London in the Autumn is a fantastic place to be. The Summer crowds have departed, the aroma of roasted chestnuts fills the air, and the parks are full of crunchy, rust-coloured leaves to crunch through. It’s a perfect time of year to enjoy a short break or weekend away to the capital, and make the most of the great museums, galleries, attractions and bars on offer.

London can be an expensive place to visit, but with a bit of planning you’ll find that you can spend an action-packed weekend there without breaking the bank. Train companies regularly offer special discounts on fares to London, and National Express are currently offering coach tickets to the capital for as little as £1. Even hotel accommodation can be found relatively cheaply if you know where to look. The 241 Hotel Club for example, offers visitors two nights stay for the price of one at hotels across the UK, with over 40 available in the London area alone.

So what should visitors on a budget be looking out for this Autumn?

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The start of Autumn can be a pretty depressing time of year. The evenings begin to draw in, there is a definite chill in the air, and that two week break in the sun is soon just a distant memory as you settle back into the daily grind of work.

Sound familiar? If so, a short hotel break in the UK may be just what you need to beat the end of Summer blues, while providing a fantastic opportunity to see Britain’s Autumnal beauty in all its glory.

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As the UK’s airports begin to tentatively open their doors to the public following a week of travel chaos, experts are beginning to calculate the cost of unprecedented disruptions to British air travel.

While it’s clear that the airlines have lost huge amounts of money (around £1.1bn according to the International Air Transport Association), the cost to British tourism may yet prove to be negligible.

In fact, many industry experts believe the UK’s visitor economy may actually benefit in the long term, as the delays, cost, and discomfort suffered by stranded holiday makers may cause people to think twice about holidaying abroad in the future. (more…)

The Rocket Marketing Group creates loyalty and membership programmes which offer discounts on major brands, to its members. The company has enjoyed huge growth over the last 3 years, and has gone from employing 12 members of staff to over 50, across all areas of the business including call centre, fulfillment, technical, marketing and creative.

Rocket has also increased the variety of loyalty and membership programmes it offers, working with new key clients and partners. The company now operates 7 clubs and a number of great rewards such as the exclusive Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card, giving more and more members fantastic discounts on their favourite brands. The range of clubs include The Home & Garden Club, The Entertainment Club, The 241 Hotel Club, The Big Savings Club, The JML VIP Club, plus more on the horizon.

Alan Saunders, Operations and Business Development Director comments: “We have always believed in the importance of quality and this is what Rocket’s products and service have been built on. Our discount clubs offer consumers great value for money, clients a fantastic marketing opportunity and partners incredible incremental revenue. It is great to see that all of our hard work, attention to detail and quality is paying off. I look forward to Rocket’s bright future, having now established itself as a leader in the field of Sales Promotion.”

Rocket looks forward to a great 2010 and growing the business even further.

This timeline charts Rocket’s milestones over the last 3 years:

July 2006 Sign Agreements with sit-up.tv

October 2006 Alan Saunders joins Board as Operations & Business  Development Director

January 2007 Rebrand as Rocket Marketing Group & set growth strategies

February 2007 Become members of the Direct Marketing Association

March 2007 Introduction of AVAYA IP Office Telephone System

April 2007 Introduction of SAP Business One CRM and Business Management

April 2007 Become members of the Institute of Sales Promotion

May 2007 Launched The Entertainment Club

July 2007 Launched The Midweek Dining Club with Tio Pepe

August 2007 Moved Head Office to Enterprise Point to expand & allow further growth

January 2008 Sign Agreements with HSBC for new Merchant Services Facilities

June 2008 Accredited by British Standards Institute as ISO:9001 Quality Assured

August 2008 Sign Agreements with JML, and develop our first white-label product, the JML VIP Savings Club

October 2008 Launched The Home & Garden Club with HBOS

November 2008 Established Rocket Rewards to own and manage our own stand alone promotions

January 2009 Sign Agreements with New Image TV to market the Big Savings Club

February 2009 Sign Agreements with Guthy-Renker to market the Big Savings Club

June 2009 Expand offices and create a Marketing Suite

July 2009 Welcome Ashley Faull to the board

August 2009 Sign Agreements with Blockbuster. Conception of and Exclusive rights for a new product the Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card

