Brand Culture‘s Scott White explores which brands seized great entertainment opportunities this year, as well as the best marketing opportunities in 2019 that could drive customer and consumer engagement.

The dust has only just settled on this summer’s main cultural events and we’ve seen a raft of brands either actively embracing or deliberately avoiding them. If you’ve not yet got around to thinking about promotional and shopper campaign ideas for your brand next summer, then why not take a look at some of 2019’s hot entertainment properties that could provide the difference between sizzling and luke-warm sales.

Aligning with a major summer sporting event, such as the football World Cup, comes with a hefty sponsorship fee and, as a result, is often the preserve of major multinational brands, while piggy-backing events without official rights to the intellectual property can be successful but also a dangerous game to play if you lack credibility in the space or are seen to be capitalising on the property without approval.

As we’ve seen over this long, hot summer, the old adage “If you can’t beat them, join them” can pay dividends if done well, but we’ve also seen a fair share of UK brands avoid the clutter of sporting events. Some jumped on the opportunities afforded by the feel-good-to-be-British Royal Wedding in May (for example M&S, Tyrrells Crisps, Soda Stream, Strongbow and Cottonelle). Others got up close and personal with ITV2’s fourth series of reality show Love Island, including Rimmel, Jet2, Kellogg’s, Lucozade Zero and Missguided. Elsewhere, brands like Victoria Plumbing, O2, BP and Pizza Hut have chosen to partner with entertainment franchises Dead Pool 2, Netflix’s Stranger Things and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom to help achieve their objectives.

Because, much like sport, entertainment releases such as film and TV shows have the ability to pervade public consciousness and foster a positive emotional connection – fuelling online buzz, family discussions on the way to school and water-cooler conversations at work. It was no accident that following England’s victory over Sweden, The Sun’s editor chose the front page headline ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go A-Kane!’ – acknowledging consumer awareness and excitement for the imminent cinema release of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, the follow-up to 2008’s ABBA musical phenomenon.

Now, more than ever, ‘entertainment’ as a whole presents a wealth of marketing opportunities for brands. The licensing of character/entertainment properties is in rude health, with brands contributing towards the US$121.5 billion in global revenue from licensed goods and services – which is a whopping 44.7% of the total global licensing market and by far the largest segment of the licensing industry. The now mass market consumer appeal of video games and the successful rise of video streaming – which has exceeded pay TV subscribers for the first time in the UK with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime’s original content and scripted TV series – are also contributing to a rich pool of creative brand campaign ideas.

Looking ahead to summer 2019, then, what are some of the big entertainment properties that could drive customer and consumer engagement in your brand?

Kicking things off are May’s cinema releases of Disney’s Aladdin, a live action movie featuring Will Smith as the Genie, and Universal Pictures’ Illumination title The Secret Life Of Pets 2, which sees the return of much-loved Max, Duke and their animal friends. In hot pursuit are Disney/Pixar’s long-awaited Toy Story 4 in June and Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, the sequel to 2017’s Homecoming, in July. Rounding off the summer with a bang is the ninth instalment in Universal’s unbelievably successful global franchise, Fast & Furious, and Disney’s new adaptation of best-selling book Artemis Fowl, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Outside of the cinema, 2019 is anticipated to be a great year for video game releases, although you may not be able to activate with a big property over the summer, as traditionally triple A titles tend to release in Q1 or Q4. That said, the iconic and epic video game Halo is scheduled to get a scripted TV spin-off series which goes into production early 2019, and this leads us neatly into the TV shows to watch out for. Next year sees the return of Game of Thrones Season 8, Big Little Lies Season 2, a re-booted Shipwrecked, The Crown Season 3, Stranger Things Season 3, the last ever season of Homeland and Fargo Series 4 if you’re looking for something a little more quirky.

So, there really is something for everyone, with a choice of existing and new franchises that will capture consumer hearts and minds and present exciting ways for your brand to create that all-important cut-through along the entire shopper journey.

Scott White is Managing Partner at Brand Culture, one of the world’s leading agencies specialising in entertainment and lifestyle-led shopper campaigns.

The post Summer 2019 marketing opportunities worth entertaining appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

McDonald’s has signed a deal with The Smiley Company, master licensee for the Rubik’s Cube, for the iconic 1980s puzzle toy to feature in McDonald’s Happy Meal offers in multiple countries.

In a deal brokered by global customer engagement agency The Marketing Store, which has worked closely with McDonald’s for many years, the multi-territory promotion will appear in McDonald’s restaurants across various European countries, the Middle East, Africa and North America.

The campaign launches in France this month (July 2018) and will then roll out across other territories from August through November 2018, including Italy, Spain, Austria, UAE and Canada, amongst many others.

It is not clear yet whether it will be running in the UK, where restrictions are in force on the use of toys and licensed characters to promote food and drink products. Promomarketing has asked McDonald’s for clarification on this point.

