Posts Tagged ‘affinity marketing’

Planning ahead still a safe bet for consumer savings – how understanding this can help customer retention.

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Childhood days of collecting small change for a piggy bank may seem like a long winded approach to financial efficiency, but the lessons of prudent saving, budgeting and most importantly patience – can be key to getting ahead in the current economic climate both for businesses and consumers alike. Hard pressed consumers have become savvy at spotting bargains/ finding ways to save money and it’s important for businesses to be aware of the general change in customer’s spending habits to improve customer retention.

One way consumers are making substantial savings is by spending a little time calculating income against regular outgoings and developing a weekly or monthly budget. Looking at figures isn’t fun, and whilst this may in fact sound too simple to be of use, once aware of both how much they are spending and primarily where they’re spending it, ways of reducing this spend become much clearer. The key to customer retention for businesses is to be aware of the intended target market – knowing how they approach saving and subsequently positioning your brand as an essential purchase.

Consumers are now shopping around

Businesses operate in a competitive market and in many sectors, like energy for example, for consumers prices can seem frustratingly similar between suppliers. There is however evidence of fierce competition presented through indirect promotions like customer benefits and rewards. Even if consumers don’t take advantage of rewards immediately they retain information for future use. Price comparison sites can help with this process for utility bills and insurance especially, but sometimes this involves them engaging with your brand on the phone – consumers taking ten minutes out to get a quote or two will be receptive to any extra benefits you can communicate to them, making it easier for your company to achieve customer retention. A recent high-profile promotion is Tesco’s BOGOL (buy one get one later), designed to improve customer retention instead of just moving volume of stock.

Considering before buying

Bigger purchases like cars, furniture, computers, mp3 players, etc. can all set consumers back substantial amounts of their hard earned income. Before they buy, they can check to see if there is any scope for negotiation on price, or if the supplier would throw anything else in! More importantly though, consumers now usually ensure that they’re buying the right item beforehand. It’s too easy to regret an impulse purchase just a few months later, or to get a gift wrong for a loved one on Christmas eve. At the end of the day, if times are tough consumers should always ask, “Do I really need this?” A good technique people are using is waiting a day for every £100 in the price (or £10 for smaller purchases) – if still happy by the end of this period then they’ll at least have had a chance to think it through thoroughly and check out the competition. In this instance if you can’t  sell to them straight away, it’s about making the effort and giving them a reason to return (competitive price, the best service, any optional extras you’ll throw in just for them) – nurturing their needs and respecting a requirement for space plus reassurances.

Ordering pre-purchase vouchers

High street stores and big name brands like Debenhams, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, PC World and B&Q often either provide their own form of pre-purchase voucher, or are part of a wider voucher like Love2shop or SayShoppingPass. Through membership to a loyalty and membership programme or discount club such as The Big Savings Club or The Home & Garden Club for example, consumers are able to take advantage of savings of up to 7% on many of these vouchers. With Christmas on its way consumers will be spending more over the next few months on both everyday expenditure like energy, right through to gifts for friends and family and luxuries like good food and drink. So is this something your business can take part in? One of the easiest ways to achieve customer retention from vouchers or discounts is through a loyalty and membership programme or discount club. The operators of the loyalty and membership programme or discount club such as The Rocket Marketing Group, manage the club and can design bespoke vouchers featuring your discount to feature in print and online. This marketing service is usually free, all your brand has to do is offer members of the loyalty and membership programmes an exclusive discount.

Not yet made the most of customer retention by offering consumers an exclusive discount through a loyalty and membership programme or discount club? Contact Us today.

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Consumer loyalty as defined by marketers v’s consumers themselves

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

As a customer, the brands you consider yourself to be loyal to may be different from the brands that consider you to be loyal to them. Is this because businesses measure loyalty by statistics – the potentially biggest spending consumers are considered the most valuable/loyal whether they have an emotional attachment to the brand or not? These consumers are not necessarily the most valuable in terms of long term profitability or opportunity for the ‘word of mouth’ marketing (which is increasingly important during the social networking revolution). For customers, loyalty is more of an emotional concept and brand affinity is normal for defining who we are; subsequently we can become more susceptible to act upon the call to action or passing on core brand messages.

