The IPM is delighted to welcome members to take part in our brand new Webinar Series. As a member of the IPM, you now have the opportunity to share invaluable knowledge, champion thought leadership and raise your profile.

In the fast-paced world of promotional marketing, staying up to date with the latest trends, strategies, and insights is essential for success. The IPM Webinar Series offers you a unique platform to engage with industry experts, thought leaders, and seasoned professionals who are at the forefront of promotional marketing. Through these webinars, you’ll have access to cutting-edge information, innovative ideas, and best practices that can propel your campaigns to new heights.

Taking part in The IPM Webinar Series is free for IPM members. For more information on how you can get involved contact emmak@theipm.org.uk

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Clare James, Chief Operating Officer at creative brand experience agency, N2O

At N2O, we’re dedicated to helping brands build meaningful relationships with their target audiences through relevant brand experiences.  Through our long-standing expertise in working with brands such as Tesco and Superdrug to create Pride campaigns, we understand the importance of connecting authentically with the LGBTQIA+ audience and strive to help brands move beyond tokenism during Pride month.

However, we acknowledge that the decision to create a targeted experience at Pride is complex, so we felt compelled to explore the subject further and provide our clients with practical guidance through our white paper, “Standing Proud at Pride – and Beyond.”

We assembled a dynamic panel of industry experts and diverse community members whose collective perspectives and insights fuelled our research. Using our own data and insights from sources such as GWI and YouGov, the resulting white paper provides a comprehensive and digestible understanding of the LGBTQIA+ audience and how brands can support them. It highlights the importance of being a year-round ally and the potential pitfalls to avoid when activating Pride experiences. Download your copy of the white paper here Brands at Pride White Paper – Standing Proud at Pride and Beyond

Our research also led to an in-depth webinar with IPM, where our Strategy Director, Steven Workman, Art Director, Emily Shahaj, and panel contributor, Sade Giliberti, shared illuminating and authoritative advice based on our findings. The webinar is available here Institute of Promotional Marketing

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The MARS Agency has recently launched an insightful universal trends report that surveys over 14,000 shoppers worldwide, highlighting 7 key trends that will impact commerce marketing in 2023. The report examines 34 different shopper categories, investigating how these trends are impacting both shopper behaviour and marketing strategies.

Covering a series of trends including:

01 COVID Gone. Recession On?

02 Quick Commerce Stays the Course

03 Community in Mind, Spirit, Body

04 Recommerce is a Natural Fit

06 Digital Shopping Deepens

05 In-Store Is ‘In’ Again

07 It’s All the Same to Shoppers

The report aims to give a holistic view as to the challenges and opportunities considered within this year’s marketing strategies to engage shoppers.

The report serves as a valuable resource for marketers looking to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and preferences. By understanding these trends, brands can create effective marketing strategies that resonate with consumers in the coming year. To read the full report, click here

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We are delighted to let you know that, on March 15^th 2023, IPM member Mando is launching a new white paper with YouGov “Understanding Loyalty in Europe”. The first of its kind, this study explores loyalty membership, appeal and impact across 24 European countries. It also introduces a new loyalty metric the Loyalty Gauge^TM – which ranks the countries for loyalty engagement and features in-market and programme case studies from 10 expert contributors. The paper will be available to download from www.mando-connect.co.uk and if you have any questions please get in touch with Charlie.Hills@mando-connect.co.uk.

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Brands who offer customer incentives can cut cost of acquisition and retention in the year ahead

UK consumers say that incentives will be key to securing their loyalty and custom through the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research from Edenred.
The study, which asked 2,000 consumers about how they were changing their spending behaviour in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, found incentives were more important than a range of factors including reputation or customer service in attracting customer spend and second only to price.
With the majority of consumers (54%) having already made changes to their lifestyle to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, only 15% of consumers say their household budget can accommodate further prices increases and 42% say they would need to borrow more to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.
Against this backdrop, consumers are adopting a range of value-seeking behaviours as they shop, with one-in-four consumers (26%) looking for cashback or incentives when shopping and just under a third (29%) said they were using money-off vouchers or coupons to make their household budget go further. Around a third (32%) are shopping around for the best prices.
Close to four-in-ten consumers (38%) say they are more likely to recommend a brand that offers incentives while a quarter (25%) say they will be more loyal to an existing brand. Incentives will also encourage people to switch (35%) or trial a new brand (30%).
The most attractive incentives that brands can offer are rewards for loyalty (37%) followed by cashback (35%) or vouchers (31%). A significant majority also value the opportunity to share rewards with friends and family (29%) or with a good cause (23%).
Andy Philpott, Marketing Director at Edenred said:
“While these are tough times to compete for a share of consumer spending, our research shows that brands can attract and retain value-seeking customers and avoid a race to the bottom on price by using incentives.
Whether it is by reducing customer churn, rewarding loyalty or winning new customers through refer-a-friend schemes, incentives offer every brand the opportunity to minimise the impact of the cost-of-living crisis without having to resort to price competition.
By offering customers the opportunity to give to causes they believe in or simply the ability to share reward with friends and family, brands can also build preference and differentiation through the choice of incentives on offer.
As the battle for customers intensifies, it will be the sales and marketing teams who can best deploy incentives who are likely to attract and retain customers through the cost-of-living crisis.”
To download the full report, “The battle for new customers in the cost-of-living crisis”, please visit the Edenred website HERE

