Award winning travel, prize and fulfilment agency Cloud Nine Incentives is growing its full service
offering with the appointment of Emma Coleman, Director of Events.
Joining from BCD Meetings & Events, Emma will harness her experience across multiple sectors
to drive Cloud Nine’s events division forward; an important strategic pillar for the agency.
Founder and Director Michael Chambers says, “As Cloud Nine Incentives enters its 13th year,
it’s critical we continue to innovate and deliver excellent service. Growing our events team means
we can offer a ‘one stop shop’ to clients.
I am delighted to welcome Emma to the Cloud Nine team. Her wealth of events experience and
passion for exceptional service levels will help steer the agency into its next chapter.”
With an amplified prize and promotions capability, brands will receive seamless, end to end
campaign management, with their customers at the heart of the journey.

Emma Coleman, “I am delighted to join Cloud Nine Incentives, a leader in their field working with
some fantastic brands. Their ethos of curating standout experiences alongside providing
excellent customer service aligns perfectly with my own passion for events. My role, leading the
strategy and development of the events offering, sparks a new chapter for Cloud Nine and I’m
delighted to be involved at the beginning of this exciting journey.”

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Opinion From IncentiveSmart

There are some things we can’t help but resent spending our money on. When that ‘Check Engine’ light starts glowing, or when the school uniforms get a little too tight once again, or when the dentist sits back in her chair and says, “I’ll need you to book another appointment”. They are the bare necessities – and, unlike the bear necessities, they definitely aren’t free to scavenge from the forest floor as you hum a merry tune.

The supermarket is another place where spending hard-earned money rarely feels like a joy. Besides the occasional treat snuck into the trolley, there are plenty of bare necessities that make their way down the conveyer belt quite unceremoniously.

This is, of course, why supermarket loyalty schemes prove so successful. Most of us have to go to the supermarket at least once a week and, unless it’s way out of our way, the supermarket with the most beneficial (and, most importantly, memorable) loyalty scheme is likely to be our destination.

That brings us onto to Asda, who recently unveiled a new pounds-based rewards scheme for their customers – a novelty in the supermarket circle, given the emphasis Asda’s main competitors place on points, rather than pounds. And, when it boils down to the age-old debate between money and points, Asda’s new efforts are just as relevant to B2B loyalty as they are to the traditional, B2C loyalty schemes.

So, here it is – our in-depth, up close and personal look at Asda’s new rewards scheme – what we admire, and what experience has taught us we’d rather steer away from.

Asda’s Rewards Scheme: What’s the Deal?

Back in August, Asda started rolling out its first loyalty programme. While they were late to the game (Tesco launched their Clubcard back in 1995, for instance) the supermarket had maintained a competitive edge through the years with its rollbacks and competitive pricing strategy.

Asda Rewards is centred around a ‘Cashpot’, which grows larger each and every time shoppers scan their app at checkout, or complete ‘challenges’. This is the interesting part – the money in this Cashpot can be redeemed through a voucher, which can be put towards their next Asda’s shop (either in person, or online). Is that not a voucher scheme we ask?

The scheme is made more unique by the challenges ASDA offers to shoppers (for instance, £1.50 can be earned for any 10 items of fruit and vegetables), and by the ‘Star Products’ found throughout the store that can earn a 10% return in their Cashpot. It’s obvious that these challenges are designed to encourage shoppers to spend more time in store, more time looking for things (and trying new things they wouldn’t usually go for), and, ultimately, spend more money.

It’s a great idea, aside from one pretty big detail – historically, points-based rewards have demonstrated far better success rates in the long-term, even though we love having a little extra cash to spend when temptation is right in front of us.

Our Reservations Over Cash-Based Rewards

We get it. Finding an extra £20, getting that better-than-expected tax rebate, or opening a birthday card to find a handful of notes is a good feeling. We all like to know we’ve got a little no-strings-attached cash to spend on something extra, or just take the sting out of an unavoidable expense. This is, of course, the motivator behind Asda’s scheme. Shoppers can spend their accumulated ‘cash’ on a few extra treats among the usual cupboard supplies.

