Incentive Today articles from November 2003

Incentive Today archives from November 2003

Storm clouds on the horizon.(Editor's note)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... It's a peculiar time to be a promotional marketer: on one hand, the economy appears set to bounce back after an uncomfortable couple of years, and SP techniques will undoubtedly be at the forefront of many brands' attempts to cash-in (see...

Why we should celebrate the festive season.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... After such a long and unexpectedly hot summer it's hard to believe that Christmas is all but six weeks away. Yet again, we are facing the age-old question of what we should buy our clients for Christmas. Sara Goodwins provided some very helpful...

A more rewarding experience, in plastic.(Editor's note, letters & diary)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Last month's feature entitled 'A rewarding experience, on paper' [October 2003 pXVIII] which focused on the use of vouchers as motivational tools, briefly raised the issue of incentivising electronically. In the UK the benefits of gift cards to...

Diary.(Editor's note, letters & diary)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... 26 November DMA Email Marketing Council Seminar A forum explaining the EC Directive on privacy and electronic communications Venue: The Hatton Organiser: DMA Tel: 020 7291 3355 www.dma.org.uk 10 December ISP Christmas...

Marie Curie Cancer Care.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Marie Curie Cancer Care has produced four special Care Bear badges in conjunction with the Big Badge Company to promote its home nursing and hospice work to a younger audience. The four collectable soft badges will be available for a suggested...

Giovanni Rana.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Giovanni Rana, the Italian fresh pasta brand, witnessed a measured uplift in sales of around 3000 percent as a result of its latest sampling campaign through Haygarth. Activity was part of an integrated marketing campaign and ran for three...

MGM Home Entertainment.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... MGM Home Entertainment aims to push some of its key back catalogue DVDs in the run up to Christmas through a strategic partnership with the Daily Mail. The first in-paper offer was a free full length DVD of 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' which...

Comfort Vaporesse.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Comfort Vaporesse appointed ID to implement an in-store 'ironing' campaign across 44 Tesco stores nationwide in October. Brand ambassadors were located in the store foyer equipped with an iron and board and aimed to demonstrate the brand's...

Triangle Communications.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Triangle Communications has published the results of research revealing door drop leaflets generate a 79 percent recall level compared with 38 percent for radio and 17 for cinema. TV was the second highest medium at 78 percent. The pros and...

Elvis.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Elvis is the newest name in the below-the-line agency sector, launching in November as an offshoot from advertising specialists Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy. It is headed up by John Tracey and Dan Colley, who join from Archibald Ingall...

Marketing Store student takes Diploma prize again.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A Marketing Store account handler has walked off with the prize for the best performing student for the ISP Diploma, for the second time in three years. Tracey Chan, account manager at the Marketing Store, beat the 141 other candidates to win...

Vivendi supports the Hobbit game launch with Swapits rewards.(News)(Vivendi Universal Games)
November 1, 2003... Vivendi Universal Games has teamed up with Swapits--the reward scheme for kids and teenagers--to drive awareness and sales for its main Christmas release, 'The Hobbit'--the official video game based on JRR Tolkien's epic story. The...

Prodigal father returns to Incentive World.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Reed Exhibitions has reemployed Ian Allchild to work as consultant on its Incentive World show, which he founded and was formerly ran as event director. Allchild is working with the Incentive World team on an 'as-and-when-required' basis...

'Finding Nemo' hauls in big catch of promotions.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Disney Pixar appears to have bettered the promotional success of its 'Monsters Inc.' release in 2001, which attracted multiple promotional partners, with its most recent digital animation release 'Finding Nemo'. Nestle, P&G, Britvic, Mcdonalds...

Conservatives take on the Government's tuition fees policy with first text campaign.(News)
November 1, 2003... The Conservatives have become the first political party to drive awareness of policy via SMS, with a promotion through Aerodeon targeting the student market. The initiative was launched by Conservative Future--formerly known as the Young...

M&S appeals to the lad in dads to push new menswear range.(News)(Marks and Spencer)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Marks & Spencer looked to build awareness of its new SP men's clothing range and drive traffic into key stores in October with a brand experience campaign through RPM. Activity was created to appeal to the I SP target of "dads who are...

Virgin Megastore.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Virgin Megastore is offering its customers a free return flight to Europe with every purchase over 50 [pounds sterling] until the end of November through a tie-up with Landround. Qualifying consumers can choose from a choice of ten destinations...

