of the UK arm with Black Cat. The two agencies were combined at the beginning of the year by parent JWT...

And a happy New Year to you too!(ISP perspective: the latest views from the Institute of Sales Promotion)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... For most of 2003, 2004 has been quoted as the year everything will begin to improve. One thing is sure. This year there will be a huge increase in pressure on the promotional marketing industry from would-be regulators. In Incentive Today...

Shoppers invited to vote for Orville as their best friend.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A motley crew of Jordan, Uri Geller, Keith Harris & Orville recently put their fate in the hands of UK consumers for the latest experiential campaign from ID to promote Lever Faberge's Surf brand. The experiential work followed a TV...

New partnership forged to push mobile coupon uptake.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Aerodeon and Bluegrid, the mobile coupon specialist, have joined forces to drive the development and delivery of mobile coupon promotions and loyalty programmes in the UK. The strategic alliance unites the patented retail technology...

MMA clarifies responsible behaviour for mobile marketers.(News)(Mobile Marketing Association )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The UK's Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has launched the first definitive Code of Conduct providing guidance for marketers devising and implementing wireless campaigns. The code takes into account all current legislation, including the...

Hennessy goes pink round the collar.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Drinkers in the City of London were the target of a recent integrated campaign from Moet Hennessy UK, which aimed to drive sales and build brand association for the premium Hennessy XO Cognac. Activity ran until the end of 2003 through...

Safeway promotes an apple a day for Christmas.(News)(MKM)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Safeway promised to remove the financial burden of Christmas for one lucky shopper in the run-up to the festive season with a competition through MKM. The campaign offered customers the chance to win 1000 [pounds sterling] worth of Safeway...

Siemens Mobile 'King's of Europe' online activity.(New media file)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... If you've ever fancied bending it like Beckham now's your chance. This interactive viral game from Siemens Mobile allows you to take a free kick against one of seven Siemens sponsored football teams. To add a taste of realism and increase...

New venture promises to get to the root of football promotion.(News)
January 1, 2004... Grassroots football offers the biggest payback potential for brands looking to connect with consumers via the sport, according to a new football-led consultancy, which launched in December 2003. Midfield is a joint venture between Tarantula...

Freixenet taps into UK festive cheer.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Freixenet--the Spanish wine producer--teamed up with Loewybe in the run up to Christmas to launch an in-store sampling campaign as part of a 3 million [pounds sterling] integrated marketing push for its new light wine range, Freixenet Ash Tree...

Thomson and Landround launch cruise to Med.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Thomson has joined forces with Landround for the second time to devise a new cruise-based offer for consumer, trade or staff promotions. "Thomson Free Mediterranean Cruise," is the latest addition to Landround's expanding portfolio of...

Celador gambles on Itbox to promote mobile millionaire.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Celador International has invested heavily in an emerging promotional marketing channel to push its wireless Who Wants to be a Millionaire? game to UK pubgoers. The global licensing company has signed a deal with Inspired Broadcast...

To motivate or incentivise? That is the question.(Stateside motivation: a regular look at staff motivation practice across the pond)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... I'm not the first to surmise that America and Britain are two nations divided by one common language. This is as true in the field of motivation as in any other. In the UK, 'motivation' usually relates to staff or distributors, but not...

Motivation working party to take association discussions forward.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A working party of eight experts and stakeholders from the motivation sector are meeting in January to lay the groundwork for a potential trade association or representative organisation. The individuals volunteered their services at a...

Voucher Association conference to coincide with the Motivation Awards 2004.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Voucher Association is holding its second annual conference on the same day as the Motivation Awards 2004, with the aim of offering motivation professionals an unprecedented opportunity to boost their knowledge of the latest techniques and...

Interbrew drives sales and quality of Hoegaarden experience through Vitamin V.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Interbrew is aiming to drive sales of its Hoegaarden premium beer brand through a motivation programme for bar staff called 'The White Awards', devised by Vitamin V. It is also aimed to increase the quality of service of the wheat beer in...

Capital Incentives & Motivation.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Capital Incentives & Motivation has launched its fourth annual motivation survey online at www.capital-incentives.co.uk. It is open to employees of UK companies, and all participants will be entered into a free prize draw to win 250 [pounds...