The counterargument, however – and one that we align with at Incentivesmart – is that cash isn’t memorable, and the kind of stuff we usually spend those unexpected extra doses of cash aren’t long lasting, either.

Remember what we said at the beginning of this article, about how there are some things we will always resent spending money on because they’re boring necessities? Add to that list things like toilet roll, dishwasher tablets, toothpaste, lightbulbs, washing up liquid, and socks! Saving a little on these humdrum expenses is all well and good, but it’s not exciting or memorable in the same way that accumulating points is – when you have to take time to think about exchanging them for rewards and experiences that actually mean something.

It’s very likely that Asda is aware of this. Why? Because their in-app challenges cater to that part of us that enjoys working toward a goal, rather than simply accumulating points with each purchase. It gives customers a more active role in the scheme – something which is usually reserved for points-based reward schemes.

Now, the obvious counter-counter argument in favour of cash-based rewards is that Asda operates in a very different ecosystem to most businesses. Supermarkets aren’t like other businesses offering rewards schemes. We go to the supermarket very regularly and, often, our choice of supermarket is also dependent on other factors: which one is closest to where we live? Which one stocks the brands/products we like the most? Which one suits our budget?

Where Do Points Have the Edge?

There are plenty of reasons why points continue to hold an edge over pounds, even in the unique world of supermarkets – and even when you take into account the surface-level appeal of cash over points, which only hold value within a closed loop environment.

Consider the fact that, in a recent survey, Tesco’s points-based Clubcard still ranked #1 among customers. Asda ranked fourth, behind Sainsbury’s and The Co-Operative, both of which also offer points-based schemes. The offer of cash is not, in and of itself, an instant selling point; customers are a lot savvier than that.

We spend a lot of time thinking about rewards schemes, and how to offer the best (and most enticing) programme to your customers, so we have some ideas of our own about why this could be. Here are just a few…

Points make consistency easier for businesses

Giving away tangible rewards or experiences makes better financial sense than giving away cold hard cash. Why? Because, with a carefully planned points-based rewards scheme, you can accrue and offer some genuinely enticing rewards to customers without narrowing your margins on your own products or services.

Consider the fact that Asda’s first ‘Milestone Mission’ for customers is to spend £50 in-store or online. If they hit that milestone, they get £1.50 back, which works out at 3%. Another offer mentioned on Asda’s own site is £1.50 for any 10 fruits or vegetables (so unlocking this milestone will, presumably, cost less than £50), while another will see £5 invested into the Cashpot for every £25 spent on school uniforms.

The rules are inconsistent. It could be argued, of course, that this inconsistency is what keeps the scheme fresh, and what keeps customers checking in on their Asda Rewards app. If it was the same old deal every time they went in store, it wouldn’t be so memorable, right?

But how long can the novelty sustain itself? The benefits of a scheme that is based on a very simple, memorable, and clear system (for instance, 1 point for every £1 spent, and £1 for every 100 points accrued) remain clear as day – and, judging by Tesco’s popularity with customers, the lack of novelty is not a fatal flaw. Why? Because the rewards themselves change – not the rules of the game.

Points keep customers within your closed loop, without restricting them to a limited range of rewards

One of the biggest reasons why cash rewards are a bad idea for businesses is because, after the reward has been handed over, you get no more insight into what customers are spending that cash on, or where they are spending it.

Asda know this, and they have circumvented the issue with their Cashpot, which can only be redeemed or ‘emptied’ in Asda’s stores or through its website, so it’s pretty much straddling the fence between cash and points. It looks like money and acts like money, but only within Asda’s own big-little ecosystem. Is that really cash because as we know cash can be spent anywhere!!

Money can be spent thoughtlessly; points are better accrued

Asda’s Milestone Missions do give shoppers something to work towards they’re accruing the cash just the same. Points require imagination – they give shoppers a definitive goal to work towards, and a real, motivating reason to keep accruing those points, and not to just spend them for the sake of it each time they start to build-up. And, provided you can focus on offering a really strong, versatile and exciting selection of rewards for customers to spend their points on, allow them to mark favourites so they can identify what appeals to them, you can capture their imaginations for the long-haul.