August 2009 Started selling The Home & Garden Club with sit-up.tv

August 2009 Sign Agreements with Flying Brands to market The Home & Garden Club

September 2009 Sign Agreements with iSUBSCRiBE, to develop and manage Rocket’s first online club

October 2009 Launched the 241 Hotel Club

November 2009 Sign Agreements with Harvest Media & Virgin Media

November 2009 Create and launch The Living VIP Club

November 2009 Reached over 50 staff

December 2009 Joined Brighton Chamber of Commerce

Contact Us for information on sales promotion and implementing a discount for your brand or reward for your customers. We operate a number of loyalty and membership programmes that offer members discounts, giving the brand access to a large membership base of loyal customers. This helps businesses to drive loyalty retention and revenue.

At this time of year there is only one thing that people are thinking about – all the chores they have to do for Christmas. As a business or employer understanding the pressures of the people who work for you or buy your goods/ services can help you reward these people with a staff or consumer incentive. Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful for anyone really, whether they stay at home or travel away from it all there’s always an opportunity to enjoy those tasks that are written off as chores. Looking forward to a break makes Christmas more exciting and gets everyone into the spirit of the season, and happy staff/ customers are more likely to reciprocate the goodwill. With the range of deals available such as the 241 Hotel Club (which gives members 2 nights for the price of 1), a hotel staff/ consumer incentive can be presented as a lifeline at this hectic time of year. Here are few ideas of Christmas tasks that can be made fun by turning them into a short break through a hotel club:

Shopping

Buying gifts for every friend and family member can be a daunting task but is a great opportunity to visit a new city. The range of different shops will keep anyone interested and could even inspire some presents that loved ones will be pleasantly surprised with. The evenings can be spent relaxing and having fun so the whole experience feels like a treat rather than a chore.

Visiting loved ones

This can be the most stressful element of Christmas – being trapped in a house with every member of family and possibly in-laws too, it’s just not natural. Situations like this across the country are responsible for many a Christmas time bust-up. So how can people avoid this awkward situation? Stay in a hotel! Just because people spend all day together they don’t have to spend all eve/ night together as well. Holiday Inn is currently running a promotion – offering a 25% discount to put the in-laws up this Christmas. We’re sure that the 241 Hotel club is going to give many members’ families 2 nights for the price of 1 this Christmas and make the festivities run a lot more smoothly.

Cooking

Going on a cooking course ensures making a delicious meal is made enjoyable again. It can help to inspire cooks and make them excited about putting the Christmas dinner together by trying out all new skills that have been learnt. Family members will appreciate the tasty change. Using a hotel club for this kind of break can make a really unique but practical get-away and fantastic opportunity for some quality you-time whilst on the course.

Keeping everyone entertained

The Christmas break is often a long one particularly if there are kids that need to be kept entertained. There are only so many hours the toys will keep everyone occupied before there’s a need to break free from the same 4 walls. Theatre breaks are great and there are so many fantastically magical shows on at this time of year from funny pantomimes to spectacular West End shows. There is sure to be something for anyone’s interests and won’t break the bank, particularly when they get 2 nights for the price of 1.

There are so many interesting and beautiful places to stay in the UK and Ireland so people don’t have to go far for a holiday that can make them feel better, whatever they’re into.

Anyone interested in purchasing a reward such as the 241 Hotel Club as a staff or consumer incentive or partnership marketing reward please Contact Us. The club enables members to enjoy 2 nights for the price of 1 at over 300 hotels throughout the UK and Ireland, so is a great staff or consumer incentive for anyone.

As Morrisons announce an underlying profit before tax up 22% to £359m (2008/9: £295m) and the Halifax reporting that house prises rose another 0.8% last month there are now definite signs that the recession is slowing and maybe even that the end of our current economic problems are on the horizon. What does this mean for businesses and the average consumer? Will consumers maintain their spending ransom on businesses, forcing them into drastic recession solutions or will we eventually see the end of the sale season?

