Incentive Today articles from July 2005

Incentive Today archives from July 2005

Retail landscape presents a rocky outlook.(Editor's note)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... It is clear that all is not well on the high street. Retail sales fell last month, and the Confederation of British Industry says the three-month trend is the bleakest since its records began 22 years ago. Leading promotions companies say...

Don't forget the power of the paper coupon.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I read your coupons feature (Incentive Today, June 2005) with interest, not least because NCH Marketing carries out 85 per cent of the "heavily manual process" of batching coupons and rationalising the manufacturer/retailer financial...

Uniting factions of paper and plastic.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I welcome the points made by Philippe Dufour, chief executive of PrePay Technologies, in the May issue of Incentive Today. He suggested that it was false for people to believe that there was an undeclared war raging between paper vouchers and...

European employees share common ground.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... The round table on the future of the incentive market organised by Marriott Individual Incentives drew some interesting conclusions (Incentive Today, June 2005). While the panel concluded that global programmes work best with local people...

The National Autistic Society.
July 1, 2005... The National Autistic Society is to raise funds by selling zip pulls in the shape of Thomas the Tank Engine and other characters from Thomas & Friends through all 97 branches of Bristol & West. The zip pulls, which are made by The Big Badge...

Heineken.
July 1, 2005... Heineken is running a nationwide taste test, called the Better Taste Tour, throughout this summer, visiting supermarkets and summer events. Run by experiential marketing agency iD, it will challenge men aged 18 to 34 to try a blind tasting...

Quorn.
July 1, 2005... Quorn is running a Sizzle into Summer promotion on packs, featuring the offer of a free health and leisure day in return for three tokens. It was developed by agency Fenix, which kept the account after the brand's owner, Marlow Foods, was...

The National Incentive Show.
July 1, 2005... The National Incentive Show's organisers are giving away free digital cameras to anyone who pre-registers for the September event and turns up. The high-quality camera, which has video and webcam functions as well as taking still pictures, was...

Fetzer Vineyards.
July 1, 2005... Fetzer Vineyards is giving away a Cool-Air tube with every bottle of Fetzer Valley Oaks Syrah Rose 2004 wine sold at Sainsbury's in July. The re-usable tube, designed by Robinson Paperboard Packaging, keeps wine cool for up to three hours.

Lavazza.
July 1, 2005... Lavazza, the coffee brand, has launched a direct mail campaign, developed by marketing agency Haygarth, to generate trial. It includes money-off vouchers and an interactive fridge magnet that allows the recipient to create different sentences,...

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.
July 1, 2005... Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has launched a web store to provide promotional merchandise for all its approved partners and its own departments across Europe, the middle east and Africa. The service was designed and implemented by...

P&MM.
July 1, 2005... P&MM, the promotions and motivation company, has published a free buyers guide on best practice in running cinema ticket promotions. It covers the mechanics behind successful campaigns and how best to brief suppliers. It is available on 01908...

Budgets shift towards experiential marketing.(News)
July 1, 2005... Many marketers plan to boost their spending on experiential marketing next year after they admitted it was the most "memorable" of all the marketing disciplines. A survey commissioned by live brand experience agency iD revealed a growing...

Liqueur mixes it up in cocktail bars.(News)
July 1, 2005... Fior Brands is running a sampling campaign to promote its Grand Marnier liqueur to younger stylish audiences. For the third year running, experiential marketing agency RPM is carrying out promotional activity for the brand, building on last...

WARL pulls faces for Chewits relaunch.(by Leaf United Kingdom Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On-pack promotions and sampling will tie into a major new TV advertising campaign to relaunch Leaf UK's confectionery brand, Chewits. Marketing services group WARL has developed a campaign that revolves around the "face-distorting...

Volvic taps into rock fans.(News)
July 1, 2005... Danone is supporting its Volvic brand with a promotion offering backstage festival passes and a chance to support charities by buying wristbands designed by top bands. The Volvic Rocks! campaign, devised by SMP, went live this month on...

Virgin feels the force of sickbag mania.(News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Throwing up has never been so amusing... Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with the makers of Star Wars to produce a range of promotional in-flight sickbags, prompting inevitable references to Barf Vader and other puke-related puns. The...

Giveaways make for a cool summer for Coors.(News)
July 1, 2005... Coors Brewers has sourced some "cool" promotional premiums for on-pack offers to drive sales of its beer brands over the summer. Four-packs of 330ml Coors bottles feature the offer of a Raka Staka--a curved plastic bottle holder that makes...