Points are best for getting customers emotionally involved in the scheme

Building loyalty isn’t just about giving customers a reason to come back to you each time they need the product you offer, or the service you provide. It’s also about cultivating a long-term, steadfast emotional connection that will keep your customers loyal even when your competitors are offering a better on-the-spot deal.

An emotional connection is the difference between casual loyalty, and the evangelistic behaviour that can enable businesses to really thrive – the customers who will recommend you to friends and co-workers, and who will represent the bedrock on which your business’s success is built.

Cash is, as we mentioned above, unmemorable, and pretty workaday. Unless it’s a massive lump sum inheritance or prize money, you’re probably not going to remember it a couple of weeks, a few months, or a year down the line.

Points create a story in our heads. The process of picking out a reward you want and very gradually working toward it is different and, provided the rewards are relevant enough to really inspire your customers to earn them, very memorable indeed.

Points are better value

The final cherry on the cake is that commercially, points provide better value than cash. We’ve provided a simple points vs cash model to demonstrate this:

So, What’s our verdict?

Asda’s rewards scheme is likely to prove a success. They already have a significant (and, in all likelihood, loyal) customer base, and a solid reputation for offering competitive, in-store deals and prices that kept customers coming through the doors long before it launched this scheme. So, for many people, this will represent something of a cherry on the cake, rather than a game-changing, supermarket-switching prospect.

That’s not to say Asda won’t attract brand new customers, but that they will enjoy the main benefit of a successful loyalty scheme: customer retention.

More interesting to us is the fact that Asda’s rewards scheme seems to take advantage of the very best of both worlds. Cash is, at face value, a very compelling offer. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – ask any group of people whether they want to be rewarded with cash or stuff, and the overwhelming majority will probably say cash. But, once spent, that cash is forgotten – the purchase is lost to the sands of time – and the customer’s attention needs to be grabbed all over again. You give away more money, and the cycle continues.

The cash Asda gives to its customers through its Milestone Missions and Star Products acts a lot like points. It goes into a ‘Cashpot’ and customers can see that value accruing, which caters to our desire for money over stuff, but it can’t be redeemed as cash-in-hand or spent anywhere other than within Asda’s bricks-and-mortar or online stores. It keeps people within Asda’s closed loop, much like points.

What can we take from this? That collectability (aka points!!) will always offer the greatest possible benefit to businesses. They keep the loop closed and motivate the customer to keep returning and, in so doing, accruing points. You definitely don’t need to dress them up as cash to trick people to think that’s enticing, and you don’t need to invest crazy amounts of money into the rewards you offer. Instead, you need them to be relevant, memorable, and always interesting to your returning customers.

The post Is ‘Pounds, Not Points’ Really the Way to Go? appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Loyalty and recognition experts Incentivesmart are offering a step by step guide to help improve customer retention. Learn how to measure engagement, satisfaction and discover ways to create loyal customers.

Develop a brand ambassador strategy using this useful guide from the people that know how, here.

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As I type, the Incentive Prize and Loyalty Community are formulating a plan to curate a White Paper around the ‘Rules That COVID Broke’. This initiative will address the changes, some subtle, others not, around how the market has been affected by the pandemic and are we actually seeing any positive actions emerging from it?

One of the 5 points to be addressed is the rise of ‘Purpose’ in our marketing and if COVID has awakened us to the power of purpose?

Purpose in brands and their marketing is no new thing and some brands build their identity around it. Take Toms as a brilliant example of a brand with purpose as part of their very DNA. TOMS popularized ‘Buy One Give One’ (BOGO) cause marketing, for every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. The impact of their drive to change is evident in all they do, not in a one off campaign.

Recently Visa released its latest advert encouraging the public to shop local this holiday season, the second year they’ve taken this stance. So far this year, Visa has committed to help eight million small businesses get online and adapt to the “new normal” of the coronavirus pandemic.