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Mando-Connect and Ogilvy hosted one of the first face-to-face loyalty events since 2019 to celebrate the launch of Mando-Connects latest whitepaper: ‘What the British want from Loyalty Programmes 3.0’. It was a hugely successful afternoon with a joint presentation from the Mando-Connects head of strategy, Charlie Hills, and YouGov’s data team, led by Nick Fishbourne. On top of this, we also heard a fascinating talk on applied behavioural science in loyalty from Ogilvy’s Maddie Croucher and an insightful panel discussion hosted by Isobel Finlayson with representatives from Vodafone (Camilla Cooper), Lidl Plus (Tina Hansom) and Marriott Bonvoy (Katie Cox).

The event certainly highlighted some challenges ahead for those working in the loyalty industry. There is, however, a lot to be positive about. Peter Kerr (director of the IPM) introduced the event by recognising the increased scope for loyalty in new sectors ”with emerging digital and multi-media channels, loyalty opportunities are becoming increasingly accessible to every sector’‘. We’ve also seen how with data and a better understanding of how your customers think and feel, you can adapt your programme to engage your users and give them the rewards they really want. On this topic the overall findings and recommendations were very clear:

• Firstly, focus on offering really great rewards – it’s Number 1 for driving Brits to join a programme. And it’s Number 1 for maintaining engagement. 
• Secondly, bake a strong sustainability ethos into your programmes. 71% of us think loyalty programmes should help us to live more sustainably, so understanding how loyalty can contribute to creating a more sustainable future is key. 

The event and research shows that the impact of loyalty programmes has never been stronger.  They cut through the noise of a crowded advertising and marketing landscape and help brands to engage in a completely unique way. Just by having a programme, users will find your brand more appealing. The challenge for us then is to keep innovating in the right direction and ultimately to try and keep pace with changing user needs as they happen.

For the full whitepaper, please head to the Mando-Connect website 

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Almost half of employees don’t expect to receive a Christmas gift from their employer, according to research from Blackhawk Network

• 88% of employees would like to receive a gift from their employer this year, but almost half (46%) believe this is unlikely
• Half of employees would feel disappointed, demotivated, upset or angry if they didn’t receive a gift from  their employer this festive season
• When it comes to gifting this Christmas, almost 2 in 5 (28%) employees would prefer to receive a gift card from their employer

With the festive season upon us, 88% of employees state they would like to receive a gift from their employer as we finish up for the holidays. And, after another tough year defined by the pandemic, employees no longer see gifting as just a ‘nice to have’. In fact, 45% of employees state that it is important for employers to provide gifts and rewards this festive period. These findings come from research conducted by Blackhawk Network looking at seasonal gifting trends.

Almost two fifths (39%) of employees view gifts as recognition for their hard work and the same amount say that Christmas rewards make them feel valued by their employer. Another 32% state that gifts show that employers care and 22% say that seasonal gifts help to keep them motivated. However, staff do not trust that employers understand the need to show their appreciation. Almost half (46%) of employees believe it’s unlikely that they will receive a gift from their employer this Christmas.

Chris Ronald, VP, EMEA Incentives, Blackhawk Network, said: “The Great Resignation combined with economic bounce-back, has resulted in staff shortages at an all-time high.  Adding to this, the competition for talent is driving up salary expectations. This year’s festive challenge is for employers to gift smart. Providing rewards as a ‘thank you’ plays an important role in ensuring that staff feel appreciated. Even small gestures can go a long way in building loyalty and bringing some festive cheer to hard working teams.

The UK is in the midst of a supply chain crisis which is threatening to derail the festive season. Physical gifts, drinks and even rumours that the Christmas turkey may well be in short supply. However, the good news for employers is that gift cards are the preferred choice for almost two-fifths of employees. Delivering these early could help staff get ahead of the rush on family gifts and festive groceries, providing a genuinely useful reward that will leave staff feeling valued and appreciated.”