It’s hard to know whether people have just changed their spending habits and this is how it is going to stay or if it’s just a fashion/fad/phase that will pass. Businesses and marketing departments definitely have a tough road ahead rebuilding the worth of recession battered brands. This has been an important era for marketing as the spending culture has changed so dramatically. In some cases this is not just due to the recession but the increasingly wide spread use of online shopping, the recession has just acted to highlight the shortfalls of ageing business models – and these are possibly the businesses that won’t emerge from the sale.

Throughout the last year marketers have relied upon discounts and sales as the complete recession solution but now as we move out of this era will the lower prices be forced to remain and move from a desperate recession solution to the norm. All businesses need to start regaining their brand value by ending the sale season and finding other ways to offer consumer incentives. There are other free marketing solutions available which both benefit the consumer and business involved.

These free marketing solutions involve consumer incentives that promote brand loyalty rather than a ‘shop where’s cheapest’ mentality. A good way for businesses to tap into this culture but maintain their brand value is through affinity marketing. This is a free marketing tool which can offer consumer incentives in a number of ways including through loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs. These clubs work well because they are not exclusively recession solutions. Companies such as The Rocket Marketing Group operate a number of loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs. Businesses feature in the loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs as a free marketing solution; all they have to do is offer members an exclusive discount. These discounts act as consumer incentives and they can effectively drive loyalty for the brands featured in the discount club.

If you are interested in free marketing through affinity marketing – featuring your business in one of The Rocket Marketing Group’s loyalty and membership programmes, purchasing a consumer incentive or selling the clubs and generating an incremental revenue please Contact Us.

With Brits spending more and more time holidaying at home on ‘staycations’, we wanted to explore the UK and Ireland to find our favourite city break destinations, seeing what there is to entice tourists there and which businesses are potentially profiting from this increased trade. There are so many different areas in the UK and Ireland, each individual in what they have to offer tourists. And as companies such as The Rocket Marketing Group launch discount clubs like the 241 Hotel Club, which gives members 2 nights for the price of 1 at over 300 hotels, the UK and Irish tourism trade really can now compete with the rest of the world for offering affordable yet interesting and unique holidays.

Bournemouth

Famous for its expansive sandy beaches and warm south coast climate this is a popular destination for old and young alike. There are plenty of attractions, many focussed around the seafront, making it a major competitor to the traditional beach holiday abroad. Providing the sun stays shining tourists can spend hours enjoying the beach for free. Every business from ice cream vans to clothes shops and restaurants benefit from visitors who can spend money that they’ve saved by getting 2 nights for the price of 1 at their hotel.

Brighton

Or London-by-the-sea as it is known is a bustling seaside resort with plenty to entertain tourists both on and off the beach. In sunny weather the pebble beach is very popular as are the galleries and eateries that sit along the seafront. There is the famous pier with rides and bars plus quirky independent shops that benefit from the busy holiday seasons. There is still plenty to do when the weather is not quite so good such as busy bars, nightclubs and comedy to name just a few. This will always be a popular resort but with cheaper hotel accommodation such as 2 for 1 at Holiday Inn, or Rottingdean, White Horse, people are freed up to really enjoy everything Brighton has to offer.

London

The capital of Britain has activities and sights to interest everyone so people travel from far and wide to see this exciting cosmopolitan city. Traditionally known of as an expensive destination this puts some people off visiting, but with cheaper accommodation like 2 for 1 at Earls Court Holiday Inn Express or further south at Kingston Lodge plus consumer incentives and discount clubs, attractions such as the world-class theatres, galleries, shopping, restaurants, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds become accessible for more people. This city is a great alternative for people who might normally take a break in Paris, Rome or Barcelona.

Cambridge

As one of England’s most treasured historic university cities, Cambridge is a fascinating place to visit. Again, great on a sunny day as you can meander the streets taking in the beautiful architecture, punt down the river or join the locals and go for a cycle. But there’s also plenty to do inside from world-renowned exhibitions, theatres bars and cafes that will benefit from an increase in tourism. This can be achieved by presenting consumers with an affordable romantic break accommodation like 2 for 1 at Cambridge Crowne Plaza.