Justine Clement, a member of the Incentive, Prize and Loyalty Community adds, “I really like the ’Shop Local’ message Visa has built their latest campaign around. American Express has been doing something similar for a while now, encouraging cardholders to support local shops and in return, receiving money back for doing so. As a certified B Corp, supporting your local community is a hugely important part of the assessment requirements we need to measure and adopt. The B Corp Community Impact Area evaluates your company’s contribution to the economic and social well-being of the communities in which it operates, through topics such as diversity and inclusion, job creation, civic engagement and philanthropy, supply chain management, and more. At present, as human beings the world over, we’re travelling less and possibly shopping less, which is, of course, having a major impact on smaller, local businesses. So, Visa supporting this problem area and pointing people to remind them that they have so much already on their doorsteps, rather than always turning to Amazon, is purposeful in many ways. Whether an ad like this has that much impact, I cannot say, but it’s a huge nod to show that they are at least thinking about these things and making people aware is the first step to changing habits. In my opinion, huge brands such as Visa have a responsibility to help change habits in this new era of change, uncertainty and connection, and it’s great to see them stepping up.”

Alex Weller, European Marketing Director for outdoor apparel company Patagonia was recently interviewed for Marketing Week about how the recent US election result will benefit their brand’s dedication to combatting the global climate crisis. Patagonia is widely considered one of the world’s most purposeful brands. Since 1985, the company has pledged 1% of its sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, awarding well in excess of $89m to grassroots environmental groups.

It recently stitched ‘Vote the Assholes Out’ into pairs of its ‘Stand Up Shorts’ as a call to remove all politicians from office who take money from fossil fuel interests and roll back environmental policy.

So the question posed by the Incentive, Prize and Loyalty Community to their Practitioners this month around whether ‘purpose’ is more prevalent in their campaigns as a result of the pandemic, in our minds, has two connotations.

Firstly, are more brands embracing the power of purposeful campaigns in the light of COVID?

And secondly, perhaps more poignantly, is it now expected of brands to deliver a purpose with their promotions, and for it to be hewn into the very essence of the campaign, and not bolted on afterwards?

Has COVID helped shape the promotional landscape into one that is built on purpose?

There is no reason to doubt it, and after all, this is the season to be hopeful…

The post IPL Community & The Power of Purpose appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Media, Sales and Marketing Workers Want to Celebrate but 9 in 10 of all workers will take the cash instead

Appreciate, home of Love2shop, the UK’s best-known rewards product, has published research today that shows that those working in marketing are one of the most likely to still want a company Christmas party this year.

Despite the likelihood of a UK-wide lockdown due to Covid-19, YouGov research designed to investigate British employees’ attitudes to company parties this year revealed 30% of employees in the marketing, sales and media sector want their company to hold some sort of office Christmas party this year, compared to a national average of 24%.

With more of the country going into tier 2 and 3 lockdown, the research conducted among 1,000 British employees by YouGov revealed that 46% of British employees don’t want a company Christmas party at all this year, compared to 24% who do want one.

Across sectors, it revealed that marketers are one of the most keen to party (30%), just behind the legal sector at 34%.

Looking at the attitudes of the British workforce at large, nine in 10 employees (88%) would prefer a £50 gift from their company rather than a Christmas party. The HMRC Trivial Benefit allowance enables such a £50 gift to employees to be made tax free, allowing companies to save £33.68 per basic tax-paying employee (£48.10 for higher rate taxpayers).¹

However, marketing is the profession who most prefers to party, with 19% choosing a party over a £50 gift, compared to 11% of all workers preferring the party option.

Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Appreciate Group, said: “Clearly Covid-19 has changed our attitudes to Christmas parties this year but in marketing, the desire to get together and celebrate is still strong. We imagine there will be a lot of virtual, Covid-safe Zoom Christmas parties come December, with people letting their hair down in different ways.

Creighton adds: “Even though media types proved to be the party animals from the poll, across all sectors, nine in 10 said they would prefer a £50 gift instead. The HMRC Trivial Benefit allowance enables such a £50 tax free gift to employees to be made tax free.  In the current Covid environment, there is an opportunity for employers to spread a little festive joy… and enjoy a tax benefit: so this could be a win-win for both bosses and workers.”

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As the largest network of gyms and health clubs in the UK, Hussle has now leveraged the scale of its network and digital customer journey, to create a range of incentive products which commercial partners can use to help acquire, retain, and engage existing customers on a national level for the first time.

