Back in January a government minister said she could see a few “green shoots” of recovery for the economy. This sparked massive debate both in and out of parliament as some people thought it was far too soon to be making such claims. This month has seen yet more signs of economic improvement therefore reigniting the debate.

The statistics seem to show slight improvements in certain areas such as the recent rise in manufacturing output and house prices, but then unemployment figures still seem to be going up. It is a confusing picture hence the debate.

All the confusion has led experts and studies to show that people are still feeling quite negative about the economy but there are some signs of improvement such as the Nationwide’s monthly consumer confidence index for May that showed a rise in consumer confidence.

Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The more modest change in overall consumer confidence this month is no surprise and, as we continue to see contrasting news about the state of the economy, it is likely that confidence will remain fragile. While some reports suggest tentative signs of a slowing in the pace of economic decline, it is important to remember that a number of sectors are continuing to contract and any recovery is likely to be sluggish. What is clear from our findings is that while consumers remain pessimistic about the present situation, they appear to be much more confident about the future than they were at the beginning of the year.”

It is a confusing time economically and it can be hard to know what information is reliable, as much of it is speculation or figures which can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

What’s clear is that even during times of consolidation, businesses need to continue to market their brand and encourage customers to become brand loyal because economic recovery is inevitable sooner or later. This may mean that finding alternative or free marketing solutions to match public spending habits and cultural changes that happen during a recession. Now is a good time to foster relationships with new brand loyal customers so that when the green shoots of recovery bloom, there is a customer base to benefit from.

The Rocket Marketing Group operates a number of loyalty and membership programmes which give businesses a free marketing solution. All the partner business has to do is offer an exclusive discount to the loyalty and membership programme member. Loyalty and membership programmes tap into the current consumer trend of discount shopping. People can become less brand loyal unless the brand offers value as well. Our loyalty and membership programmes collectively have an active membership base of over 100,000 all actively seeking discounts and brands to shop from. The loyalty and membership programmes may be a free marketing solution that helps make sure that businesses do enjoy the green shoots of recovery when they appear.

Contact Us if you would like to discuss a loyalty and membership programme as a free marketing solution for fostering new brand loyal customers for your business.

At the moment there are lots of sales and discounted goods for consumers to choose from as well as the rise of discount stores on the high street. Price reductions have almost become the norm. So what different consumer incentives are there and how appealing are they to potential customers? And are there particular brands that benefit from offering certain discounts such as 2 for 1 or a free product trial? The Rocket Marketing Group specialise in developing and managing specific or bespoke member reward programmes and consumer incentive promotions. The Big Savings Club is the largest of our reward programmes. Below are a few of the most popular offers from The Big Savings Club and the partner businesses that are involved. Have a look and decide on the type of discount that would work best for your business.

There are a variety of companies, from a range of sectors that we work with for our Reward programmes. The exclusive discounts that they offer through our clubs vary but here are a few of the most popular ones:

A one-off voucher
A voucher is a consumer incentive that can encourage customers who wouldn’t normally try your brand to sample what it offers. This is a useful tool for switching a customer’s loyalty to your brand and breaking their existing spending habits. Businesses that successfully offer vouchers through The Big Savings Club are:

Virgin Wines
D&A.

2 for 1
This is an offer we all see on a daily basis. Many supermarkets adopt this offer to up-sell certain products and encourage consumers to buy more goods. It is good for brands that offer a game or experience as it gives the customer twice as long to get into the activity and enjoy the experience. And this is likely to improve the chances of the customers making a return visit. In The Big Savings Club a 2 for 1 discount is offered by:

Go Ballistic.

10% off
This is a very popular discount for businesses to offer. And although at face value this consumer incentive doesn’t seem to provide as much appeal as maybe 2 for 1, when in the context of a more expensive product, the saving for a consumer can be quite appealing. They might not bother to take notice of a 10% discount on something that costs £1 as they only stand to save 10p but on a larger amount such as £100 for example, they would save £10 – a far more attractive prospect. Here are just some of the partners that offer a 10% discount through The Big Savings Club:

Cottages4you
The Gluttonous Gardener
Early Learning Centre.

Cottages4you are particularly impressed with how offering 10% off through The Big Savings Club is working for them. They comment that: “By featuring in both The Big Savings Club and JML VIP Savings Club, the two accounts together have generated a total transaction value of £12,746 for Cottages4you.”

Cottages4you is just one brand that currently benefits from featuring an exclusive discount in one of our guides. Above is a small sample of the exclusive discounts that we feature in our reward programmes but we’re confident that we can find solutions to suit any brand.

Contact Us if you would like to discuss the possibilities for developing an exclusive offer and including your business in one of our reward programmes.

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