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.

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Air Canada is running a pop-up restaurant serving gourmet versions of Canada’s national dish, Poutine, inspired by a selection of the airline’s destinations, for the second year running.

The ‘Poutinerie by Air Canada’, currently open in London’s Old Spitalfields Market, is offering variants of the dish – which usually consists of chips, curd cheese and gravy – including Hawaiian Loco Moco, Cancun’s Mayan Enchilada and Melbourne’s Prawn Star Chips.

The pop-up features an indoor and a covered outdoor area where visitors can enjoy their dishes with a selection of beer and wine, with destination-inspired music and imagery. There will also be a Virtual Reality (VR) installation allowing people to experience being on board an Air Canada flight. Visitors will also have the chance to win flights to one of the over 200 global destinations the carrier flies to.

The pop-up, created and managed for Air Canada by agency JWT London, runs until Sunday 14^th October. Proceeds from the activity will again support Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity.

Last year’s La Poutinerie activation, in Shoreditch, sold 2,133 meals and reached 47 million people via earned and owned media content, according to JWT.

The activation is part of an integrated campaign showcasing some of Air Canada’s ‘hidden gem’ destinations via Out Of Home, print, radio, video, social and programmatic channels around London.

Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline, serving more than 220 airports on six continents and carrying more than 48 million passengers in 2017.

J. Walter Thompson London is a communications agency which offers a range of services including advertising, digital, social media, content, insight, shopper, experiential, employee engagement and partnership marketing. It is part of WPP Group.

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Chanel Bradford has joined award-winning travel incentive and prize fulfilment agency, Cloud Nine Incentives, as its new Account Executive. With a background in the travel industry, she is set to play a key role across the agency’s growing prize fulfilment area.

Chanel will be responsible for the creation of prize solutions for the marketing, film and PR sectors and will work within the client services team.

Sophie Chambers, Director of Cloud Nine, says: “2018 has been a hugely busy year for Cloud Nine and so we are very pleased to welcome Chanel to the team during this exciting time.  We have every confidence she will be of great value to Cloud Nine and the wider client community.

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This summer, Devonshire snack brand Burts Chips is on a mission to help tourists and residents discover the beauty of the South West of England with adventures and activities around the area, whilst also giving shoppers the chance to win prizes.

The well-known local South West brand is helping to add some adventure to the summer season by creating ‘snackable’ experiences with ideas including everything from exploring hidden beaches to visiting National Trust and English Heritage sites.

From the 16^th July – 9^th September, by visiting www.burtschips.com consumers can find a variety of hand-picked South West adventures. By simply typing in their details, consumers will receive a grid reference which is linked to an adventure in either Devon or Cornwall and will also be entered into a prize draw to win two adventure holiday prizes.

The first prize is an family break at Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall (running from 16^th July – 12^th August) or a family stay at Original Cottages (running from 13^th August – 9^th September). Additionally, website visitors will be in with a chance of winning daily adventure prizes such as a waterproof speaker and Go Pro.

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Kerry Foods is supporting its Fire & Smoke cooked meats range with a partnership with US NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars, including a competition to win the star prize of a trip to Florida, plus a VIP experience at a Jacksonville Jaguars game and a behind-the-scenes stadium tour at TIAA Bank Field.

Fire & Smoke will become the Official Meat Partner of the Jaguars and the Jaguars Se7ens Cup, a flag football tournament giving UK participants a chance to compete for an all-expenses paid trip to the Super Bowl.

Fire & Smoke will also have a presence across the Jaguars social channels all year round, while Kerry Foods will be running experiential activity, sampling and digital support for the partnership.

American Football has become one of the most popular sports in the UK and Ireland, driven by the success of the NFL International Series, and now boasts over 13 million fans in this country. Kerry Foods says it has partnered with the Jaguars because they are the only NFL team with a long term commitment to the UK.