A lot of marketing campaigns fail to address this 3 dimensional element of consumer loyalty and miss the opportunity to reward and encourage consumers that whilst in business terms are not considered loyal, but in social terms most definitely are.

In the case of loyalty marketing is it not therefore important to not only reward the loyalty of high spending customers (through points schemes etc.) which of course should always be the main priority, but to also reward those who through their brand loyalty ensure continual use of the brand and bolster the positive associations with a brand?

Loyalty marketing or sales promotion has emerged as a mutually beneficial programme that seeks to appease both customers’ and businesses loyalty needs. From a customers’ point of view they are receiving what they consider to be a special discount – particularly in the current economic climate, this can be seen to help financial burdens. A percentage discount can ensure the reward is given in direct correlation to the amount spent, so everyone is rewarded for the amounts they spend.

It boils down to consumers needing to feel valued no matter how much they are spending – surely if your brand nurtures its consumers through loyalty marketing, its consumers will nurture your brand?

Contact Us if you are interested in loyalty marketing by featuring a discount in a loyalty and membership programme or discount club to improve customer loyalty by rewarding new and existing customers.

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How will consumer incentives for discount hunters change the way people do their Christmas & New Year shopping?

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Whether we like it or not Christmas is on the horizon. You can’t ignore the first signs of the festive seasons creeping into our shops – surely we have Halloween and Bonfire Night to exploit before we even want a glimpse of the likes of chocolate advent calendars and twinkling lights in every colour? No such luck for retailers who are in desperate need of a sales boost and are still pulling out all the stops with consumer incentives, improved offers in loyalty and membership programmes and many other recession solutions.

Last year sales were low due to the bleakest era of the credit crunch but this year there are reports that the recession is or could soon be over. House prices have risen to the level they were last year and people are starting to feel more confident about an economic recovery. What does this mean for the high street? Will there be a retraction of the sales and consumer incentives in the run up to Xmas if retailers feel there is no need for recession solutions anymore? If so, what will be left for the January sales?

In Nationwide’s latest Consumer Confidence Index it is clear that consumer confidence is growing, Mark Saddleton, Head of Economic & Market Analysis said: “September saw a much stronger increase in overall confidence compared with recent months and the index is now at its highest level since April 2008. Expectations for the future economic situation are also buoyant, with pessimism about the labour market situation starting to decrease.”

These statistics teamed with the fact that traditionally people spend more at Christmas could be seen to be a positive indicator of people reverting back to traditional spending habits. This could also mean sales figures dive again in the New Year as people have spent money and become cautious again when short of money. It’s a case of time will tell and nothing is certain at the moment.

The road to change is usually a slow one though, as people will remain cautious well into recovery, so to pull back discounts, consumer incentives and recession solutions could be a brave mistake for companies to make. The spending habits are still rooted in bargain hunting and whilst consumer confidence is returning, retailers still need to do all they can to encourage customers to spend money with their brand. Whether they choose to offer discounts in-store or through an exclusive loyalty and membership programme it’s still what consumers expect.

Contact Us if you are interested in creating recession solutions that feature consumer incentives for your brand through loyalty and membership programmes.

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Why our partners are essential to success

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Here at Rocket we work hard to save money for thousands of customers who join our loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs, both internally and for our clients. Critical to our success however, is our excellent ongoing relationship with our partners. Affinity marketing relies upon the mutually beneficial relationship between the loyalty and membership programme or discount club managing agency, brand partners and consumers.

We pride ourselves on researching some of the most recognisable, long standing and reputable brands on the high street and online for our affinity marketing business. On top of this we also work with small to medium sized businesses that are the best in their respective fields, providing niche products and services. This means that members of our loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs get the best of both worlds – some great savings on everyday living, and even more on those special high value purchases, one-offs and gifts.