Manchester

This is just one of the North West’s interesting and vibrant cities, with a reputation for great nightlife including music, theatre and restaurants. This city gives tourists a good time all year round they visit. There are lots of tourist attractions that reflect the strong character of the city such as the working people’s museum and Urbis – a new kind of museum. As in all of the cities featured, all of these attractions would benefit from increased visitor numbers.

York

A beautiful historic city with many unique features, the magnificent Cathedral, Roman city walls, numerous exhibitions and winding streets with independent shops means tourists are spoilt for choice. It can be a romantic getaway or fun-packed and educational holiday destination for all the family. The city caters well for tourists and there are discount clubs and consumer incentives that give savings which could help increase visitor numbers and as a result benefit the city hugely.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is another city that is geared towards tourists – one of the most popular cities in the UK. The interesting history and many unique and original architectural features make it one of the country’s most beautiful places. There is so much to do all year round and one of the world-famous festivals is a must-see for anyone, as well as sampling some of the regional food and drink specialities. Cheaper hotels or deals such as 2 nights for the price of 1 at Edinburgh Royal Mile Holiday Inn Express may prompt people to plan the trip they’ve always thought of.

Cardiff

Wales’ capital and largest city is a good mix of the heritage of the old and the progressive new. Cardiff is a bustling and interesting city at the heart of this proud country. The tourist attractions range from the historic Cardiff Castle to the modern and monumental National Assembly for Wales and Cardiff Bay, as well as lots of beautiful shops – all of which would benefit from a rise in trade.

Belfast

Belfast makes for an interesting visit with its castle and Victorian heritage, including Botanic gardens plus entertainment at the Grand Opera House or family attractions like Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory. It’s also a good base to explore the rest of Northern Ireland including stunning natural sights such as Giants Causeway. Tourists can use offers such as the 241 Hotel Club so they can enjoy the beauty that Northern Ireland has to offer.

Dublin

Dublin is the Irish capital and a city that promises everything – an exciting nightlife with trendy bars, traditional pubs and live music plus lots of family attractions and access to some beautiful scenery. This has always been a popular destination all year round but it can be expensive. Discount clubs, consumer incentives and savings on accommodation such as Dublin Blanchardstown Crowne Plaza, could really help more tourists enjoy this complete holiday destination.

These breaks are all unique and the attractions in various locations appeal to a wide selection of people. The diversity of such a small area is what makes the UK and Ireland interesting places for anyone to explore. The 241 Hotel Club offers 2 nights for the price of 1, making it a product with mass appeal and can be used effectively as a consumer incentive, staff benefit, sales promotion tool plus much, much more.

So why not support British tourism while taking advantage of this powerful new promotional incentive? The 241 Hotel Club is available to purchase so if you would like to find out more Contact Us.

Offers correct at time of publication and subject to terms and conditions.

There have been many surveys and reports this year indicating an increase in the number of British people taking their holidays in Britain. Travelsupermarket.com conducted research back in July, showing that 50 % of British holiday makers said that they were most likely to book a holiday in Britain in the next 12 months. The ‘staycation’ as it has been dubbed is a new fashion that is fantastic for the British economy. But as we begin the ascent out of recession, can the British hotel trade continue to compete with the allure of foreign holidays that offer the probability of good weather and escapism from our everyday life?

It’s unfortunate that it has taken a recession for British people to discover that Britain has the kind of diverse landscapes and cultures that can be just as enjoyable and interesting as flying abroad for a holiday. Maybe the good experiences of this year’s holidays will encourage British holiday makers to have a staycation more often. But this element cannot be relied on too heavily as summer memories will soon fade as the winter sets in.

Some of the most popular city breaks in Britain include London, Edinburgh and Brighton. These destinations have seen visitors descend on them this summer giving the tourists a taste for the theatre, historic sites, theme parks plus regional food and drink specialities. Most of these activities don’t rely on sunshine so could survive as an addition to the annual summer sun break or as an interesting alternative to spending hours sleeping on a beach.

