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 agreed a new partnership with Blockbuster Entertainment. Rocket has come together with Blockbuster and created a 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card.

Exclusive rights for the 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card are held by The Rocket Marketing Group who will market the product directly to businesses, for use as staff and customer rewards.

This partnership is great news for consumers as it is a superb new product which could potentially save them a considerable amount of money. In the current economic climate it is important that any promotion matches the mood of consumers and this makes a cheap night in even cheaper, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy themselves more often.

Rocket will also be using the 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card as a reward in a number of its loyalty and membership programmes.

Andy Huggins, Managing Director of The Rocket Marketing Group commented: “This is a great time to be working with Blockbuster. It seems that staying in is the new going out and so the 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card is something that our club members will love.”

Bryn Owen, Head of Marketing at Blockbuster Entertainment added: “We’re delighted to be working with The Rocket Marketing Group to launch the 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card. It’s a fantastic product that will help customers save money as well as enjoy great entertainment.”

Any company interested in buying this 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card should contact The Rocket Marketing Group on 01273 66 88 22.

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

Advertising is expensive and whilst it is essential, it becomes increasingly difficult for a business to advertise through the traditional mediums when advertising budgets are being slashed. Companies are looking for more cost-effective ways to promote their brands. There are lots of marketing options and some can prove to be just as effective. This is in part due to the changing times (people absorbing media in different ways) and the improvement of the channels for advertising online etc. This is compounded by the fact that most people now spend time looking for the exclusive discounts available not just the brands they are familiar with.

In a report researched and compiled by the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) on behalf of the Advertising Association (AA), it was found that the total UK adspend fell by 3.9%, but when separated and analysed by medium it revealed that while newspaper expenditure fell the most (12%) and spend on every other medium also fell, internet expenditure was up by 17.3%.

Internet advertising is an attractive media choice and marketing option at the moment because it can be more cost-effective than other forms of advertising. The rise to stardom of sites such as Facebook and Twitter just add another dimension which is yet to be completely and successfully tapped into.

Another cost-effective option is to look at the free marketing options. Loyalty and membership programmes offer a way to market a brand for free and are operated by a third party, meaning minimal human resources for the business involved. All the business has to do to feature in a loyalty and membership programme is offer an exclusive discount to the club members. This also answers the public’s demand for exclusive discounts on the items/ services they purchase. The members use a directory and/or website featuring all the businesses and their exclusive discounts, to look through when they want to shop or plan an experience. The Rocket Marketing Group operates a number of different loyalty and membership programmes including The Big Savings Club, The Entertainment Club, The Home and Garden Club and JML VIP Club. These clubs collectively have a membership base of over 100,000. The captive audience is considerable, so surely this is something that most businesses offering products and services would benefit from?

Contact Us if you would like to discuss how a Rocket Marketing Group, loyalty and membership programme can be a good marketing option for your business.

This summer the recession is set to continue but there are a number of factors which will help certain businesses do well during this period. Tapping into these and understanding how to make the most of valuable consumers will be the key to a successful summer. Some of the elements that could help British businesses do well this summer include:

The good weather

Early predictions have told us that we should have a hot summer in Britain this year. Although the forecasts are not completely reliable, we have been blessed so far with the sunny weather.

Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, Ewen McCallum, said: “After two disappointingly-wet summers, the signs are much more promising this year. We can expect times when temperatures will be above 30 °C, something we hardly saw at all last year.”

Not only does the good weather put Brits in a good mood but it means that they become valuable consumers as they spend money on their gardens, barbeques, days out, nice food for picnics etc. These are all important for British Businesses to have a successful summer.

Ian Cheshire, Group Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc, said: “We have made a good start to the year, boosted by better weather and a later Easter.  B&Q in particular capitalised well on this increased demand, growing its market share and doubling its retail profit.”

Less people are going abroad for summer holidays

Despite the rise in the amount of budget airlines and cheap package deals over the last couple of decades, a foreign holiday is still considered a treat. In the last year a lot of people have been looking for ways in which to cut back and they have been realising the easiest way to do this is by forgoing luxuries and treats. This has largely been bad for British businesses but the reduction in the amount of people taking a foreign holiday could be a blessing for a lot of others. When Brits stay at home for the summer they are valuable consumers.

RAC revealed that nearly two-thirds of those that holidayed abroad last year are staying put this year and short distance travel plans are up 33% on 2008.

The Caravan Club has noticed a positive change this year reporting that advanced bookings for 2009 are up by 40% on 2008.

More people visiting Britain

The weak pound may mean that we don’t get much for our money in Europe, but this works both ways. Can we expect people from other European countries to flock to Britain for a cheap holiday? For them it’s possibly the best time to visit the UK, at a time when they’ll get more for their Euro. If this proves to be true Britain will get a new group of valuable consumers.

Interest rates at an all-time low

This has an effect on the amount of disposable income people have. For those on a tracker mortgage the interest rate drop will not have just eased the financial pressures on them, but could well have released another pocket of disposable income. Brits are being cautious with their money but with savings rates also low it’s not as appealing to save any spare money either.

It is important to make sure that the British people who are spending money in the UK do so with your business and one way to do this is by marketing your brand through a loyalty and membership programme. The Rocket marketing group develop loyalty and membership programmes, offering members discounts from a range of companies offering everything from shopping to leisure. It is completely free for companies to feature in the loyalty and reward programmes when they offer an exclusive discount to members. Across all the clubs Rocket has over 120,000 full active members nationwide. Therefore this makes it a powerful marketing tool for British Businesses. Loyalty and membership programmes target those in the UK who are looking to spend money on a good deal. Targeting these consumers could make this a successful summer for your British Business.

Contact Us if you would like to discuss how a loyalty and membership programme can work with your business to encourage consumers to use your products/ services, and help you have a successful summer.