Fotorama.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Fotorama's E-redeem online reward redeemption scheme has exceeded its first year target attracting over 10,000 registered users. A series of major campaigns for leading brands--from British Airways World Cargo to Hersheys in the USA--have been...

Blockbuster.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Blockbuster is giving members the chance to trial any top five game title before purchase. 'Try Before You Buy' is running across every format in all 720 Blockbuster stores and entitles garners to claim the 3.75 [pounds sterling] rental cost...

Eidos.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Eidos has appointed Billington Cartmell to support the launch of the new 2003/2004 season edition of its football management game, Championship Manager, and help build the brand. The pan-European integrated brief includes in-store promotional...

John West.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... John West has completed a sampling drive to drive trial and purchase of its new 'Everything but the Salad Leaves' tuna product. Staff were on hand in 100 Asda Stores on November 8th to highlight the range's convenience proposition to customers...

Dialogue.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Dialogue has scooped the Globe award in the Best Use of Interactive Marketing category for its Weetabix House activity at this year's Marketing Agencies Association Worldwide Awards. The Globe is one of only 14 awarded from 291 entries from 30...

Highland Spring.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Highland Spring has tasked Blue-Chip Marketing Edinburgh with developing and implementing a year of below-the-line activity for 2004. Promotional activity will run across multiple, independent, forecourt, wholesale and on-trade sectors, and...

Nescafe reinforces romantic proposition with 'Love Actually' link.(Promotion of the month)
November 1, 2003... Coffee drinkers are being given the chance to indulge in the most romantic year of their lives with a multi-million pound campaign from Nescafe Gold Blend, launched in conjunction with the latest Brit flick, 'Love Actually', starring Hugh...

And the winner is ...(ISP perspective: the latest views from the Institute of Sales Promotion)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Awards: you either love them or loathe them. There are so many to choose from and if you're not careful you could be at a presentation ceremony every week. They are also very costly. To hedge your bets you enter more than one, you enter...

Cause related marketing becomes ever more effective, says research.(News)
November 1, 2003... A cause related marketing (CRM) product is bought in the UK every second, according to a new study called 'Giving Now', carried out by Business in the Community (BITC). The report also found that 96 percent of UK households have been...

Jacobs repositions Crackers with Wallace & Gromit.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Jacobs is aiming to reposition its Jacob's Crackers brand with an onpack promotion featuring animated characters Wallace & Gromit, licensed from Aardman Animation. 'Grand Days Out', which was devised by Dynamo, appeared on 35 million packs...

MS Society launches Muppets pin-badge appeal.(News)(Multiple Sclerosis)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society is currently in negotiation with a number of potential retail parsers for its New Year pin-badge campaign featuring the Muppets, under license from the Jim Henson Company. The campaign has been devised...

BTL agencies feel confidence returning, but adland remains in the doldrums.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Below-the-line agencies are feeling the benefits of a return in marketing confidence and spend, whilst their contemporaries in advertising are still enduring the downturn. This is according to the first quarterly Agency Barometer survey...

Dairy Crest spreads instore excitement with first SMS campaign.(News)(Clover)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Clover aimed to generate excitement in the traditional dairy spreads category with the launch of the first SMS text and win campaign, running until mid-November. The promotion tied in with the launch of the special edition DVD and video of...

Hoover to be reexposed on BBC TV.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... BBC Television is half way through filming a documentary on the disasterous Hoover 'Free Flights to the USA' promotion from the early 1990s. It is scheduled to air in late March 2004, as part of the 'Trouble at the Top' series on business...

Ocado tunes into radio listeners to push customer service message.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Online supermarket service Ocado has kicked off a thirteen-week radio campaign on London's Heart 106.2 with the potential to reach 1.2 million listeners per week, after signing Chrysalis Radio's first ever combined breakfast and drivetime...

Ford Ka drives up interest with mobile strategy.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ford joined forces with Wunderman and Flytxt in October as part of a digital direct marketing push to promote awareness of its Ka model. A range of postcards featuring an SMS response mechanic were mailed to prospects from external...

Indesit invites customers out to play.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A fairground complete with dodgems and fast rides provided the setting for a recent experiential trade campaign from Indesit designed to introduce its new collection and reinforce its slogan 'We work, you play'. The initiative marks...