Product options include Digital Credit, Free Day Passes, Free Monthly+ Passes, and Discounted. And they can all be used across the whole network of 2,700 gyms that Hussle partners with across 96% of UK postcodes. It’s an industry first allowing brands to provide a multi-operator gym incentive to their customers, using a single digital customer journey.

The Hussle network includes gym, swim, and spa locations across the UK and includes well know operators such as Nuffield Health and Bannatyne Health Clubs.

Lawrence King, Head of Commercial Partnerships at Hussle, said: “The fitness industry historically, has struggled to secure truly national consumer marketing partnerships as the geographic coverage of any single operator has been too narrow for potential commercial partners.  With a gym in 96% of UK postcode regions, Hussle is ideally placed to support the coverage requirements of national brands and create new marketing opportunities for the fitness industry to reach genuinely new people.”

Coinciding with the launch Hussle have secured a series of high-profile consumer brand partnerships, the first of which is with the telecommunications giant, Three UK. The partnership will see Hussle provide over 2 million qualified Three UK customers with flexible access to almost 40% of gyms and health clubs across the UK in return for Three UK marketing the campaign to their users this summer.

Nicola Bhojani, Head of Media Planning at Three UK, said: “Three are excited to be partnering with Hussle; their great coverage and variety of venues is ideal for our customer base who are looking to discover new local experiences.”

The post Hussle launches new B2B2C incentive products appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

ELLO Media, the engagement, loyalty and lifetime optimisation specialist, has launched today to provide bespoke loyalty solutions for the UK’s biggest brands through its proprietary technology.

Born out of The Dining Club Group, the newly-formed B2B marketing agency plans to deliver incremental commercial revenue for its clients, transforming businesses by executing the most effective and connected engagement experiences to their customers.

With an in-house team of business analysts working full-time to capture data, which can be refined to a macro level if necessary, ELLO Media will support its clients in providing detailed insight into their businesses, identifying trends to establish personalised, exclusive offers.

Michael Kalli, who has over 18 years’ experience in managing strategic direction within B2B and B2C global industries, will lead the ELLO Media team as Managing Director.

“Through our unparalleled catalogue of experiential rewards and incentives, we are confident in our ability to shape customer behaviour and deliver results for the UK’s biggest and brightest brands,” commented Kalli.

“The loyalty and rewards space has long been crowded with tentative efforts from specialist agencies to provide a genuine, fool proof loyalty offering, often masked by over-branding and short-term, convenience-oriented benefits,” Kalli added.

“With the vast majority of these agencies not owning their products and technology, we feel that now is the right time to fill this gap in the market by actually delivering on loyalty and long-term value to become a true innovator and leader in this field,” Kalli continued “We are developing more new products and technology this year to further strengthen our portfolio, and we are excited to announce our first high-profile partnership very soon.”

Following its launch, ELLO Media intends to target clients across a range of vertical sectors including finance, utilities, insurance and retail.

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Travel can help engage consumers by putting unusual and unexpected incentives at the heart of marketing campaigns, says Amy Nield, Head of Prize at Sodexo

The world’s a crowded place, isn’t it?

Think about it. What was your last trip really like? What really stood out for you? It may have been the giant cruise ship that suddenly sailed into town, emptying its hold of minions armed with selfie sticks, cluttering up cafés and restaurants in their wake.

It may have been the daily fight for a sunbed by the pool.

Or it may have been a seemingly endless traffic jam to nowhere. Too much? Well, it seems UK holidaymakers are putting busy touristy destinations behind them and looking closer to home for more bespoke travel experiences. And they’ve got one thing in common: they want a great experience.

We’ve just published a report –  our ‘2018 Sodexo UK Exploring Travel’ e-book – which reveals that promotional marketing expectations are at an all-time high and the competition for consumer attention is fiercer than ever before. It’s up to marketers to deliver on these expectations to create maximum stand out.

If you put experiences at the heart of your campaign, you can engage consumers and truly take your brand places.

In fact, ‘experience’ is driving customer engagement in brand marketing like never before. For this reason, travel promotions can give marketers the edge they need to help their offering stand out in an increasingly noisy and saturated world. But they need to be unique and they need to be immersive.

So how can you beat the crowds and take your consumers on a brand journey they’re unlikely to forget in a hurry?

