Rob Scott Group Creative Director at TLC Marketing shares his thoughts on sales promotions in today’s world, with the absence of the trusty ‘days out’ default.

It seems the sales promotion industry was founded on days out promotions, the default choice of reward, on everything from breakfast cereals to chocolate bars.

It’s been cleverly dressed up in some cases – Peperami’s Terrify A Friend – a brilliant and deservedly award-winning campaign from last year, but it’s still ‘Days Out’.

So what happens in lockdown when you can’t go out?

Within a week of lockdown we had swapped Yeo Valley’s out and about Yeokens treats to indoor treats featuring creative kits for children to online courses and music streaming, “…plenty of things to learn and do while staying in and staying safe” – and we’re working with many more to do similar things.

As responsible marketers we have to ask, is this simply brands taking advantage or is it brands responding to ‘the new normal’ in ways that benefit their customers?

Clearly it’s not entirely altruistic but I’m pleased to say that with every brief we have received, the heart has been in the right place. Little Lifts, Tag Your Hero, The Great Indoors. Whether simply gifts or rewards to be earned, the sentiment is spot on –  make (indoor) life easier, keep the kids busy, dress up the home office to make it a better place to work… whatever the objective there is an empathetic approach, that goes before the need for the brand to stand out or steal a march on the competition.

As we tell clients, a free movie download or cooking lesson isn’t going to solve the crisis – but if offered in the right way they might just cheer people up (which frankly is what we all need right now).

If you’d like to discuss further you can contact Rob directly rob.scott@tlcmarketing.com

About TLC Marketing, social handle LinkedIn @TLCMarketingWorldwide all others @TLCMarketingUK

TLC Marketing UK is the Institute of Promotional Marketing’s Agency of the Year 2017. They are global leaders in loyalty, incentive and reward campaigns.

Operating since 1954, the original rewards company funded on the luncheon voucher. Operating in 14 markets across the globe, they allow brands to outpace their competition through owned network experiences and big brand partner offers. TLC has launched award-winning campaigns for Bupa, Continental Tyres, Braun and Pallas Foods. They also won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2016.

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Vanarama, the UK’s leading independent commercial and personal vehicle leasing company, has launched Vanarama Smiles – the UK vehicle leasing industry’s first ever customer rewards scheme.

The rewards scheme available to Vanarama customers gives every customer the chance to receive up to £100 worth of free fuel as well as countless other lifestyle discounts including Hoseasons holidays, Greggs breakfasts and Costa Coffee. The rewards are easily redeemable through the online platform that’s been developed in partnership with TLC Marketing. The platform allows customers to accrue points and then redeem them against the rewards they want to use.

As part of Vanarama’s ongoing strategy to put customers at the heart of their business, Vanarama Smiles also offers van loads of “always-on” rewards, including up to 40% off Odeon cinema tickets and 20% off gym memberships for customers to enjoy weekly. This isn’t just a membership card, Vanarama Smiles is about rewarding customer loyalty and adding value outside of leasing.

As the vehicle buying process shifts away from ownership to usership, leasing is growing rapidly as a real alternative for consumers wanting to drive brand-new vehicles on flexible terms. As such Vanarama is making a concerted effort to push the boundaries and offer new and existing customers more value and a stronger relationship with a trusted brand.

Vanarama Smiles sees Vanarama deliver yet another industry first as they continue to change the way customers interact with the automotive industry creating a far more customer-first approach driven by real, tangible value.

Paul Cable, Chief Marketing Officer at Vanarama, says: “We’re delighted to launch Vanarama Smiles with a bang by rewarding the nation’s drivers with up to £100 worth of free fuel if they lease with us.  We want to get them on the road in style, giving them tangible value straight away. Other players in the industry are happy to take customers hard earned cash and leave them out in the cold for 2 – 5 years but we want to embrace them and offer them a genuine relationship that’ll put a smile on their face every day.”

Rob Scott, Group Creative Director at TLC, says: “Rewarding customers with little lifts that they can use throughout their lease builds a greater connection with the brand. In a sector that is mainly transactional, this new programme sets Vanarama, a brand known for being innovative, apart from the competition.”

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Rewards and incentives agency TLC Marketing is expanding by opening a new office in Stockholm. Operations Manager at the new office will be Filippa Udén, who previously worked as Key Account Manager for Diakrit Interactive Media and Product Owner for BoldArc, the pioneers in virtual reality technology.