The Link.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Link has teamed up with Monstermob--the mobile content brand--to offer all store visitors a free 'Now' pack featuring three free 'content credits' redeemable against a range of ringtones, graphics and games at www.monstermob.com. The aim is...

I Want One Of Those.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I Want One Of Those has launched its first ever dedicated business-to-business catalogue with the aim of attracting more clients from the corporate incentives arena. The catalogue includes prices for multiple quantities and details of services...

Tell-Tale Productions.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Tell-Tale Productions has teamed up with CPLG to maximise the licensing opportunities presented by its latest animated pre-teen series, Sprogs. The agency will represent the rights on all Sprogs products, excluding television and video, across...

Nissan.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Nissan is supporting the launch of its new light commercial vehicles with an initiative through Tequila Manchester aimed at collating information regarding ownership and purchasing from small to medium-sized business. The campaign is running at...

Bic.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bic is conducting in-store sampling and couponing initiatives as part of a 1.1 million [pounds sterling] campaign to support new flagship brand Bic Comfort 3--its latest triple blade shaver. Activity follows a major outdoor advertising push...

Goldfish and John Lewis Gift Vouchers.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Goldfish and John Lewis Gift Vouchers have conducted a partnership promotion to the credit card issuer's customers, offering cardholders redeeming their loyalty points for 50 [pounds sterling] or more of John Lewis vouchers an extra 5 [pounds...

Medusa Communications & Marketing.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Medusa Communications & Marketing has completed the second phase of an online campaign through Egovision to push its high-energy, female martial arts action movie Naked Weapon. The viral initiative was delivered via a microsite and was based...

Total takes Tops online and ties in male drivers with Kingfisher vouchers.(News)
November 1, 2003... Total has relaunched its Tops loyalty programme with an online offering and an enhanced rewards portfolio, aimed at significantly growing its membership base. The fuel retailer--which is 4th largest in the UK market--is aiming to ramp--up...

Parcelforce sends a global message.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Businesses and consumers are being made aware of the last international send-by dates for parcels in the run up to Christmas with a new campaign from Parcelforce Worldwide. The promotion simultaneously aims to drive use of its global express...

Nando's turns up the heat.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Consumers are being offered the opportunity to escape the winter chill with a promotion from Nando's to boost sales across its Peri-Peri sauce range and reinforce its dual retail and restaurant offering. 'Win lunch around the world'...

Charity account offers donors an extra reason to give.(News)(Charities Aid Foundation)
November 1, 2003... Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)--a registered charity providing financial services to other charities and their supporters worldwide--is running its first incentive campaign in a bid to raise awareness of its Charity Account and encourage...

Cayman Islands spreads the word with second viral push.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Grand Cayman Islands Department of Tourism aims to reach 1.5 million prospective customers with a viral marketing campaign offering the chance to win a 6000 [pounds sterling] holiday. Activity follows the success of a similar initiative...

Ralph Lauren paints the town blue for Christmas.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ralph Lauren has commissioned ID to deliver part two of a brand experience drive aimed at pushing trial and awareness of its new fragrance, Polo Blue. The latest campaign kicks off in early December in a bid to hit Christmas gifters as...

Beer-swilling rugby fans lured by Fuller's and Odeon tie-up.(News; Odeon Leicester Square London to screen Rugby Union World Cup and serve Fuller ale)
November 1, 2003... England rugby fans unable to make it to Australia to watch their team's progress in the Rugby Union World Cup can enjoy the next best thing thanks to a sponsorship deal between Odeon cinema and Fuller's London Pride premium ale. Matches...

Great Experience Days snaps up Motivark.(Motivation; acquisition of English marketing firm)
November 1, 2003... Consolidation of suppliers in the so-called "experience economy" has continued with the news that the Motivark brand name will disappear following acquisition by Great Experience Days in the summer. This is the latest move in a...

Grass Roots buys Projectlink.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Grass Roots has strengthened its status as the UK's biggest motivation house with the acquisition of rival Projectlink, for an undisclosed sum. Tring-based Grass Roots was confirmed as No.1 in the UK in the first ever survey of motivation...