Unexpected experiences a marketing necessity

According to the British Tourism and Travel Show, not only do “33% of consumers put ‘exploring new places’ as their main motivator for travelling,” but “93% of Destination Marketing Officers consider experiences ‘important’ or ‘vital’ to consumer decisions.”

It’s not enough for UK travellers to want to go to see a new city. They want to book an experience to shout about while they’re there, too.

For marketers who wish to influence behaviour change, it means looking beyond the obvious. If you’re thinking about a standard giveaway that on paper seems reasonable enough, you need to look again.

It’s about doing something different, creating a promotion that reaches the right audience, at the right time, and stopping consumers in their tracks.

If you’re beginning to perspire with anticipation, please don’t fret.

An ‘unexpected’ travel prize incentive doesn’t have to break the bank. Long gone are the days when only a beautiful Caribbean beach would cut the billboard. Today’s holidaymakers are a more varied bunch.

Now it’s all about what you do, not where you do it.

The West Country – but not as you know it

Perhaps it’s down to the fact that many of us have long been accustomed to making the most of cheap no-frills air carriers, but domestic tourism is facing somewhat of a renaissance. ABTA is even reporting that UK demand is set to grow even more this year.

In fact, as Sodexo’s research reveals, “84% of people are considering, planning or have already taken a UK overnight break outside of their home county in 2018.”

Smart marketers can use this thinking to create an affordable and impactful promotional campaign that taps into our love of experiences and a desire to stay closer to home. So, where to next? Now that’s a question.

Our research reveals that while “London may be the number one UK destination for International visitors… it’s the South West of England that ranks highest for domestic tourists (Barclays).” Ah, we can almost smell the pasties.

The off-season is now the on-season, promising quieter towns, villages and roads, along with a less stressful experience for those seeking to get away from it all.

So-called summer destinations such as St Ives boasts indoor cultural treats such as The Tate St Ives; Penzance offers the all year round wild cookery school ‘Fat Hen’ and vibrant arts city Falmouth offers fantastic festivals every month of the year.

UK consumers may love the West Country, but if you can tie your travel prize incentives into latest trends coming from that part of the world, you’ll turn heads more than, say, offering a singular surfing trip in Newquay might do.

And on that note, is now a good time to mention targeting? Think about who you want to impress and you’ll find there’s a whole world of possibilities available.

All about the bragging rights

Whatever it is, it seems consumers are looking for something a bit different. They’re looking at new destinations, perhaps to beat the crowds and find their own way when it comes to holiday planning.

There’s big head-turning kudos for brands who actively engage consumers by helping them to boost those all-important bragging rights.

If you can create the feeling that your promotion is something new, something unheard of, you’ll do well to create maximum stand out.

Our report says ABTA nods to several major cultural anniversaries and events which are set to help cement the UK as the most popular destination [for Brits] overall for holidays in 2018:

• Bristol hosts the 40th anniversary of its world-famous Balloon Fiesta.
• Liverpool will mark 10 years since its successful bid to become European Capital of Culture.
• Several cities including Manchester, Oxford, London and Leeds have gallery take overs and other cultural events to mark the centenary of the Women’s Vote.

By building travel incentives in around events such as these, brands can find ways to tie their marketing ideas in via timely, eye-catching creative and thoughtful messaging.

Five go mad off the beaten track

Here are five more off-the-beaten-track UK travel ideas for weird, wacky and wonderful weekend breaks that may whet even the most seasoned traveller’s appetite and won’t burn the promotional budget – but don’t try them all at once, kids:

• Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire

Who wouldn’t want to chase a rolling cheese wheel down a hill for a laugh? Well, maybe not all of us, but adrenaline junkies will love it. And for spectators, the event is guaranteed to be a memorable one. Just imagine the cheesy craic in the local taverns and inns afterwards.

• Oyster Festival in Whitstable

A foodie break to the seaside town of Whitstable is a mouth-watering delight. Throw in a quirky overnight stay in alternative accommodation such as the Fisherman’s Huts, and you’ve got a veritable feast for the senses.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/oyster-festival-dates-revealed-157394/

• The Highland Games, Braemar

If you can’t wait for Tokyo 2020, how about the UK’s answer to the Olympics instead? The Highland Games take place every summer – think kilts, cabers and ceilidhs. Add in a trip to a whisky distillery or see where all the action from James Bond’s Skyfall took place.