Unusually, the Happy Meal Box will be transformed from its traditional tented ‘house’ design into a Cube shape to mirror the Rubik’s Cube for the duration of the campaign.

Children enjoying a Happy Meal at participating McDonald’s will have a choice of four different bespoke Rubik’s Cube toys; including square 2×2 cubes and rectangular 3×2 cubes as well as rounded versions of these, with a total of 12 different toys to choose from.

The unique promotion will also feature a product mash-up between Rubik’s and a major Hollywood animation film studio’s properties appearing on the toys alongside the iconic Rubik’s Cube colours and trademark twist and turn mechanism.

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO at The Smiley Company, says: “We have worked closely with The Marketing Store and the whole team at McDonald’s and are really pleased with the innovative and high quality content of this campaign. From the robust mini Cubes and the unique Rubik’s Cube shaped Happy Meal box to the TV ads and bespoke games created for the Happy Studio app, every aspect of the promotion has been crafted to perfectly leverage the Rubik’s brand mission of encouraging children to PLAY SMART and further our goal of bringing intelligent play to kids of all ages.”

The Smiley Company will be leveraging the partnership with McDonald’s to drive the ongoing Rubik’s brand extension program and “to realise our plans to take the brand to new consumers, with particular emphasis on engaging the brand with children aged from 3-8 years old, as our brand mission continues to focus on creating new toy partnerships for this age group,” Loufrani adds.

To support the promotion’s launch in the markets where it will be appearing, there will be a 360° marketing campaign, supported by a TV advertising featuring the Happy Meal mascot ‘HAPPY’ playing with a Rubik’s Cube in a 26 and 13 second spots. There will also be series of ‘How to Solve’ short video tutorials launched on social channels to help kids solve the bespoke Happy Meal Rubik’s Cubes, and a McDonald’s Happy Studio app takeover.

Additional marketing materials will include in-store POS, branded balloons, colouring sheets, wall stickers and window decals which will help amplify the Rubik’s brand identity throughout the promotion.

The launch of the activation in France is being supported with an influencers’ campaign while other national markets will also see major marketing initiatives.

The Smiley Company is a brand licensing company which originated in France and which holds the intellectual property rights to the classic smiley face symbol face symbol in more than 100 countries (although not the United States, where the symbol originated).

In addition to the smiley symbol, it also holds licensing rights for Rubik’s Cube and related properties, and recently launched a major brand extension program for Rubik’s. This draws on Rubik’s iconicity, rich heritage and archive and the resurgence of retro gaming and geek culture, while utilising Smiley’s own industry leading design studio and world class distribution channels.

The company says global demand for Rubik’s is now at the highest levels since its launch in 1980 and a number of industry leading partners have already signed up across categories including apparel, back to school, gift, live events and attractions, partworks, promotions and publishing.

The post McDonald’s to offer Rubik’s Cube toys with Happy Meals internationally appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

There is a growing trend for brands to create their own loyalty programmes, rather than sign up to coalition loyalty schemes, says Belinda Clark of RAPP UK

When Sainsbury’s announced it was buying Nectar from Aimia earlier this year, we all nodded knowingly. That made sense. As the retailer that issues the most Nectar points and provides the most rewards¹, it’s not surprising they saw value in owning the coalition, rather than merely being a part of it.

But when news broke that Avios.com would close on May 20^th, with Avios currency transferring across to the Executive Club², it signalled a clear change. And, of course, we can’t ignore the imminent merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda and what that means for its loyalty strategy – but we do know that there is a growing trend by big brands away from third-party-owned coalition programmes and towards brand-owned programmes.

So if brands (especially big brands) are no longer buying into coalition-driven loyalty, that raises the question: is there any future for coalition loyalty programmes?

Recent evidence would suggest, no.

Why? Because coalition programmes are not designed to drive loyalty to any one brand. They drive loyalty to the coalition at the expense of individual brand loyalty. Yet this individual loyalty is ultimately what brands are after, as it offers the best long-term value.

Coalition programmes have instead leant on the marketing potential from their massive customer databases. But many brands have found this access to be limited, too – limits that could deepen when GDPR legislation comes into force on May 25th – less than two weeks from now. While aggregate data, insight and trends are useful to a point, customers are demanding more than being treated in aggregate. And brands have responded by creating their own customer databases, which are arguably bigger and better than those available from a coalition.

Coalitions undoubtedly benefit the consumers who are members by allowing them to earn and burn points from just one programme. But as the value of a point begins to decline³, so too does a coalition’s popularity. Without value, the simplicity of earning and burning in one program simply loses its sparkle.

So what lessons can brands learn from coalitions?

When done well, brand-owned programmes can achieve many of the benefits of a coalition… and more. Yes, it will require investment, or a coalition purchase such as Sainsbury’s and British Airways have opted for. But this investment is in more than just a programme; it’s in your customers, your company’s data collection capabilities and your competitive advantage.