Chilled coffee brand aims for urban cool.(News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Arla Foods is targeting its chilled latte drink, Cafe Met, at young professionals with a summer-long campaign that includes the chance to win an "urban makeover". Through i2i Face to Face Marketing, a trailer-based roadshow is taking the...

Online club unites consumers and brands.(News)
July 1, 2005... Leading brands have linked up with a new online club that allows consumers to decide which promoters they want to interact with. Pigsback.com was launched in the UK last month, based on the concept of "empathy marketing" which ensures that...

Loyalty Management UK.
July 1, 2005... Loyalty Management UK, which owns and operates the Nectar programme, has partnered American Express to launch the first co-branded Nectar product. The Nectar Credit Card from American Express offers collectors four points for every 1 [pounds...

Unilever Ice Cream.
July 1, 2005... Unilever Ice Cream is supporting the launch of Wall's Ice Cream's Limited Edition Magnum 5 senses range this summer with an integrated promotional marketing campaign targeted the out-of-home channel. Created by Catalyst Marketing, it includes a...

Linda Baker.
July 1, 2005... Linda Barker is the keynote speaker among industry experts at the seminar series at this year's Autumn Fair, which is at Birmingham NEC from September 4 to 7. With two months to go, the show already has over 2,000 suppliers exhibiting,...

Arla Foods.
July 1, 2005... Arla Foods is setting up kitchens and barbecues in branches of Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco over the summer for a sampling campaign to demonstrate how to make dishes using its Discover... range of cheeses. The activity is being carried out by...

Transaid.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Transaid, which helps provide transport in areas of need in Africa and Asia, is looking for retail outlets to sell its new pin badge collection, designed around the Michelin Man character, known as Bibendum. The Big Badge Company has...

Procter & Gamble.
July 1, 2005... Procter & Gamble has developed a campaign across its household brands Bounty, Lenor, Fairy Non-Bio and Febreeze to tie in with this month's family movie, Madagascar. Other licences negotiated by Copyright Promotions for the DreamWorks Animation...

Crone Corkill.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Crone Corkill, the PA and administrative recruitment consultancy, is offering the incentive of a 25 [pounds sterling] House of Fraser voucher to candidates who refer another potential candidate who goes on to get a job. Each name will also go...

BTC Group.
July 1, 2005... BTC Group, the clothing company, supplied 15,000 promotional T-shirts for every member of staff working for McDonald's Restaurants. They were printed with messages supporting the launch of new toasted dell sandwiches.

The holistic approach.(ISP Perspective: The latest views from the Institute of Sales Promotion)
July 1, 2005... Best practice, legal conformity and trouble-free implementation are the goals for all promotional marketing. This conflicts in part with creativity which seeks to push boundaries and test the intentions of the regulators. It is therefore...

Free flight promotions lift sales and profits.(Landround PLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The offer of free flights is driving sales for top UK retailers despite a subdued retail market, according to a leading travel promotions group. Landround is continuing to launch new products and develop campaigns with big-name brands...

Seiko drives sales with Formula 1.(News)
July 1, 2005... Seiko has built on its sponsorship of the BAR Honda Formula 1 team with a nationwide consumer promotion and staff incentive campaign. The activity, designed by independent marketing agency Haygarth, runs until August 6 and aims to drive...

US airline touches down in British high streets.(News)
July 1, 2005... American Airlines has teamed up with entertainment group Blockbuster in the first high-street promotion to come out of its strategic brand affinity programme. Anyone spending 10 [pounds sterling] or more in Blockbuster's 700 stores...

Whisky taps into poker craze with bar sampling.(Pernod Ricard UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Pernod Ricard UK is tapping into the rising popularity of poker with an experiential marketing campaign for its Chivas Regal whisky. Integrated marketing communications agency Beechwood is taking the brand into style bars through a series...

Hula Hoops targets families with leisure prizes.(United Biscuits PLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... United Biscuits is running an on-pack promotion for its Hula Hoops snacks offering prizes to consumers who find the word "Hoop" inside a pack. Developed by Catalyst Marketing, Hunt the Hoops offers a range of prizes chosen to be fun and to...