The increase in the British tourism trade this year has been in direct response to the recession but we mustn’t forget that it is only in the last 20 or 30 years that foreign travel has become financially possible for the average British family. The rise in cheap package holidays to countries such as Spain and then the increase in budget airlines selling flights abroad for less than it costs in train fares across the country has contributed to British people travelling further a field than British holiday hot spots such as London, Brighton and Blackpool. But as eco/green issues become more widely understood, airport taxes continue to rise and the budget airlines start to fold, this era of cheap foreign holidays could soon be over.

So if British resorts and cities remain competitively priced surely this will contribute significantly to Britain being able to compete with the popular destinations abroad? Hotels have traditionally been the most expensive element of any British break so a consumer incentive that focuses on hotel discounts, whether stand alone or part of a discount club would be a useful sales promotion technique for encouraging the Brits to think twice about holidaying abroad.

A recent sales promotion idea has seen The Rocket Marketing Group launch the 241 Hotel Club. This discount club offers members 2 nights for the price of 1 at major hotel chains including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Old English Inns and Brook Hotels, giving members the choice of over 300 hotels across the UK and Ireland. The 241 Hotel Club is a discount club that has been created by The Rocket Marketing Group and will initially be given as a reward to members of its loyalty and membership programmes. The 241 Hotel Club is also intended to be sold as a consumer incentive for other businesses as it is an impressive sales promotion tool that could encourage customers to buy certain products/services. This discount club would be suitable for almost any consumer incentive or employee benefit as it’s a product that most would be interested in whether they are young or old, rich or poor, prefer city breaks or countryside retreats.

There is so much to see, do and be proud of in the UK and Ireland and any initiative that illustrates this and makes it accessible for more people to enjoy, will help the recession hit UK and Ireland.

For more information on our loyalty and membership programmes/discount clubs or if you are interested in purchasing the 241 Hotel Club as a consumer incentive or employee benefit sales promotion tool please Contact Us.

Offers correct at time of publication and subject to terms and conditions.

The Rocket Marketing Group has developed a new hotel club, giving members 2 nights for the price of 1 at a range of hotels throughout the UK and Ireland. Working with major hotel groups, Rocket has created the 241 Hotel Club which includes over 300 hotels. Members can stay at the hotels as often as they like for the 12 month membership term. It’s a fantastic opportunity for 241 Hotel Club members to travel and see the fantastic and varied attractions the UK and Ireland have to offer. With consumers cutting back on their spending, this year has seen a rise in the amount of people taking holidays in the UK and Ireland rather than travelling further afield for their annual break.

Andy Huggins, Managing Director of The Rocket Marketing Group commented: “The climate is perfect to create a fantastic new hotel club. The 241 Hotel Club gives members the opportunity to take a break without having to worry about spending too much money, making short breaks more accessible. It’s also great exposure for the hotel groups involved. They get to market their product, encouraging customers to stay at their hotel. This is a strong marketing tool for the hotel groups.”

The 241 Hotel Club will initially be given as a reward to Annual Members of Rocket’s core membership programmes. Members will be provided with a directory from which they can choose their hotel. Hotel bookings are made directly with the hotel by contacting the hotel group directly, quoting the relevant promotional code.

For anyone interested in purchasing The 241 Hotel Club or for more details visit the website at www.241hotelclub.com or Contact Us.

The Rocket Marketing Group launches The Home & Garden Club on the 19th August, as an answer to Britons feeling the pinch, not moving house and being more inclined to make home improvements and enjoy their garden.

The Club offers members a fantastic collection of discounts on a range of great products, all designed to make Home & Garden improvements affordable. Home & Garden Club members receive a Savings Directory and a fully functional Home & Garden Club website. Both provide members with access to over 30 exclusive offers. There are amazing discounts at major retailers on a range of products from furniture and plants to gifts and home entertainment.

Andy Huggins, Managing Director of The Rocket Marketing Group said: “This is the perfect time for a product such as The Home & Garden Club as people spend more time at home and save money, as a consequence of the recession. This new club is packed with great offers including our new Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card. The Home & Garden Club helps consumers to maintain or create a perfect haven at home, whatever their budget.”

For anyone interested in purchasing The Home & Garden Club or for more details visit the website at www.hgclub.co.uk or Contact Us.