• The Night Carnival, Glastonbury

Somerset plays host to a wonderful and wacky night carnival every November. Like something out of a picture book, this type of event will seriously capture your audience’s imaginations. Attract customers with a night at nearby hot spot, Babington House, or a hotel and spa in beautiful Bath.

• The Green Man Festival, Brecon

Nothing says fun like a fabulous festival, but with so many out there, it’s important you align your brand with a high-quality, absorbing experience. The Green Man is Times’ columnist Caitlin Moran’s festival of choice and one that boasts something for everyone. Dial up the experience with a bell tent and hot tub and you’ll have instant promotional success.

The best incentive for social media marketing

We could go on. We won’t. The point is, if you take your brand promotion to the lesser known parts of well-loved locations, you’ll not only surprise and inspire your audience, but you’ll start some fantastic conversations – which hopefully will be shared on social media.

Travel incentives, such as an unusual, fun-filled weekend away, are perfect for social media, and your bespoke travel prize draw could be the perfect complement to fast-moving promotional platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.

Ultimately, wherever you decide to take your consumer campaigns, the ‘experience economy’ is where it’s at. Take it out of the mundane and into the wild, unexpected, authentic and unusual, and you’ll entice customers by the bucket and spadeful.

After all, it’s the road less travelled that’s leading to travel promotion gold. Keep that front of mind and you’ll soon be creating customer engagement that’s well and truly worth the ride.

Amy Nield, Head of Prize at Sodexo. Part of Sodexo Employee and Consumer Engagement, Sodexo’s Neon solutions drive consumers to your brand – and keep them coming back. As consumer engagement specialists, we know how to influence behaviour. From building brand awareness to driving consumer loyalty, our unique mix of expertise means we can transform the way people interact with your brand.

The ‘2018 Sodexo UK Exploring Travel’ report can be downloaded for free from the Sodexo site.

The post Why the road less travelled is best for your next travel incentive appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

TLC Marketing has named Emma Lloyd (nee Critchley) as its first board level marketer, with the brief of strengthening its new business and communication offerings.

Emma, who was part of the IPM 30 Under 30 programme in 2017, has been at TLC Marketing for three years. She previously worked client side in marketing in the automotive and employee engagement industries.

Heading the PR and marketing for TLC in the UK, Ireland and Nordic regions, her board position has been created to lead the end-to-end communication for the agency, ensuring the output and assets of each department are optimised for new business development and agency reputation. She will be responsible for driving the strength of the UK and Irish brand while simultaneously establishing TLC in the Nordics.

Michelle Stacey, Agency Director, says: “As TLC Marketing continue to grow and expand into new markets, it is vital that we have Emma’s enthusiasm and skill set on our Board.”

Emma Lloyd comments: “For the last three years I have been responsible for growing the marketing division, but this role will now require me to contribute to, and make decisions on behalf of, every department. I’m most looking forward to seeing how exposure to the entire business will influence my strategy and decision making going forward.”

John Pearson, General Manager UK, Ireland and Nordics, adds: “At TLC Marketing, we are always looking to attract the very best talent in the industry. People who can propel our ambitious business plans into light. Sometimes, as in the case of Emma, we do that by recognising and encouraging the growth of talent we already have in the agency. Emma is a welcome addition to the UK Board. Her extensive digital client side experience coupled with her achievements to date at TLC Marketing will enhance our already strong team. She will become the seventh member of the UK Board working alongside Claire Watkin, Operations Director; Martin Covill, Director of Business; Rob Scott, Group Creative Director; Michelle Stacey, Agency Director; Aneeka Gohil, Finance Manager; and myself.”

TLC Marketing Worldwide is a global leader in loyalty, incentive and reward campaigns. TLC Marketing UK is a multi-award winning agency and was chosen as the IPM Awards Agency of the Year 2017. It also won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2016. In the past two years, clients have included Continental Tyres, Bupa, Pallas Foods, Braun, Eon, HSBC, First Direct and Yakult.