We live in an experience economy with consumers now turning their back on ‘stuff’ and wanting to spend their hard earned cash on doing rather than having – and then telling the world about it on social media afterwards. Story telling is no longer enough for brands to stand out. If they want to be authentic and adopted by consumers, they must provide experiences that bring their brand story to life. TLC Marketing call this Story Doing For All and having launched campaigns with Nestle and Osram in the Nordics and with other Scandinavian campaigns due to go live in Q4 and early 2019, an official establishment in Stockholm was an important part of the company’s international expansion.

“We have seen a great need and interest for our services in the Nordics, therefore it feels like a natural progression to our ever expanding global footprint to establish ourselves here officially,” says Alec Johnson, TLC Marketing CEO.

Having been in the promotional marketing business for over 60 years, TLC Marketing, The Original Rewards Company have been helping brands such as Vodafone, Bupa, HSBC and Unilever turn their brand storytelling into story doing activations that reward every single customer. Not just the lucky few.

Their goal is to quickly establish themselves as leaders in brand story doing in Sweden, before rolling out new business efforts to other countries in the Nordics. Agency operations are being led by Filippa Udén who will be supported by colleagues from the UK office. Filippa is well merited for her project management skills in the Swedish marketing industry and is confident she can use her unique, well-rounded skill set to help lead the expansion of TLC Marketing in Sweden and the rest of the Nordics.

John Pearson, General Manager for TLC Marketing UK & Nordics explains, “Story doing is a concept gaining momentum. Nestle Cereal Partners, who stand for family values and creating lasting memories, wanted to run a pan European campaign across eight countries including Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway. At its core, the campaign focused on bringing their above the line storytelling to life. We built and delivered a campaign where customers who purchased a promotional box could claim a free family activity. Recruiting over 2,000 exclusive rewards, with partners such as track days, water parks, museums and farms. The campaign produced a noticeable uplift in sales and received positive feedback from the retailers, gaining prominent shelf space.

“I believe if we continue to build on successes like this, giving brands the power to bring their values to life, we will see a shift in the way marketing budgets are allocated. Forced by consumer demand as they seek out experiences and personal connections with brands that traditional adverting cannot provide.”

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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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NaturZ Foods, which has been supplying independent stores with pulses, spices and rice since 2011, has launched a cinema ticket promotional reward campaign designed to thank customers for their business.

NaturZ, which is owned by Export Trading Group, will be rewarding every customer who purchases three promotional products with a free cinema voucher. Cinema is one of the most popular pastimes for UK consumers and, since recent major hikes in ticket prices, a free voucher to watch the latest movie is perceived as a real added value to consumers.

The promotional campaign, delivered by TLC Marketing, sees NaturZ partner with Vue and ODEON cinemas to fulfil the free cinema voucher offer.

The campaign will be promoted on 150,000 NaturZ packs and via in-store posters, shelf wobblers, shelf headers and free-standing units in 120 stores nationwide. Customers will be directed to the campaign website via the on-pack stickers where they will enter their three promotional codes to claim their free cinema voucher.

The campaign will run until 17^th November 2017. To qualify for the free cinema voucher, customers must purchase three promotional packs in one transaction. Customers will have 14 days from purchase to register for their free voucher and will then have 14 days after receiving their voucher to claim.

Pavan Patel, UK Director at NaturZ, says: “Cinema is a great cultural pastime that allows everyone, no matter what your interests, to be immersed in someone else’s world. It’s a real opportunity to switch off from the outside world without any distractions. Research shows our customers are giving themselves less and less ‘me-time’ as their hectic lives take over so we’re really excited to be giving them this opportunity. It’s important for us to ensure we are constantly engaging with our customers and giving thanks for their business. This is the first time we have done a campaign like this in the UK, so we’re really excited about seeing the results.”

NaturZ is a leading foods brand in independent stores throughout the UK, distributing to over 100 retailers in the UK and into 10 countries in Europe.

TLC Marketing UK is the Institute of Promotional Marketing’s Agency of the Year 2017. It is a global leader in loyalty, incentive and reward campaigns, operating in 17 markets across the globe. It has run award-winning campaigns for Bupa, Continental Tyres, Braun and Pallas Foods and also received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2016. Other clients include Yakult, Elastoplast, The Post Office and HSBC.