Pubs prepare for football promotions.(National Pub Football Week)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Thousands of publicans across the UK are being urged to tap into promotional kits being made available for this year's National Pub Football Week. Lords Marketing, which is managing the annual event, has sent brochures to 18,000 tenants...

Picture messages say wish you were here.(Lastminute.com PLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Travel company Lastminute.com is offering holidaymakers a chance to send personalised postcards to their friends back home using their camera phone. People take a photo with their phone and send it, with a personal message and mailing...

Holiday promotion marks new chapter for marketers; Cocktail Marketing has developed a simple but effective promotion for the summer holidays.(News / Promotion of the month)
July 1, 2005... Holidaymakers have a chance to save money on books for reading on the beach as part of a promotional tie-up between Waterstone's and Thomson. Throughout July, anyone booking a holiday through Thomson receives a booklet or vouchers worth...

Top agency closes after tough trading and loss of client.(News)
July 1, 2005... A leading promotional marketing agency has been wound up, partly blaming "the difficult trading environment of the last three years". The Yellow Submarine, based in Epsom, Surrey, went into administration after losing an unnamed major...

Tennis tie-up for deodorant launch.(News)
July 1, 2005... Colgate-Palmolive drew on its sponsorship of tennis champion Maria Sharapova for an integrated campaign to support the launch of its new Palmolive Deodorant. Devised by Communicator, it included an on-pack promotion, using images of the...

New chief at BPMA.(News)
July 1, 2005... A management shake-up at the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) sees its former board chairman, Richard Wood, take on the new role of chief executive. With 30 years' experience in the industry, he takes on the day-to-day...

OFT stamps down on bogus prize promotions.(Office of Fair Trading)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has signalled a crackdown on bogus direct mail promotions that falsely claim the recipient has won a prize in a competition. It forced Crystal Clear Marketing to stop sending out letters that required...

Reward scheme for caterers brings new brand insights.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... Leading UK food and distribution companies have signed up for a new incentive programme to reward operators of restaurants, pubs and other catering outlets. Motivation specialist BI has launched Foodservice Rewards, offering participants a...

Thomas Cook joins Leisure Vouchers line-up.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... Thomas Cook has boosted its presence in the corporate voucher market by becoming a redempt on partner of Leisure Vouchers. It joins 45 other brands on the Whitbread-owned product, where travel is currently also represented by redemption...

New division to push online system.(P&MM Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Motivation specialist P&MM has set up a separate division to develop its online incentive solution, Rewardvouchers.com. Under its own business development director, Richard Lee, it is marketing the product to employers as a platform for a...

Cottrills unveils 'innovative' approach to online rewards.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Cottrills, a leading player in service recognition, has launched a new online solution into the motivation market, describing several of its features as "innovative". Called i-reward, it is an off-the-shelf platform allowing organisations...

'Free toasters are not enough' to motivate.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... Employers need to take a more scientific approach to motivation rather than just offer the incentive of a free toaster, according to the new director of incentives at Maritz. Chantal Orlik has built up a new team to take advantage of "the...

Luxury hotels enter corporate rewards market.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... Over 300 top independent hotels around the world have entered the UK corporate incentive market by launching an international voucher. Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is offering a portfolio of paper vouchers in sterling, euros and...

New chair takes over at VA as sales lift.(Voucher Association)(Andrew Johnson)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Exciting projects" are in the pipeline for the Voucher Association (VA), according to its new chair, Andrew Johnson, sales and marketing director of Virgin Incentives. A new committee was announced as the VA revealed that voucher market...

Two-thirds of employees say a lack of recognition from management is the most demotivating factor at work, according to a survey by NOP for Investors in People.
July 1, 2005... Two-thirds of employees say a lack of recognition from management is the most demotivating factor at work, according to a survey by NOP for Investors in People. The research also showed that two-fifths of people believe job content and the...

Companies where staff feel a sense of achievement and pride in their employer perform better on the stock market compared to those where staff feel less engaged.
July 1, 2005... Companies where staff feel a sense of achievement and pride in their employer perform better on the stock market compared to those where staff feel less engaged, according to research by Sirota Consulting. The share price of firms with a high...

Projects aimed at helping teenage mothers are using vouchers for clothes, hair and beauty products to encourage them to take part.
July 1, 2005... Projects aimed at helping teenage mothers are using vouchers for clothes, hair and beauty products to encourage them to take part. The incentives have been used for schemes under the government's Sure Start Plus initiative to target areas with...