Our dedicated Partnership Marketing (affinity marketing) team talk regularly with our partners, both new and old, in order to constantly develop and extend their promotions. There’s a lot of flexibility in the way our products can represent partner offers, so it’s important to work on getting it right. Just like all marketing vehicles, maximizing effectiveness is all about testing and progressive improvement.

Communication at a personal level lets us provide a helping hand for our partners, especially at the start of a long and healthy relationship. With over 7 years of experience as specialists in managing loyalty and membership programmes and discount clubs, we know that we’ve developed some skills in making sure offers present real value for consumers whilst delivering results for our partners. We can help to work through all aspects of your offer, from a catchy headline that will drive redemption, to powerful photography selection that’ll catch the eye. We can even make sure your terms and conditions are represented in plain English to make sure customers stay happy.

Sales promotion and affinity marketing are hot topics right now thanks to dramatically increasing consumer demand for improved value – partly fuelled by the recession, but also driven by Britain’s national obsession with bargain hunting and the prevalence of broadband internet access. Successful use of sales promotion is not limited to corporate Pizza giants however – never underestimate the public’s appetite for greater choice and their respect for excellence! Our unique membership clubs place your message in front of a massive potential customer base that we know can spot a good deal when they see one.

Shared brand value benefits all of our partners too. Mixing major corporations with smaller enterprises is mutually beneficial – enjoy the trust and quality assurance of globally recognised brands, with the bespoke offering and natural customer service focus of SME’s. Getting your company name in front of the right consumers is just the first step in a successful marketing campaign – making sure that it carries with it the right message and associations is naturally next.

Over fifty businesses in the UK already work with us to successfully present exclusive sales promotions to our diverse customer base. Are you leading the way in your industry, produce a unique product / manage a unique service, or provide second to none customer service? Are you committed to presenting consumers with real value during difficult economic times?

Do you want to drive sales and brand awareness for your business? If you are interested in affinity marketing through rewards and consumer incentives or loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs then let’s start talking today, Contact Us on 0845 241 2135.

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Make promotional marketing work for your brand

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Promotional marketing is a great way to reach your customers and engage with their purchasing experience by giving them more of what they want – encouraging customer retention and/or increase customer spending. There are a number of agencies that specialise in developing promotional marketing strategies and those that offer high quality sales promotion/ affinity marketing solutions. We’ve identified some of the key elements that make a successful campaign and promote customer retention so that you can see how sales promotion or affinity marketing can work for your business.

Create a powerful headline

Leading with a powerful, well targeted offer will hook the consumer in instantly. Stating a percentage or monetary value of the discount such as 50% off, save £10 or 2 for 1 hotel breaks can be the most effective communication of a saving. There’s no need to complicate the message, keep it short and basic to avoid confusion – if you have a strong enough offer it will talk for itself. It’s as simple as that!

Get it out there

There are increasingly more and more ways to communicate and distribute your consumer incentive and the more widely it is seen, the more successful it can perform. Advertising your consumer incentive doesn’t have to cost you as much as you might think and in most cases there’s a free marketing option. The internet is a good platform for reaching millions of new people but can be hard to control and can be subject to over-redemption. Online distribution methods include viral campaigns, voucher sites, social media – all of which are free marketing solutions. But remember mass-marketed campaigns can lead to brand devaluation! Keeping control of promotion distribution is now as essential as getting it out there at all.

You can also offer your consumer incentive to your existing customers at point of sale which gives you greater control of distribution numbers. Another option is to offer your consumer incentive to customers through a loyalty and membership programme or discount club, this way you are keeping it to a closed group which responds positively to discounts and could easily lead to a mutually loyal relationship.

Deliver!

When all of the hard work is done there are some checks that sound simple but that can make or break a promotional marketing campaign. First of all make sure your discount works – ensure the promo code or voucher code is active online, over the phone, in-store or by whatever redemption method you have chosen. Try not to tie you customers up in knots over the terms and conditions. Any overcomplicated, or unreadable small print will put people off – remember the purpose of the exercise is customer retention, so be friendly not intimidating.