The business impact of failing to gift or reward

By failing to gift this Christmas, employers risk more than just disgruntled employees; staff morale and satisfaction will be impacted. In fact, half of employees would feel disappointed, demotivated, upset or angry if they didn’t receive a gift or reward from their employer this December.

This is a particular issue for younger generations; 77% of Gen Z and 82% of Millennials would have negative feelings about not receiving a seasonal gift. This is a dangerous state of affairs given that staff turnover is at an all time high amidst the Great Resignation. Gifting should be front of mind as gratitude and appreciation are critical to retaining staff and creating a positive workplace culture.

Gift Smart with rewards that resonate

The traditional Secret Santa is a mainstay of UK office culture but often falls flat. 42% of employees have negative feelings about Secret Santa, with many thinking it’s a waste of money and a waste of time. While Secret Santa can be a fun team building initiative, employers need to gift smart with rewards that are useful and meaningful to employees.

Providing physical gifts could be challenging this year in the midst of a supply chain crisis, shipping delays, a fuel crisis, and shortages of HGV drivers. Blackhawk Network’s recently global holiday gifting research found that consumers are worried about shipping delays and out-of-stocks. A third (34%) of UK consumers surveyed worry that the pandemic will impact their ability to shop and over a quarter (28%) say they will shop earlier this year due to concerns. Employers would do well to turn their attention to gift cards, which are the preferred gift choice for almost  2 in 5 (28%) employees. When it comes to gift cards, the following are most in-demand from staff:

• Multi retailer cards – 25%
• Restaurant or takeaway – 21%
• A food retailer to help with the Christmas dinner shop – 18%
• Entertainment experiences – 15%

However, the best gift is that of choice, with a fifth of employees preferring a gift card that would give them flexibility over all of the above.

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How and why you should deploy behavioural insights to power customer acquisition

New customers are the lifeblood of any business. They aren’t just critical for growth: every business needs them to replace the customers who walk away from you in the course of any year.

The job of winning customers and converting them to your brand or business should be one of the most satisfying tasks for a marketer.

Yet for many who work in marketing, it’s a task which can feel like a game of whack-a-mole; even if you try your hardest, you can barely keep up.

And as anyone who has ever played whack-a-mole will know, there’s only so long you can go on playing the same game before you lose interest and the results wane.

But it’s not just this risk of fatigue and diminishing returns that should motivate marketers to change up their approach to customer acquisition right now.

The year ahead

As the financial impact of pandemic starts to bite, businesses and consumers will have a powerful motivation to re-evaluate where they spend their money.

And while this will bring opportunity in the form of potential new customers, it also presents a challenge. As competition increases, so too will the potential cost of winning each new customer.

At the same time, marketers will need to accommodate the new priorities of prospective buyers for whom emotional criteria like security and trust have become more important. A year of witnessing opportunistic and ethically questionable practises by some big brands through the pandemic will have only added to consumer cynicism which predates the pandemic.

This need for new approaches to customer acquisition will be felt most keenly in high-volume categories like insurance or telecoms where interventions from the regulators mean that the cost of winning new customers can no longer be underwritten by existing customers paying higher prices.

From capture to nudge

How can marketers overcome these challenges? Perhaps the biggest opportunity lies in changing the acquisition mindset away from the whack-a-mole approach to ‘capture’ customers with brute force marketing and towards one which uses a more subtle approach to nudge them into choosing your brand over others.

Nudge theory is a catch-all term which describes the insights from behavioural economics which allow us to understand how people respond to different influences when they are faced with making choices.

Analysis by Gallup suggests that companies who apply behavioural economics in their marketing outperform peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin.

It would be unfair to say marketers are complete strangers to behavioural theory and the kind of gains which can be achieved through its application. In fact, most of us have experienced nudges in action.

That hotel booking website that tells you that only one room is left at the given bargain price? The airline which says there are only two seats left on the plane? The message that pops up on those same sites telling you that 55 people are looking right now?

All of those prompts to buy are based on a simple behavioural insight that presented with scarcity and the prospect of missing out, you can convert a fair proportion of browsers into buyers.

The Sports Direct mug that you used to somehow magically buy without clicking it? Or signing up to insurance or a magazine subscription which automatically renews?

That’s the use of ‘defaults’, a concept which suggests we are more likely to accept the option given to us.