P&MM has launched SalaryPlus, a one-stop shop for the salary-sacrifice benefits of tax-free childcare vouchers, home computers and bicycles for work.
July 1, 2005... P&MM has launched SalaryPlus, a one-stop shop for the salary-sacrifice benefits of tax-free childcare vouchers, home computers and bicycles for work. Aiming to open up access for smaller companies, it provides easy administration and support...

FedEx has renewed its contract for long service solutions from Michael C Fina Worldwide, which runs reward and recognition scheme Longservice.com, for another three years.
July 1, 2005... FedEx has renewed its contract for long service solutions from Michael C Fina Worldwide, which runs reward and recognition scheme Longservice.com, for another three years. The distribution giant, which employs more than 250,000 people globally,...

Bacardi Brown Forman Brands.
July 1, 2005... Bacardi Brown Forman Brands, marketers of Bombay Sapphire and Jack Daniels, has appointed brand communications agency Universal Pixel to provide branding, messaging and marketing for its annual off-trade sales conference at Birmingham NEC in...

Cox & Kings India, the destination management company, has started to target the C&I market in the UK because of the increasing popularity of India for incentive travel.
July 1, 2005... Cox & Kings India, the destination management company, has started to target the C&I market in the UK because of the increasing popularity of India for incentive travel. The new drive is being led by new head of sales for UK and Europe, Eleanor...

Events.
July 1, 2005... July July 20-21 Getting & Keeping Customers Online Teddington, Middx Organised by IDM Tel: 020 8614 0277 Email: marketing@theidm.com www.theidm.com/training September September 4-7 Autumn Fair NEC...

Text messaging added to reward schemes.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... New technology will make it possible for managers to reward people in real time through using the broadest-possible range of communication channels, including text messaging. Argos Business Solutions (ABS) has launched the new multi-channel...

Rebranding for Grass Roots motivation house.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Grass Roots Group has rebranded its motivation business to distinguish it from other parts of the parent company after a surge in growth and acquisitions. Although Grass Roots began life in motivation and incentives, the group as a...

Praise from boss 'bigger motivator' than vouchers.(News / Motivation)
July 1, 2005... Gifts such as vouchers were dubbed "outdated" and unpopular as a motivational incentive, according to a survey carried out by a leading events company. Your Events said that the rewards--which account for billions of pounds in sales every...

Low-cost option for lifestyle rewards.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A new reward product provides a package of leisure experiences that can be used to deliver incentives that are cost-effective but have a higher perceived value. Capital incentives & Motivation has launched Lifestyle+, which is a range of...

Marketers divert cash into events, says report.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Marketing spend is being shifted from traditional advertising into events for customers, according to a survey of leading organisations. The report confirms that there is also a move from pure corporate hospitality into more "thought- and...

Big Brother housemates make room for new arrivals.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... With the sixth season of Big Brother due to end on August 12, the house is being offered as a venue for corporate hospitality and team-building events. The Ultimate Event Company has been contracted by producers Endemol and Elstree...

Haka brings Kiwi culture to team-building events.(News / Motivation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Lions tour of New Zealand may be over, but a flavour of the country's culture is being offered to support team-building events. Corporate training specialist Physicality has joined forces with the Maori Performing Arts Company to...

Gourmet rewards for high-flying achievers.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... New destinations, including two of the best restaurants in Britain, if not the world, are now available as part of reward packages featuring helicopter and plane flights. A daytrip for lunch at a Michelin star restaurant in Beaune,...

UK looks to India for incentives.(Cox & Kings India)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The increasing popularity of India as an incentive travel destination has led to Cox & Kings to start targeting the C&I market in the UK. Cox & Kings India, the destination management company, has appointed a head of sales for the UK and...

New corporate hospitality packages have been launched giving behind-the-scenes experiences of London's West End theatres.
July 1, 2005... New corporate hospitality packages have been launched giving behind-the-scenes experiences of London's West End theatres. RGC Productions offers backstage tours and a show at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane combined with drinks with the cast or a...

South Korea is set to become a more regular destination in UK-based incentive travel programmes after visitor arrivals from Britain rose by up to 42 per cent a month year-on-year at the start of 2005.
July 1, 2005... South Korea is set to become a more regular destination in UK-based incentive travel programmes after visitor arrivals from Britain rose by up to 42 per cent a month year-on-year at the start of 2005. The Korea National Tourism Organisation is...