Valuelink.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Valuelink has released new research showing that sales of gift cards (otherwise known as stored value cards) in the US doubled in 2003. According to Valuelink (which supplies stored value card solutions to retailers on both sides of the...

Activity Superstore and Projectlink have both been featured in the Times Fast Track 100 list of fastest growing publicly unquoted companies, at numbers nine and 55 respectively.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Activity Superstore and Projectlink have both been featured in the Times Fast Track 100 list of fastest growing publicly unquoted companies, at numbers nine and 55 respectively. Activity Superstore claims its sales have grown by 130 percent a...

Marriott Incentive Vouchers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Marriott Incentive Vouchers' sales co-ordinator Mark Singer has been shortlisted for the Young Sales Professional of the Year award at the National Sales Awards. Singer has been part of the team at Marriott since 2001 which has seen sales grow...

Sony Data Media.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sony Data Media is running a promotion for distributors allowing them to swap points earned from sales for a range of prizes. Called 'Prize Vault', the campaign is being run entirely online, and has been developed by Design Group. An offline...

Grass Roots Group.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Grass Roots Group has welcomed the changes to tax and NIC for childcare announced in the Chancellor's, Pre-Budget Report in December, but has called for clarification on the definition of home approved childcare. The changes are expected to be...

Colin Lloyd to boost profile of motivation sector with P&MM.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... P&MM has confirmed the appointment of Colin Lloyd--founder of KLP, former chairman of the DMA and current president of the ISP--as its new chairman. Lloyd's various roles have maintained his status as one of the most high profile and...

Maritz restructures and focuses on key markets.(Motivation)
January 1, 2004... Maritz is refocusing its European operations on its key markets, as part of a major restructuring project that has included redundancies. The agency is moving away from a 'silo'-based structure based around operational specialisms (research,...

Volunteering for community projects up by 35 percent.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The amount of time given up by employees to community projects has increased by 35 percent year-on-year, according to new figures from Business in the Community. The findings come as part of the PerCent Standard, which is an annual index...

Opinion.(alcohol promotions )(Column)
January 1, 2004... Will banning or restricting alcohol promotions have a significant impact on the UK's drinking culture, and consequently the health and/or behaviour of the population? There is a growing body of opinion that there is something wrong with...

Toucan snaps-up CRM prize for second year running.(CRM competition)
January 1, 2004... Toucan has won the Incentive Today/ISP Cause Related Marketing Competition 2003/4, for the second year running, with a campaign for B&Q. The announcement was made at the ISP Christmas Lunch, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane on...

Travel planning: dedicating time to strategic planning is vital to the success of any promotional initiative. Yet in the travel sector, where shelves are fully-stocked with ready-made solutions, many marketers are getting too used to taking short cuts.(Travel)
January 1, 2004... "Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much," grumbled Franklin D Roosevelt during one of his famous 'Fireside Chat' radio broadcasts. That was 1942. Today the pressure has been turned up a good notch or ten. Everyone wants...

Responding xlntly.(Handling)
January 1, 2004... Long gone are the days of merely packing cuddly toys into boxes. Now promotional rewards are likely to be electronic games downloaded direct to a mobile phone. Many response management agencies (RMAs) have the capability to handle hi-tech...

Doing life: these days, if an employee stays at a company more than 10 years, they are doing well. As a result long service reward schemes have been tailored to higher staff turnover and many now kick in at five years. Catherine Chetwynd looks at how long services programmes are run and what they achive.(Long service)
January 1, 2004... A job for life may have been consigned to another age but employers still encourage employees to stay with a company as long as possible and reward them for doing so. However, instead of a long service awards ceremony being for a 25-year stint,...

The emperor's new clothes?(Soapbox)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... 2003--what a tumultuous year. The demise of Concorde, and all that it stood for in terms of technological progression, increased instability in the face of global terrorism and the growth of cynicism and distrust amongst workforces. ...

Buon appetito!(Experience profile)(Bliss Gifts offers an Italian cookery school)
January 1, 2004... Supplier: Bliss Gifts Activity: Enrica Rocca's 'Italian cookery school' Location: London Cost: 115 [pounds sterling] per person. The course caters for a minimum group size of six and a maximum of ten Availability:...