Anna Moore, Senior Brand Manager for Kerry Foods’ Meat Portfolio, says: “We’re incredibly excited to be announcing this partnership and with the increasing popularity of American Football in the UK we’re sure this will excite and delight our consumers. As a result, we’re expecting the partnership to be a touchdown performance, resulting in a roaring sales success.”

Hussain Naqi, Senior Vice President International Development for the Jacksonville Jaguars, adds: “We feel proud and privileged to be partnering with such a great UK & Ireland based organisation but also with a brand who shares and understands our southern US values. We are excited to bring that flavour to life through American Football for millions of consumers around the UK and continue to grow our transatlantic efforts through great partnerships.”

To enter the on-pack prize draw, consumers have to buy a promotional pack of Fire & Smoke, go to fireandsmokeflorida.co.uk and provide their personal details plus the receipt.

The winner will receive a seven night stay in Florida for two adults including flights, accommodation, hire car or transfers in Florida, $250 spending money and VIP NFL tickets including a locker room tour and a Jaguars game of choice in Jacksonville during December 2018. Three runners-up will receive prizes of signed team merchandise.

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Foster’s is giving consumers the chance to win a unique trip to “the thirstiest place on earth” – Ayers Rock, Australia – in an on-pack summer promotion in partnership with music and discovery app, Shazam.

Running until August 31st, the on-pack prize draw means Foster’s fans who buy a multipack and ‘Shazam a Can’ could win a variety of items including chill disks, chiller seats and slings, as well as well as the ultimate trip to “the thirstiest place on earth”.

Shoppers just have to scan the Shazam icon on the can with their mobile devices to enter the competition. They will be notified instantly if they have won one of the thousands of instant prizes.

The winner of the trip to Australia will be selected via a prize draw at the end of the campaign.

Foster’s says it is activating its “For the thirsty” platform throughout the summer months to drive penetration at a time when shoppers are looking for crisp, cool refreshment.

Toby Lancaster, Category and Shopper Marketing Director for Heineken, says: “With 52% of beer and cider value sales taking place over key seasonal periods, our on-pack promotion throughout the summer offers a great opportunity for retailers at a time when shoppers are looking for crisp, cool refreshment. Activating on-can means that we that we are able to cover a greater number of our SKUs, incentivising purchases and driving additional sales for retailers over the summer months. We are very much looking forward to revealing the lucky winner at the end of August.”

Foster’s on-pack promotion is available across 4 x 440ml, 10 x 440ml, 12 x 440ml and 18 x 440ml can pack formats and also Foster’s single 440ml and 568ml cans.

Heineken is the UK’s leading pub, cider and beer business. The company owns around 2,900 pubs as part of its Star Pubs & Bars business, and employs almost 2,200 people. Its portfolio of brands includes Foster’s, Heineken, Strongbow, Desperados, Kronenbourg1664, John Smith’s, Bulmers, Amstel, Birra Moretti and Old Mout, as well as a range of niche and speciality beers.

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Jaguar Land Rover is driving footfall to its stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed with a specially-commissioned exclusive digital Top Trumps App for Festival visitors, covering both the Jaguar and Land Rover marques.

The Jaguar Land Rover Top Trumps app is available for iOS and Android from July 9th, and players will be able to compete against each other for a ranking on a live leaderboard as well as the chance to win daily prizes including trip for two to the Ice Drive Academy in Sweden, including flights, tuition and luxury accommodation, year’s membership of a David Lloyd Club for two or £200 to spend in the Jaguar Land Rover boutique.

Visitors to the Festival will receive a Super Top Trumps card (a card that can be added to a Top Trumps pack) when they enter. This card will encourage them to go to the Top Trumps area situated within the JLR stand and download the app via Wi-Fi to receive their exclusive JLR pack of Top Trumps. They can also book test drives and order brochures, while JLR will use the opportunity to capture data on interested visitors.

The app has two games, a single player mode called the Goodwood Challenge and, a Multi-player Shootout.

The Goodwood Challenge will feature a live leader board, with the highest ranked players in line to win the daily prizes. Players will also have the opportunity of boosting their leader board scores by viewing JLR’s cars on the stand and in the paddock.