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LSI Netherlands BV – owner of the Peperami brand – and agencies TLC Marketing and Sense were crowned the big winners at The IPM Awards 2017, taking home the trophies for Brand Owner of the Year, Agency of the Year and the coveted Grand Prix Award respectively.

This year’s winners, which were announced at the IPM’s black-tie Awards Gala on Wednesday June 7 at the London Hilton Park Lane, showcased and celebrated the very best in creativity and effectiveness in the promotional marketing industry.

The evening commenced with opening addresses from Lord Black of Brentwood, President of the IPM, and John Sylvester, the IPM’s chairman and Chairman of Sodexo Benefits & Reward Services UK, while the host for the event was Strictly Come Dancing star, Claudia Winkleman.

LSI was named as Brand Owner of the Year, after collecting two Gold and two Silver trophies for its campaign linking Peperami mascot, the Animal, with the Angry Birds movie.

TLC took the Agency of the Year accolade, having picked up four Gold awards and a Silver for a range of different campaigns.

The Grand Prix went to ‘real world’ agency Sense for its #H2O activation, part of the ‘Discomfort Future’ campaign on behalf of The Economist. This saw potential subscribers offered free coffee apparently made from recycled water from a portable toilet, to highlight the issue of water scarcity around the world. It won two Golds and was selected by the IPM awards judges as the best of the best.

The picture above shows Sense collecting their award from Lord Black (left) and the evening’s host, Claudia Winkleman (right).

Other agencies celebrating multiple trophies at the IPM Awards 2017 included The Circle Agency, ZEAL Creative, Toucan and Brand & Deliver. Behaviour change experts 23red managed to pick up Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Not for Profit, Charities and Public Sector category, the second time the agency has achieved this impressive feat.

John Sylvester, Chairman of the IPM, said: “The IPM Awards celebrate outstanding promotional marketing from the very best UK agencies and underscore our commitment to supporting best practice, creativity, effectiveness and innovation. Our Awards are open to everyone in the marketing industry and this year it was great to see both some familiar faces and some newcomers amongst the winners and the audience.”

This year, winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze IPM Awards all qualify for entry into the IMC European Awards, and the IPM will be contacting agencies shortly to explain how to take advantage of this. John Sylvester observes: “The UK produces world-class promotional marketing campaigns, and we want as many of our winners as possible to enter the IMCs so we can underline our leadership in this vitally important sector of the marketing and advertising industry.”

Sponsors for the IPM Awards 2017 included headline sponsor Sodexo, Westfield Shoppingtowns, Sykes, Emirat, Whistl, Granby Marketing Services, Promotional Handling, i-movo, POD Staffing, Peazie and Pictures Experience.

A full list of this year’s winner can be found on the IPM website.

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Procter & Gamble (P&G) is boosting consumer awareness of its Herbal Essences brand with a ‘Free Haircut’ promotion this summer. Running from now until October 31st, the initiative enables shoppers to claim a free haircut, including a wash and blow-dry, when they buy any two 400ml bottles of Herbal Essences shampoo or conditioner in one transaction.

All they need to do is upload their receipts online at www.herbalessences-freehaircut.co.uk within 14 days to receive a voucher to use at participating salons nationwide.

The initiative forms part of Herbal Essences’ new 360° support campaign which includes TV and print advertisements, PR, plus in-store, digital and social media activations. Designed to amplify the brand’s powerful scents messaging, the new advert will increase consumer awareness, whilst the standout POS material will ensure strong impact at point of purchase and drive trial.

Herbal Essences will run the free haircut promotion across its full 400ml portfolio including.

The offer is open to UK & Ireland residents aged 18 years and over.

Participants must purchase two 400ml bottles of Herbal Essences in the same transaction. They then have 14 days from purchase to visit www.herbalessences-freehaircut.co.uk to upload their proof of purchase and register for the promotion. Once registered, they will receive an email within 14 days containing a URL and unique code that will give them access to the listings of participating salons. They then have another 14 days in which to enter their unique code and postcode or county.

Once successfully logged in, they will be able to browse listings, choose their preferred salon and download and print a voucher. Once downloaded the voucher will be valid for 120 days.

Participants will need to call the number on the voucher to book an appointment for their free haircut, quoting ‘Herbal Essences Free Hair Cut Promotion’.

The promotion has been organised for P&G by TLC Marketing.

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