Comet rolls out SVCs for corporate market, whilst Boots holds back.(Motivation)(stored value cards)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Comet has joined the vanguard of voucher issuers to offer stored value cards (SVC) to the corporate market as an alternative to paper gift voucher rewards solutions. In contrast, Boots has launched an SVC product solely for the retail market,...

Uniross says cheers to Maplins and Office World store staff.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Uniross--the rechargeable battery manufacturer--is offering branch staff at Maplins and Office World a highly unusual incentive in its autumn motivation programme: beer. Staff at both retailers stand to win their share of 12,000 bottles of...

The Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP) is chairing a meeting of stakeholders in the performance improvement, motivation and reward service sectors on December 8th, with a view to representing this community in the future. Over sixty individuals...

High Street Gift Vouchers.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... High Street Gift Vouchers has redesigned its vouchers in order to create standout and reinforce the versatility of the product. It has also added Halfords and Thresher to its redemption portfolio, and has launched its first TV advertising...

Capital Incentives & Motivation.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Capital Incentives & Motivation has appointed Ian Hughes as national account manager. He joins from Grass Roots, where he was senior sales executive on the agency's Bonus Bonds vouchers. Capital has also confirmed Charles Trywhitt Shirts as its...

The Royal Mail.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Royal Mail has denied a partnership with a number of retailers to launch a voucher product, to be targeted at the retail and corporate marketplace. Speculation has mounted that a voucher product would be launched as a replacement for the Postal...

British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) is claiming a surge in membership from conference facilities following its expansion to include six new conference destinations: Craigavon, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, South Tyneside, Newmarket...

P&MM.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... P&MM is expecting to confirm the identity of its new chairman in the New Year. The agency has dismissed reports that Page & Moy founder Peter May has been appointed to the role.

Grass Roots Group centralises and expands reward services under Lee.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Grass Roots Group has promoted Richard Lee to the new role of head of business development for reward services, after only five months in the role of sales manager for its Bonus Bond vouchers. Lee took charge of development of Grass Roots...

Red Letter Days focuses on the corporate market.(Motivation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Red Letter Days has launched its first dedicated corporate brochure as part of a raft of measurers designed to target B2B customers in its prime pre-Christmas selling period. Other innovations from Red Letter Days are the launch of...

Senior managers in bonus bonanza, says IDS research.(Motivation)(Income Data Services)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Changes in the structure of incentive payments are driving the huge leap forwards in directors' pay, according to research published by Income Data Services (IDS). The study shows that the earnings of "lead directors" has risen by 288 percent...

Promoters on tenterhooks for crucial guidance on electronic communications.(Email privacy; UK anti-spamming efforts)
November 1, 2003... Delays in releasing information on new e-privacy legislation from both the DTI and the Information Commissioner means promoters will have only a small time window to ensure email and SMS promotions are compliant. At the time of writing,...

Marketing to children under scrutiny following junk food media frenzy.(Junk food promotions)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... The Government and consumers' groups are whipping up a media storm over the affects of marketing of confectionery and "junk food" on children's health, and the possibility of a ban is looming. Growing public concern over the perceived link...

Nailing down brand experience: thanks to a rather diverse heritage, brand experience has numerous definitions and resides in a somewhat murky fog. And yet its fanbase is growing rapidly. Jo Ellsworth seeks to isolate the tangible benefits behind its success.(Brand experience)
November 1, 2003... When Brand Experience (BE) last featured in IT, it was suffering from a pretty severe identity crisis. Nearly two years on, it still hasn't found itself. Like an angst-ridden teenager, it's just not quite sure of what it is or what it wants to...

Loyalty begins at home: the best way to improve the loyalty of staff is through a balanced programme of incentives, rewards and employee benefits.(Staff loyalty; sales staffs)
November 1, 2003... Solely rewarding and incentivising the upper echelons of a salesforce is a practise ingrained into the psyche of many a company. True, it is these people who generate some 80 percent of sales. Yet ignoring the other employees--the majority...

Whose job is it anyway? Who should be responsible for motivation programmes? Sales and marketing? Human resources (HR)? The board of directors? Perhaps a co-operative venture between departments? The debate rages on with few signs of coming to a quick conclusion.(Management)
November 1, 2003... Motivation programmes are changing. There are now two types of programme; those which are designed to prompt specific actions, (ie. to make people do something they would not otherwise have done), and those which aim at a more general increase...