Barclays outsources mammoth recognition task to Grass Roots: Barclays handed Grass Roots the task of devising recognition programmes for 30,000 of its staff across five business divisions in under two months. The resulting campaign was so successful that it has subsequently been adopted by additional divisions.(Case study)(Barclays Bank PLC)
January 1, 2004... Barclays Bank approached Grass Roots Group in autumn 2001 to manage recognition programmes for five of its business divisions. These were: Personal Financial Services (high street/consumer banking); Business Banking; Premier Banking (high...

Feel the benefit? Employee benefits are growing in prominence and popularity as organisations seek to hold on to experienced and valuable staff. But do such benefits actually improve performance?(Employee benefit)
January 1, 2004... As anyone in business knows, recruiting and training staff is costly, both in terms of time and resources. Experienced employees are therefore highly valuable, and it is in organisations' best interests to hold onto them. As the UK economy...

Power to the people: whatever the requirements of an incentive programme, there are electrical goods to suit; from practical household items to the latest in plasma screen technology.(Electrical)
January 1, 2004... A selection of electrical goods is well worthy of a place in incentive and loyalty catalogues and in lists of rewards and prizes. Products available from promotional merchandise suppliers at below retail prices range from the utilitarian to the...

That's entertainment ... Be it in consumer or corporate circles, the nation's dogged pursuit of the elusive work/life balance has propelled entertainment and lifestyle-related products to the fore when it comes to incentives and motivational campaigns.(Entertainment incentives)
January 1, 2004... "Getting away from work and enjoying a 'treat' is something most people remember," says Leisure Vouchers marketing manager Suzanne Hall. "Today's dual-income families have busy lifestyles, so using an incentive or reward that includes an...

Proud to be English.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The rehabilitation of the flag of SL George has been underway for some years now, but last year's victory at the Rugby World Cup was surely the final piece of the jigsaw. (Sorry for any Welsh, Scottish or Irish readers who are still smarting.)...

Small snaps.(Showcase!)(Che-ez- smallest rechargable digital camera)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... For all those individuals who didn't get a digital camera for Christmas, this might just be the ideal gift. The distributor claims the Che-ez (as it is annoyingly called) is the world's smallest rechargable digital camera, and features 8mb of...

Promotional puzzle.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In these days of growing environmental awareness and dwindling natural resources, it is refreshing to see a promotional product manufactured from a renewable resource: wood. These 3D puzzles can be manufactured in a wide variety of shapes, and...

Get down.(Best Buy!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... When it comes to promotional seating products, the options available are limited. Deck chairs are distinctly summer-orienated, director chairs are too 1990s dontcha-know, whilst plastic garden furniture is just plain naff. No, if you want...

The right way to write.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... 'Oh no, not another pen', you cry... but wait, this one is truely tasty, particularly if your target is an always-on-the-go executive type. The digital IoPen stores information as it writes, up to 40 pages of it, enabling the user to draft...

Great balls of ...(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... With Euro 2004 on the horizon, the nation is gearing up for a football frenzy like nothing before. If you're planning to take advantage of this with suitably themed promotions, incentives or gifts then now is the time to get your orders in for...

Kitsch corner Lydia Parrish, associate director of Dialogue, climbs into bed with her electric blanket to develop the promotional relaunch strategy for that extraordinary item of British uniqueness, the teasmade.(Backside)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sales of this contraption began to boil in the 1970s. In fact my parents had one--a 'stylish' cream unit with floral pattern, a built-in analogue clock with glow-in-the-dark digits, and an odd-looking teapot. Everyday, like a steam train, it...

Get your rocks off?(Corporate Clash!)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... It is a constant struggle for event companies to think of new ideas for how to entertain staff--a recent edition of Backside featured a pantomime as one idea of radical thinking... I pity the employee who had to sit through that one in the...

Meeting therapy.(Backside)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Renaissance Derby/Nottingham Hotel has employed a "meeting psychologist" (?!) to help overcome the condition it describes as "Meetingitis"; where people are increasingly finding meetings dull and demotivational. (No! Really?) The hotel...

Q&A.(Backside)(Interview)
January 1, 2004... What is your favourite promotion? The McCoy's 'Bag of Best' campaign What was your greatest mistake? When a campaign was going wrong due to difficult PoS I made the mistake of listening to an area manager who suggested using oil to...