A new IMAX auditorium at Disneyland Resort Paris has added to the facilities available for events.
July 1, 2005... A new IMAX auditorium at Disneyland Resort Paris has added to the facilities available for events. Located at the heart of the Gaumont Disney Village, it has seating for up to 570 and one of the biggest screens in Europe, measuring 26 metres by...

A new marketing alliance has been launched to promote luxury hotels on islands around the world.
July 1, 2005... A new marketing alliance has been launched to promote luxury hotels on islands around the world. Called Exclusive Island Hotels & Resorts, it currently has 52 members on 38 different islands, which were selected after inspections to meet a...

You no longer need to go to the Americas to go llama trekking as part of a corporate event--it is now available at a venue just outside Scarborough.
July 1, 2005... You no longer need to go to the Americas to go llama trekking as part of a corporate event--it is now available at a venue just outside Scarborough. Raven Hall Country House Hotel in North Yorkshire has teamed up with the neighbouring...

Barcelona has taken over from Vienna as the most popular city for meetings, according to the latest survey from the International Congress & Convention Association.
July 1, 2005... Barcelona has taken over from Vienna as the most popular city for meetings, according to the latest survey from the International Congress & Convention Association. With the Austrian city at number two, Singapore is third while Berlin and...

The Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh is offering to serve up a luxury Christmas experience with this year's seasonal packages.
July 1, 2005... The Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh is offering to serve up a luxury Christmas experience with this year's seasonal packages, aimed at groups of up to 96 people. As well as butler service and a red-carpet welcome, the royal family's former...

French rise: Graham Povey, managing director of Capital Incentives & Motivation, tells Mark Ludmon how the only way is up after 21 years in the business.(People)
July 1, 2005... Graham Povey has been learning quickly about los cheques-cadeaux and l'art de marketing relationnel. A pile of French language books in his office reflects how he and colleagues at Capital Incentives & Motivation have been brushing up on their...

23red.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... 23red, the brand communication agency, has appointed Natalie Weller-Cliff as senior project manager. She was at BDS Beechwood, HeadtoHead and, most recently, Edge Ideas.

Flexibreaks.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Geoffrey Rose has quit as chairman of promotional incentives group Award International after five years. He founded travel company Flexibreaks, part of the Award group, in 1993.

Tyser Special Risk.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Tyser Special Risk, which provides insurance for the promotions sector, has appointed Charles O'Reilly, pictured, as marketing director. He was formerly co-founder of promotional risk management specialist PIMS, now PIMS-SCA, in 1987.

EMI Music.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Steve O'Connor has taken over as business development manager at EMI Music UK and Ireland to develop its incentive promotions. He was previously at Peoplesound.

Michael C Fina Worldwide.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Michael C Fina Worldwide, the reward and recognition company, has expanded with new staff including customer care manager Maria Bryne. She has a background in managing customer service at the NHS, ASE, Granada Learning and Anite IT. Other...

Meteorite.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Direct agency Meteorite has to added three recruits to its Brewers Fayre team, including account director Kirsti Willmott, pictured, who joins from Dunnhumby Cinnamon. She will work with new senior account executive Amy Rook and new account...

Snowball.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Marketing agency Snowball has appointed Jenny Rendall as an account executive. She joins from promotions agency Team Spirit where she worked on Clinique, Givenchy and Fortnum & Mason.

Ark-H Handling.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Liz Downie, has joined Ark-H Handling as sales and business development manager. Her background is in sales and customer services at companies such as Butlins, Alpha Flight Services, Monarch and Forte.

Halpern Cowan.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... Chris Lonie has taken over as creative director of integrated agency Halpern Cowan. He previously worked at Craik Jones, Rapier and Agency Wheel, working on blue-chip accounts and winning international awards.

CMP Information.(Moves)
July 1, 2005... CMP Information has appointed Duncan Reid as event director of International Confex. He replaces Jessica Blue who left earlier this year. He previously worked on other CMPi shows, including International Confex and Call Centre Expo.

Keeping ahead of buyers' needs: Darren Whitehead, event director of this September's National Incentive Show, explains how the need to touch, sample and interact make exhibitions essential to buyers of incentives.(Opinion)
July 1, 2005... When I started in the exhibition industry 15 years ago, the value propositions of exhibitions were simple: buyer met seller under one roof where they could look at a multitude of products and chat with suppliers over a glass of warm beer and a...