Nudging not tricking

For all that behavioural insights like these are used widely today, it’s also the case that they aren’t deployed wisely or in the kind of ways that will deliver the kind of commercial benefits that Gallup talks about.

One major reason for this is that brands have tended to use nudges for short term gains without an appreciation of longer-term negative consequences.

The kind of businesses above are a good case in point.

There’s little doubt that deploying nudges has helped each of the brands convert browsers into business, deliver repeat customers and increase marginal sales.

But as customers have come to realise that the scarcity on the booking sites is contrived by the brands, or found that they have been locked into another year of insurance they didn’t ever choose, businesses have also damaged their relationships with each hard-won customer.

Far from engendering loyalty and trust, these brands have created scepticism or active dislike, ultimately leaving them with a higher cost of customer acquisition and what is ultimately an unsustainable way of winning business.

Knowledge is power

Businesses should not be put off using nudge theory to win business and those want to put it use will can easily get a headstart by understanding some guiding principles which are key to realising its potential.

The first of these is the importance of building up a working knowledge of all the basic concepts – or at least the most common ones – before you think about applying them.

In the examples I mentioned earlier, knowing about of the concept of ‘reactance’ – where if you nudge people too hard, people will respond negatively in a way which makes them reclaim their freedom – would have told marketers that any gains might be outweighed by the fact they have actively driven customers away.

A second principle that should always underpin the use of nudges, is that businesses typically get the best results if the focus is delivering delight by way of a positive emotional reaction or experience.

One brand who did this well was Starbucks when it launched its Unicorn Frappuccino, using a limited time offer to market the drink.

Coming at a time of peak-unicorn obsession and with Instagram-friendly looks, people wanted to get their hands on it because it was visually appealing and different. The drink sold out on its first day in stores. The appropriate use of scarcity here led to a positive emotional outcome because it was associated with the opportunity to try something fun for a short time rather than manipulation.

A third principle which can unlock the power of nudges is for marketers to take a step back from their own area and collaborate with other colleagues in the business to identify changes which reduce friction and positively influence customers in the process of doing business with you.

It’s still the case in many organisations that different touchpoints in the acquisition journey are developed or managed in silos and not as effective as they could be.

A good example of this are the defaults presented to people when they request further information or try to sign up with you as a customer. Given the power that defaults have over consumer behaviour, this is not something which a developer or forms designer should be left to consider on their own.

Overlaying knowledge of behavioural insights to the customer journey in its entirety can yield significant results by ensuring everything from forms for data capture, tone of voice, choice of communications channels and promotions are all doing the best job of influencing customers to do business with you.

A final rule of the road is to experiment, explore and learn how different combinations of nudges provide powerful – or less than powerful – outcomes in your business and in your life as a consumer.

You’ll soon observe that making minor changes can make a major difference to how effectively you acquire customers. What’s more, in the long term you’re likely to find that if you aren’t deploying nudges in this way, your customers will be going to a business that is, and falling in love with it in the process.

Jerome Ribot is the founder of Coglode, a consultancy which helps brands make better decisions by making sense of behavioural research.

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We were given lots of advice on how to maintain mental wellbeing during lockdown.

We were told to create routines (check!), stay connected with friends (I am now an 80s pop quiz expert), eat well (hmm…define well?) and don’t drink too much (erm…).  In following that advice we created safe spaces for ourselves and our families to cope with the mental challenges of lockdown life.

Now that lockdown is easing, some cannot wait to re-engage with society but for many of us it is more challenging.

The “safe spaces” we were encouraged to create can be difficult to give up.  For some there is anxiety about reconnecting and living in this “new normal” covid world.  For others it is the thought of re-engaging with society (whether at work or at leisure) having had little social interaction for over a year.

So how can a brand engaging with cinema help?

A visit to the cinema allows people to escape from their “safe place” but without the pressure that intensive social interaction can bring.  It is a way to engage with other people while the “focus” is on something other than the actual interaction itself – the focus is on the movie.

A trip to the cinema can be good for the soul too.  The British Journal of Psychiatry report that visiting cultural attractions such as the cinema regularly can see the risk of developing depression reduce by up to 48% (office of National Statistics figures suggest that depression rates doubled during lockdown).

Further research by the UCL Dept of Experimental Psychology in Association with Vue Cinemas even went as far as suggesting that a trip to the cinema can be good for the heart (and not just if you choose a good rom-com).  Using smart-tech they found that for 40 minutes of a 2-hour movie the average heart rate increased to 40%-80% of the max which the British Heart Foundation says is the healthy heart zone.