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Coca-Cola Great Britain has partnered with Merlin Entertainments to offer people half price tickets to some of the UK’s most popular family attractions in exchange for recycling their used plastic drink bottles via a new network of reverse vending machines installed at Merlin theme parks.

A trial at four of Merlin’s leading attractions (Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and LEGOLAND Windsor) will run between 25th July and 19th October 2018, inviting people to bring and recycle any 500ml plastic bottle via on-site reverse vending machines in exchange for a voucher to receive 50% off entry at 30 participating Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and LEGOLAND Windsor.

The project follows research by Coca-Cola Great Britain, revealing 64% of British consumers would recycle more on-the-go if they were rewarded instantly for their actions.

Coca-Cola and Merlin say that the trial is the first of its kind in the UK to offer people a more valuable reward than the original purchasing price of the plastic drinks bottle they recycle, as the 50% off voucher equates to a saving of around £27 when buying a Merlin attraction day pass.

The partnership comes a year since Coca-Cola Great Britain launched its sustainable packaging strategy alongside a global goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells, by 2030, to help ensure a world without waste.

Jon Woods, General Manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “We want to reward people for doing the right thing by recycling their bottles and hope to encourage some people who wouldn’t otherwise have done so. Through this exciting new trial with Merlin Entertainments we hope to remind people how valuable their empty plastic bottle is. All of our bottles can be recycled and we want to get as many of them back as possible so they can be turned into new bottles and not end up as litter.”

He continues: “This is just one of the actions that we’re taking to play our part in achieving a World Without Waste. We buy more recycled plastic in the UK than any other company and we are in the process of doubling the recycled plastic in all our bottles from 25% to 50% by 2020. We’re also running television campaigns encouraging people to recycle, putting clear recycling messages across all of our packs and we’re supportive of new interventions, such as deposit return schemes, to see if they improve recycling rates.”

Sandra Hazel, Head of Force for Good at Merlin Entertainments, observes: “This partnership with Coca-Cola Great Britain demonstrates our shared ambition to use our brands for good. We’re constantly looking for ways to raise awareness and help contribute to a better environment. As a responsible business and an advocate for marine conservation, we’re pleased to be joining forces with Coca-Cola Great Britain to encourage people to recycle more this summer, by rewarding them with family fun.”

Jon Dormer, Managing Director at Unisan UK, supplier of the CafeCrush reverse vending machines being deployed in the trial, adds: “Our CafeCrush reverse vending machines reward people for recycling. Users simply insert an empty plastic bottle, it’s crushed and then they receive an incentive. The way the machine works means the bottles are not contaminated by other waste and so, are perfect for recycling. Also, because they are crushed, reducing waste volume by up to 90 per cent, more bottles can be stored and therefore less transportation is needed to get them to recycling facilities – a win for consumers and the environment.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of actions from Coca-Cola Great Britain to ensure its packaging is as sustainable as possible and to encourage more people to recycle. Since the launch of its sustainable packaging strategy last year, Coca-Cola has introduced clearer on-pack recycling messaging on its bottles, and aired a dedicated recycling TVC called ‘Love Story’ which has reached over 30m people.

Coca-Cola Great Britain also continues to be the largest user of recycled food grade plastic in the UK with a commitment to increase the recycled PET in its packs from 25% to 50% by 2020. The company also continues to work closely with UK and Scottish governments looking at the introduction of a well-designed deposit return scheme and other ways to increase recovery and recycling rates.

Coca-Cola Great Britain is responsible for marketing 20 brands and over 80 products to consumers across Great Britain. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognisable brands, its portfolio includes Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Oasis, glaceau vitaminwater, glaceau smartwater, Schweppes, Lilt, and Powerade.

Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. As Europe’s biggest – and the world’s second-largest – visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 120 attractions, 18 hotels and six holiday villages in 25 countries across four continents, with more than 65 million visitors worldwide.

Unisan UK provides environmental sustainability and recycling solutions to over 1,000 major UK brands, serving Food & Drink Manufacturing, Car Manufacturing, Hospitals & Care Homes, Distribution Centres and the Corporate Facilities Industry.

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