There are some simple tips for those running loyalty programmes:

OPTIMISE THE VALUE EXCHANGE
Coalitions were known for their no-brainer value-add. Over time this became a reason for customers to share their data; but while the value-add has eroded over time, the principle of offering a strong value exchange (namely, rewards for data) still holds true as it makes the exchange valuable for both sides.

TO REMAIN RELEVANT, ENSURE YOU REMAIN VALUABLE
For all customers, a valuable programme is one that offers something in exchange for their continued purchase. But as the point declines in value, so too does a programme’s popularity, unless it’s able to demonstrate value beyond just monetary terms. In the case of Nectar, this meant its alignment with Sainsbury’s and its ability to target their customers with personalised offers based on their purchases. Something which gave loyal Sainsbury’s customers yet another reason to shop.

SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY
Coalition programmes that last get this one right every time. They offer a programme with a minimum of steps to join, participate and earn and burn. This familiarity of structure was key to their success because it meant customers knew what to expect without having to re-learn the rules every time.

But if brands are to succeed in a coalition-less world, they also need to go above and beyond this. They need to:

BE GENEROUS:
With much more than just their money – their time and people too. Because money doesn’t talk like it used to! Customers demand brands be generous with their entire offering in an effort to make them feel special and give them a reason to return again and again.

BE VALUABLE – AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL VALUED…
To be valuable means to offer something that customers see real value in. While rational reasons like money are still core parts of this equation, to be a valuable programme means to give customers bragging rights (think myJohn Lewis…free coffee and cake anyone?). To make people feel valued, means to make the programme feel like it’s been created just for them – even if its offering is available to everyone (think Harvey Nichols’ complementary concierge service…yes please!).

DELIGHT WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE…
A simple, seamless end-to-end customer experience is now expected as standard. To delight now means to make customer’s lives easier; to demonstrate shared values and to improve their experience not only with you, but with the environment and community you both live in.

The best of both worlds really is possible, as Sainsbury’s and British Airways will no doubt demonstrate in time. While coalition programmes used to make sense, they just don’t cut it in today’s world. And as Sainsbury’s and British Airways have now shown us, a new world is opening up. And that world just so happens to be owned and run by brands.

Belinda Clark is Senior Strategist at RAPP, a London-based integrated agency which is part of the Omnicom Group. Rapp works with clients including Rapp UK is based in London, working with clients including PayPal, Virgin Media, Mercedes Benz and Nestlé Waters.

Sources:

¹ Sainsbury’s buys Nectar rewards scheme from Aimia for £60m. The Financial Times. February 1, 2018 https://www.ft.com/content/584f106e-0766-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5

² British Airways’ Avios scheme is closing down – here’s everything you need to know about your points. UK Business Insider. April 11, 2018
http://uk.businessinsider.com/british-airways-avios-frequent-flyer-scheme-closing-points-2018-4?r=US&IR=T

³Sainsbury’s Nectar point cut angers customers. The Guardian. 10^th April 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/apr/10/sainsburys-cuts-to-nectar-points-anger-its-customers

The post Have we seen the end of coalition loyalty programmes? appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

International marketing group St Ives has merged three of its businesses to create a new agency, Edit, which unites data science and marketing technology to power through-the-line CRM and media.

The three agencies which have come together to form Edit are Response One, Amaze One and Occam will merge to become. With clients including Cosmos Travel, Azzurri Group, Pizza Hut, Citroen, Fiat and JLR, Edit will bring CRM and media under one roof with a focus on the intelligent application of data.

Powered by cutting-edge marketing technology solutions, Edit will help clients to drive customer engagement from acquisition to advocacy, under their banner ‘One Consumer. One Conversation’.

Over 200 of Edit’s staff will be based in its new offices in central Bath, which will see its CRM, media, technology and data science teams work seamlessly to help client projects flow through the business from start to finish. An offshoot office in Manchester will support the headquarters and clients in that region.

Edit CEO Damian Coverdale (pictured) says: “Disruptive technologies, complex consumer journeys and the speed of change make engagement today extremely challenging. Brands address this by co-ordinating marketing across internal teams, specialist agencies and numerous channels often resulting in inefficiencies and a lack of effectiveness. Bringing the three businesses together means Edit can deliver results across the entire consumer journey, from awareness and acquisition to retention, repurchase and advocacy.”

Coverdale adds: “We’re focused on filtering out the noise and delivering simple, actionable advice with clarity, precision and speed. Our sole aim as Edit is to drive greater ROI for our clients with a more dynamic, transparent approach to customer engagement.”

St Ives is an international marketing services group comprised of 15 companies offering digital and mobile creativity, intelligent data analysis, research, production and marketing.