Why companies must communicate to motivate.(Soapbox)
November 1, 2003... John Caudwell, the CEO of mobile phones retailer Phones 4U was recently reported in the press to have banned internal email amongst his 2500 staff. Whilst it seems that his main reason for taking this seemingly drastic course of action is to...

A touch of elegance.(Experience profile)
November 1, 2003... Supplier: Orient Express Activity: British Pullman train services Cost: Day trips from 240 [pounds sterling], groups over 16 can 10 percent discount. Availability: All year round, though more departures in summer Standard...

Perfect exposure: the fall in the cost of digital cameras is bringing them into the mainstream market, and adding to the potential of the camera as an incentive gift or promotional product.(Cameras)
November 1, 2003... Digital cameras have joined the ranks of must-have consumer items. In the high street they are usurping much of the shelf space previously occupied by traditional film cameras. Hence, with an eye to what's cool and desirable, suppliers to the...

Mind the children! Promoting to children can be something of a minefield--especially in the current climate, with high levels of hostility for certain kinds of activity from consumers' groups in the UK and the EU. However, tried and tested solutions such as licences and premiums can still deliver effective results.(Children & toys)
November 1, 2003... Marketing to children remains a contentious issue. And with the current focus on obesity in children, this is particularly true of promotions run in connection with the Big Five--pre-sugared breakfast cereals, soft drinks, confectionary,...

Right at the heart of toys: has the rise of technology undermined the use of toys as a promotional mechanic?(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... "The opposite!" argues Corgi Premiums Manager Rob McNeill, "It's helping. Toys are as popular as ever. "Kids are technology-savvy, with exposure to a wide array of media--it's almost totally driving their decisionmaking, and the increased...

Hand job.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Let's face facts: unlike the film, car wash isn't funky in real life. For most of us, it's a bit of a chore. But for the car-obsessed minority, getting those alloy-wheels gleaming is a labour of love. And any product that makes this weekly...

A head for numbers.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In today's technological age you could be forgiven for thinking that life should be simple. But alas no. Just completing the most basic of daily rituals--be it a cash withdrawal, unlocking a mobile phone or car stereo or checking personal...

Ruck and maul.(Showcase!)
November 1, 2003... After the excitement of the Rugby World Cup, and the anticipation for the 2004 Six Nations tournament (which begins in the spring) the traditional rugby shirt has regained its place as the must-have promotional clothing accessory of the winter....

Fresh and cool.(Showcase!)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The cool-bag is a promotional staple, but one for which--in design terms--form generally follows function. As a result, they are often not the most aesthetically pleasing of items. However, fortunately one supplier has sought to reinvent the...

Satisfying a small need for speed.(Showcase!)
November 1, 2003... Looking for an original way to tell prospective clients you're 'high performance orientated'? Or perhaps a big boy's toy to target that Peter Pan-esque executive who you know has money to burn? Well, how about a Bensu Original Mini Racer?...

Target practice.(Showcase!)
November 1, 2003... As frustrating sports go, golf is right up there at the top of most people's list. In fact it's logical to conclude that anyone belonging to the golf-loving community has masochistic tendencies. So making the sport harder for them is one way to...

Kitsch corner: Nick Morgan, creative director of Meteorite, dons his 12-inch flares and his paisley shirt with jumbo collars to propose a promotional relaunch strategy for the kipper tie.(Backside)
November 1, 2003... When I was a nipper the kipper tie was all the rage. They were usually found at cheese and wine parties accompanying a polyester shirt, dipping in the cheese fondu of an unsuspecting dinner guest. Created by Michael Fish at Tumball & Asser,...

Sale of the century?(Backside)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Legendarily grumpy football chairman Ken Bates (of Chelsea FC) was a surprising choice of speaker at the MCCA Annual Conference, held at Chelsea Village on October 29th. Backside just has one question: Why? What could the esteemed...

Motivational words of wisdom?(Backside)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Clive Woodward, coach of the England Rugby Union team, speaking before the start of the 2003 World Cup: "I'm often asked the question about motivation and how do you motivate this team. I want to give you a very simple answer. I think the...

Q&A: David Spink, board director, Dialogue.(Brief Article)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... What is your favourite promotion? Boots '3-for-2'. Whilst it pains me to suggest a simple price offer, the simplicity of the communication and proposition to the consumer is superb--it gets me every time! What was your greatest...