The Multi-player Shootout enables players to challenge other players randomly or by username.

JLR worked with the owner of the Top Trumps brand, games company Winning Moves, which owns IP rights to a number of classic games in the UK, Europe, South Africa, North America and Australasia. As well as owing the hugely popular Top Trumps brand, Winning Moves has a license from Hasbro which allows it to create special versions of games such as Monopoly, Cluedo, Trivial Pursuit, Connect 4 and Guess Who, which are often used in promotional campaigns. Winning Moves has worked with companies including Shell, Sky News, McDonald’s, Kerry Foods, Ferrero, Mirror Group Newspapers, Singapore Airlines, BMW, Peugeot, BT TV, Hovis, British Gas, Merlin Entertainment, Metro Group, Cadbury’s, Nestlé Purina, Coca-Cola and Weetabix.

Located alongside the Jaguar Land Rover stand will be Jaguar’s F-TYPE Drift Experience, allowing fans to see, hear and feel the raw performance of a Jaguar sports car drifting in the hands of a professional driver. The experience will be running throughout the show, accessed from the Jaguar Land Rover stand.

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, says: “This year at Goodwood Festival of Speed we’re celebrating everything that the modern Jaguar brand is about; stunning design, innovation, heritage and incredible performance. From F-PACE SVR roaring up the hill and F-TYPE on the drift track to the XJ50 and all-electric I-PACE on the Jaguar Land Rover stand, we’re looking forward to putting on an astonishing show for all Festival of Speed visitors.”

The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 F-PACE SVR will be tackling the Goodwood hillclimb at its UK debut, as will the most powerful Jaguar ever – the 600PS XE SV Project 8 and the Invictus GT4 Racing F-TYPE SVR. Festival of Speed visitors will also have their first opportunity to see the Jaguar XJ50, a special-edition model designed to celebrate 50 years of the iconic XJ saloon. The XJ50 will appear alongside Jaguar’s revolutionary new I-PACE all-electric SUV on the Jaguar Land Rover stand, as part of the brand’s largest ever presence at Festival of Speed. The company is also celebrating the 70th birthday of the Land Rover.

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Rollover Hot Dogs is partnering with Mission: Impossible Fallout, the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible series (in UK cinemas 25th July) with a competition to win a romantic trip for two to Paris, including a helicopter tour from Paris to Versailles.

The Rollover Hot Dog trays will feature artwork from the movie and will direct consumers to the Rollover Facebook page, where they will be able to enter the competition to win the trip to Paris. There are also Mission: Impossible movie products to be won.

The campaign aims to reach over 3 million shoppers and is being supported with extensive POS materials for retailers.

Rollover negotiated the partnership deal with the films’s UK distributor, Paramount Pictures, according to a Rollover spokesman.

Tony Owen, Sales and Marketing Director for Rollover Ltd, says: “This movie, starring Tom Cruise, is set to be one of the biggest releases of the summer and we’re extremely thrilled to renew our partnership with a film that our consumers will really love. It’s a fantastic promotion to make shoppers aware of the Hot Food To Go category and specifically Hot Dogs, which remain in huge growth due to the continued trend around Street Food.”

Owen adds: “Mission: Impossible’s core demographic of 16-30 year olds matches our brand personality: young, lively, and fun. We expect a lot of engagement with our fans on this promotion and it will encourage new discussions at the point of purchase.”

The Mission: Impossible campaign started on July 9th and runs for eight weeks.

Rollover Hot Dogs, which is part of Kerry Foods Group, is the UK’s largest hot dog brand, selling over 25 million a year. It supplies preparation equipment and marketing collateral (steamers and POS) free to stockists and sells them the consumable items (sausages and buns). Customers include sports venues such as Old Trafford, theme parks, cinemas, universities and contract caterers. It regularly runs partnership campaigns with hit movies.