Get some advice

Promotional marketing or sales promotion/ affinity marketing can seem daunting to set up but there are plenty of agencies out there that can help and it can still be a free marketing option when managed externally. All an external agency will ask for is an exclusive discount for the members of its loyalty and membership programme or discount club. By using an external agency such as The Rocket Marketing Group every aspect of your promotional marketing campaign will be managed from promotion to handling loyalty and membership programmes or discount club members.

Contact Us if you are interested in free marketing solutions that encourage customer retention through consumer incentives. We can discuss how loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs can promote your brand through sales promotion/ affinity marketing.

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5 ways to catch consumers’ ever-shifting attentions

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Consumer Incentives, Loyalty and Membership ClubsThese harsh economic times have seen a massive change in the way we all purchase products/ services. The taboo on bargain hunting has long been lifted and it’s all about the consumer trying to outsmart the business so they can get more for less. But this culture in turn has led to a decline in brand loyal consumers as they search around for the best deal available to them. The unsettled nature of consumer spending has helped superstores such as Tesco and Morrisons who can trade under the banner of value all under one roof – a one-stop-shop for everything, but surely this type of shopping experience is devoid of any emotional tie or specialist knowledge? So what can every other business do to compete and catch the attentions of the fickle consumer? Here are a few of our ideas:

1. Start with the basics! In recent years we seem to have forgotten that providing a service that’s good enough for customers to recommend is one of the best ways to advertise a brand. If a customer recommends a brand to their friends and then those friends recommend the brand to their friends the customer base could grow significantly. By neglecting your customers’ word of mouth promotion, all other marketing is futile. Providing a great customer experience is the easiest way to get talked about online too. Tools like twitter are all word of mouth based like real life – just to a much bigger captive audience. Plus in these harsh economic times it has become even more important to tap into the online and free marketing options.

2. A loyalty card is a good consumer incentive but it’s a big expense and a lot of businesses now have them so how effective are they? In today’s world surely customers want a consumer incentive that’s a little more immediate? One immediate option is a sale, but many sectors are already saturated with these. So how about rewarding consumers by working with a third party business? These consumer incentives can be anything from 2 nights for 1 at a hotel or free pampering treatment to a free 2 for 1 Movie and Game Rental Card. They can be vouchers that are distributed physically, online or virally.

3. Market your business and staff as specialists in the field – it’s doubtful that the checkout lady at Tesco knows anything about the electrical goods she’s selling. Make your product/service knowledge and customer service something that stands out from competitors and people might just choose you. Niche businesses will always benefit from the power of word of mouth too – but also consider well targeted campaigns like placing discounts and offers in a media that’s relevant to your industry!

4. If all else fails – if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. Offer your consumers more. Sell a loyalty and membership programme or discount club such as The Big Savings Club or The Entertainment Club to your customers, the non-competing brands will help give a good association and back up the products that you already offer. Consumers will see the loyalty and membership programme or discount club as a reward for using your brand and extension of the goods/services that you offer. One step further would be to make the club bespoke so all the discounts are presented under the umbrella of your brand, a good example of this is the JML VIP Club. Loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs area a free marketing solution as they are usually set up or run by a third party agency. In fact it can be a way for large businesses to earn substantial incremental revenue, whilst a third party such as The Rocket Marketing Group manage the programme and its members (your customers).

5. Loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs can be used to feature a discount and then distributed by other non-competing businesses. Your discount will be presented to a new sector of consumers in association with other brands encouraging new customers to become loyal to your brand. This is a quick and easy free marketing solution that is handled by loyalty and membership programme or discount club agency such as The Rocket Marketing Group. All your business has to do is offer an exclusive discount to discount club members.

Contact Us if you are interested in free marketing solutions such as developing a loyalty and membership programme, featuring your business in a loyalty and membership programme or purchasing rewards as a consumer incentive.

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Is this the end of the sale season?

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

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.

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Top ten UK & Ireland city breaks – the rewards for consumers and businesses

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Edinburgh CastleWith 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.

CambridgeCambridge

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.

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Can the British holiday boom last?

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Suffolk imageThere 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.

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The Rocket Marketing Group creates the 241 Hotel Club

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

241 Hotel ClubThe 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.

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