Exit-polling in the same research found that the audience felt emotionally closer to their fellow visitors by the end of the movie than they had at the start.  Just by sharing the movie experience they created social and emotional bonds with the people around them.

Bupa showed that the pictures, sound, colours and music of cinema can be linked to positive sensory stimulation.  Their research (during a comedy) illustrated that laughter released endorphins, dilated blood vessels and left the viewer with a general sense of feeling relaxed and well.

Social media helped us to stay connected during lockdown but there is much research that suggests a long-term link between high social media use and depression.  Cinema remains one of the very few media experiences which actively prevents the use of social media during its consumption (turn off your phone please folks) demanding total focus on the film.

Bupa likened that immersion to mindfulness as the cinema audience is forced to slow down, pay attention and be in the present.  The demand to concentrate on the film was also said to distract from rumination (don’t dwell!) and negative thought patterns.

Adapting to lockdown took time.  Coming out of it will also take time.  Brands have the opportunity to help customers cope with coming out of lockdown in the same way that we helped them to cope with the isolation it brought about.

With a brilliant slate of movies there is truly something for everyone in cinemas in the coming months and with cinemas investing so much to ensure that the environment is safe and healthy, re-engaging with cinema as a promotional tool is viable, desirable and socially conscious.

Cinema remains not only one of the most consistent and desirable consumer incentives, and right now, it’s exactly what we need.

This article was written by David Pearson, CEO at Mongoose Promotions and The Cinema Society.

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In the face of great change in Brits’ lifestyles, new research from YouGov and partnerships and rewards agency Mando-Connect shows Britons’ affinity for promotions.

The What The British Think Of Promotions report reveals that two thirds (66%) of the population take part in promotions, with eight in ten (80%) Brits believing they are a great way to reward customers and seven in ten (70%) thinking that all brands should offer them.

YouGov’s data shows that gender has no impact on promotional participation (65% of men and 67% of women take part in promotions). But age has a significant impact with older age groups being far less likely to participate. Only 54% of those aged 55+ participate in promotions. This suggests that promotions are failing to connect with this important age group.

The report shows that despite so many of the population taking part in promotions, the space is currently dominated by a few select sectors. Supermarkets have by far the biggest footprint, with 47% of the population taking part in supermarket promotions. General Retail then follows with 27% of the population taking part in promotions in this sector, followed by Health & Beauty at 25% and Leisure & Entertainment at 23%.

Britons clearly see the value of promotions, with the research showing that people are willing to put their money where the promotions are. Three quarters (75%) of Brits are more likely to try and new brand that offers a promotion, seven in ten will switch brands offering one (71%), more than half will shop more often with brands that offer them (58%) and just under half are more likely to recommend a brand offering a promotion (48%).

The report gives clear direction on Brits’ favourite types of promotions too. The top way to enter a promotion is digital. More than half (56%) of Brits like to enter a promotion online or through a website, almost four in ten (39%) by email and 28% through a mobile app. Money is the preferred prize or reward, with almost six in ten Brits wanting it (59%). Next comes a desire for discounts and offers (42%) and free products, services and experiences (38%).

The future for promotions is looking very positive too. Two thirds (65%) of Brits are likely to take part in promotions in the next 6 months. And the impact of Covid-19 and the releasing lockdown timetable has divided the nation. When asked what impact the government’s announcements about the easing of lockdown measures would have on their likelihood to participate in promotions, half of Brits (50%) didn’t know. Three in ten (31%) think are now more likely to participate in promotions, and just under two in ten (18%) think they are less likely to participate.

Charlie Hills Managing Director & Head of Strategy at Mando-Connect: “Promotions are a much misunderstood and under-appreciated marketing discipline. Yet they have the power to attract new audiences, change consumer behaviour, engage and re-engage existing customers and even shift brand perception. Our new research shows that Brits love promotions, regularly participate in them and that they have a very positive impact on the brands that offer them. Almost two thirds of Brits (65%) think they are going to participate in promotions in the next 6 months. Brands need to sit up, take note and make sure that a compelling promotional strategy is a core part of their marketing mix.”

Amelia Brophy, Head of Data Products UK at YouGov: “Our research shows that Brits’ are a nation of promotions lovers. The majority (66%) take part in promotions and eight in ten think that promotions are a great way for brands to reward customers. What was particularly interesting was the strong influence that promotions can have on Brits’ attitudes and shopping behaviours: 75% are more likely to try a new brand offering a promotion, 71% will switch brands, 57% will shop more often with a brand and 48% will even recommend a brand more that offers a promotion.”

A copy of the whitepaper can be requested here.

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