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Malt drink Supermalt is launching a carnival-themed on-pack prize promotion, offering consumers the chance to win one of three Caribbean holidays, with tickets to the Trinidad Carnival, or one of three European holidays, with tickets to the Rotterdam Carnival.

The limited-edition packs went on sale at the start of July and will be available until the end of September.

Each holiday prize includes two economy flights from the UK, accommodation in a four star hotel, transfers and spending money. There are also other prizes including official Supermalt t-shirts.

To enter, consumers have to enter 20 separate codes found on the inside of bottle caps onto the Supermalt website. They will then get a special Supermalt bottle opener and a chance to win the prizes.

Neil Lunn, trade marketing manager at Supermalt, said: “The celebrations, music and general festival themes resonate with our iconic brand and the launch of the on-pack promotion and wider site activation will help to drive this opportunity for operators. We have run summer promotions and competitions for a number of years, seeing a significant uptake particularly with the on-going ‘Live-up’ campaign. This year’s promotion is our biggest and best yet, as we are giving away some incredible prizes.”

Supermalt is non-alcoholic and caffeine free. The brand is owned by Danish drinks company Royal Unibrew, Scandinavia’s largest beverage exporter which has been specialising in the malt drink category for more than 140 years. Supermalt UK Ltd, Royal Unibrew’s UK subsidiary, markets and distributes the brand in the UK. Supermalt is extremely popular with the London Caribbean community.

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Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is offering consumers the chance to win unforgettable summer experiences with its biggest-ever on-pack summer campaign, which will also feature across Sprite, Fanta and Dr Pepper for the first time.

From today (25th June) until the end of August, consumers can enter codes printed on promotional packs of Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta and Dr Pepper (including zero and no sugar flavoured carbonate variants) to find out if they have won instantly.

Instant winners can choose from one of 10 once in a lifetime experiences, from whale watching in Iceland to a meditation trip to Italy.

With research showing that millennials increasingly value unique and personal experiences, the promotion is designed to help retailers appeal to this consumer group by linking the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola during the summer, to the feeling of trying new experience.

A new, simple and vibrant sun graphic inspired by the iconic Coca-Cola red disc and archive Coca-Cola Summer imagery will feature on promotional packs, which will be available in a wide range of formats. This includes 250ml cans of Coca-Cola Classic, 330ml cans of Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, 2l and 500ml bottles of the Coca-Cola portfolio, Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper and finally multipack cans across all of the above excluding Dr Pepper.

There will also be 15,000 POS kits for the on-trade, including posters, sun-shaped coasters and table talkers as well as promotional stickers and back bar display solutions.

The campaign will be supported by marketing activity including TV, Radio, social media, out-of-home advertising and instore activation.

Simon Harrison, customer marketing director GB at Coca-Cola European Partners, says: “Summer is a key trading period for impulse categories such as soft drinks and a big opportunity for retailers to further drive sales. The aim of this year’s promotion is to connect with consumers that really value trying something new. The once-in-a-lifetime trips and experiences on offer will drive excitement amongst consumers, keeping soft drinks front of mind during the summer months.

Harrison adds: “Our Coca-Cola summer campaigns have always been popular and our 2017 activity saw us achieve our highest ever on-pack redemption, with more than 1.5million entries. We’re back again this year with an even bigger campaign extending across our sparkling portfolio, in line with research that shows consumers purchase more brands in the warmer months.”

In the grocery and convenience channel in GB, Coca-Cola Classic is the number one soft drink, Diet Coke is the number one sugar free soft drink and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is the fastest growing cola. Sales of the Coca-Cola family account for nearly 70% of Cola sales in this channel.

Coca-Cola European Partners is the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler. CCEP is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) in Andorra, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

CCEP makes, sells and delivers the following products in GB for TCCC: Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Schweppes, Fuze Tea, HONEST, AdeZ, Abbey Well, glacéau smartwater, Powerade, Oasis and Appletiser. In GB, it also makes, sells or delivers Monster, Relentless and Capri-Sun.

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