The post St Ives launches new agency, Edit appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Promotional and loyalty travel specialists Inspire has opened an office in Brazil following demand for travel-related sales promotions in South and Central America.

The company, which is headquartered in Bramhall, Cheshire, launched its Brazil operation at the end of 2016 with offices in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Inspire creates travel platforms and programmes for businesses looking to offer incentives for customers and employees, and will use its new base in Brazil to target the South American market with its solutions.

Peter Pantelides, Managing Director of Inspire, says: “We’re continually looking for business growth opportunities and identified Brazil as a key location to base our first operation in South America. We were aware of a high demand for travel-based sales promotions and already had strong contacts in the area, so we’ve pooled our knowledge with their outstanding relationships to form what we believe will be a strong offer to the market.”

Inspire, which has seen its turnover increase by 15% in 2015 to £17.7 million, expects the new arm of the business to generate in excess of £1 million worth of revenue within the first year.

Benjamin Ahrens, International Sales Director at Inspire, adds: “We have seen a huge interest and excitement from potential clients in the region already. It’s early days, as we are a ‘new product in town’; but, following market research, we are confident that our offering will be a huge success. We anticipate our ‘Free Flight Voucher’ campaigns to be of particular interest, as it’s a brand new concept in this part of the world which has received promising feedback during market research. Inspire has already delivered a number of similar campaigns for the likes of Samsung, Carrefour, Philips and Santander, which achieved exceptional results for our clients, so we’re excited to be able to offer these services to clients in South America for the first time.”

Inspire now has operations in over 20 countries, inclduing Germany, the UAE and Russia, and works with more than 250 global travel partners, including Expedia, Kuoni and Thomas Cook. Recent growth has been driven by the success of the company’s flagship product, The Inspire Travel Card (pictured). Launched in 2005, the Inspire Travel Card works as a physical or digital gift card which can be preloaded to any amount for recipients to use when booking travel through Inspire’s dedicated ABTA, IATA and ATOL licensed agency.

The post Promotional travel expert Inspire opens Brazil office appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Leading employee and customer engagement solutions company Grass Roots is being bought by Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., a leading prepaid and payments global company based in California.

The acquisition will allow Grass Roots to offer new products and capabilities to its current clients, as well as take advantage of Blackhawk’s global network to broaden Grass Roots’ international reach.

Blackhawk plans to use the acquisition to extend its global footprint by offering global reward and incentive products to its clients through Grass Roots’ leading employee and customer engagement solutions. The deal also adds an important element to Blackhawk’s portfolio by allowing Blackhawk to tap into Grass Roots’ expertise in meetings and events management.

“We are really excited about the opportunities this partnership brings to Grass Roots,” said Richard Bandell, CEO of Grass Roots. “Joining Blackhawk opens up significant growth opportunities for Grass Roots, transforming us into a leading global business and allowing us to inspire more people worldwide. Together, the two companies will have increased scale and scope, and we will bring those benefits to our clients and partners.”

“The acquisition of Grass Roots complements the existing client portfolio of Blackhawk’s incentives business, and enhances solutions for customers requiring global reward and incentive platforms and products,” said Bill Tauscher, executive chairman of Blackhawk. “We will also offer new products and capabilities to Grass Roots’ clients.”

“The Grass Roots team has extensive industry experience and a proven track record of success in the consumer and employee engagement markets. We are thrilled to welcome them and over 2,000 managed service clients to the Blackhawk family,” added Talbott Roche, CEO and president of Blackhawk.

Grass Roots has been an affiliate of WPP for a number of years. It will now operate as a subsidiary of Blackhawk. Matthew Howe and Jonathan Kenny, co-managing directors of Blackhawk’s UK-based Europe operations, will lead the European operations of Grass Roots. Stewart Rigby, managing director, Blackhawk Asia Pacific, will lead the Asia-Pacific operations of Grass Roots.

The post Grass Roots acquired by Blackhawk appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

Bridgestone Tyres are offering Wickes Trade customers a £30 gift card with every two Bridgestone or Firestone tyres purchased.

As part of the promotion, customers will have the opportunity to enter into a Grand Prize draw, with one lucky winner chosen at random during the first week in October. The prize includes a bespoke Develop Your Business pack, a customised digital strategy complete with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) budget, designed to boost company growth and put their organisation ahead of the competition.

The recipient will also receive personalised overalls, work protection wear and graphics for their vehicle, branded in the logo of their choice.

Natalie Vescia, B2B Client Manager at Wickes for Business says: ‘‘I am delighted with the ongoing success of the Bridgestone Tyres promotion. Our two companies share the same values and commitment to quality, reflected in the ease with which we have worked together to develop their summer offer. I look forward to congratulating the winner of the Grand Prize draw, as well as developing new initiatives with Bridgestone in the future.’’

The post Bridgestone uses Wickes incentives appeared first on IPM Bitesize.