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.

It seems like all people want at the moment is the cheapest deal, and that lowering prices and putting huge sale posters up is the only way to entice consumers into a shop/business. But with sale savvy shoppers and the help of internet comparison sites how far can this go? Have prices finally reached rock-bottom and how has this aggressive discounting damaged the perceived value of these items/services? Have we allowed the financial panic to reduce brands’ value? The possible recession solutions have raised so many questions for marketing professionals and as we start to see light through the economic gloom the answers are starting to become clearer.

In hindsight it seems short-sighted of businesses to look at aggressive or competitive discounting as the complete recession solution, for example will Pizza Express ever be able to return their prices to the level they were 2 years ago? Many people only visit Pizza Express if they have a 2 for 1 voucher because there’s always an abundance of vouchers online and you can basically download them whenever you like. A lot has changed from 2 years ago when the brand was known to belong in the upper level of high street chain restaurants, to now when you might think of it as a discount Pizza restaurant. It has not only changed our perceptions of the price but also with it the type of people who eat there – in many people’s view it’s not the experience it once was. By heading such an onslaught of discounts, this recession solution has effectively but gradually and probably unintentionally rebranded their business and the brand value has suffered.

Another example of this recession solution is Waitrose, who introduced their Essentials range, giving customers the opportunity to buy quality produce at a low price. This was in response to reports that supermarket shoppers were switching to own-brand goods to save money. Waitrose has always been known as a more exclusive supermarket and this is surely the primary reason people are brand loyal and choose to shop there; so if people are prepared to pay a premium for your products why change that? Waitrose positioning themselves using the same marketing techniques as less aspirational brands was always going to pose the risk of missing the target market. It’s still early days but isn’t it potentially damaging to long term profits if the brand were to be devalued any further or reach the point where their identity was forced to change as Pizza Express’ has?

These are just two questionable aggressive discounting decisions but they are definitely not alone. Is it therefore possible to give customers what they want whilst marketing your business out of the situation? Reducing the price does tap into the mood of the nation but there are ways to do this which make the discounts appear exclusive rather than the norm. Surely this is less damaging to perceived brand value?

Discount hunters often belong to externally managed loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs that offer their members’ discounts on a variety of products and services. The discounts offered are seen by members of the discount club as a privilege and the brands’ value remains higher than the discount price.

A good example of this is Champneys Health Resorts which is a company offering premium pampering breaks. It’s important that they remain as an elite product because that’s what makes the product/services appealing, so to aggressively discount them would damage the perception of exclusivity. This doesn’t mean that the recession does not hit their business as it has other businesses but they have to approach discounts in a different way. Champneys have chosen to put a select few offers on their website but also offer a discount to members of The Rocket Marketing Group’s loyalty and membership programmes. The brand is still seen as luxury because the offers are presented in a way that makes customers feel like the discount is special.  The 15 % discount they offer The Rocket Marketing Group’s loyalty and membership programme club members is a great offer and has prompted a number of redemptions.

Businesses use loyalty and membership programmes to market their brands to consumers who are specifically looking for a special offer, enticing them to become brand loyal. The idea being, that the members of the loyalty and membership programme or discount club will become brand loyal to the businesses within the savings clubs by giving them what they want in a controlled way. These savings clubs are often offered to businesses as a free marketing option with the proviso that they offer club members a discount on their brand.

The Rocket Marketing Group operates a number of loyalty and membership programmes helping businesses create brand loyal consumers, driving both retention and revenue.

Contact Us for details of how a loyalty and membership programme (discount club) can work effectively for your specific businesses.

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

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.

We understand it can be hard to know how best to pass on a discount to your customers, making sure the right people use them and become brand loyal. Below we discuss some of the most popular ways for businesses to offer a discount.

3rd party discount club

Loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs are a good free marketing and sales promotion solution that enables brands to pass on an exclusive discount in a controlled manner. Discounts on the brand are only available to a closed group of people meaning the value you are giving them feels exclusive. It’s an excellent way to pass on an exclusive discount and encourage customers to create spending habits with your business, become regulars and eventually brand loyal. Loyalty and membership programmes or discount clubs are generally a free marketing tool for businesses; all you have to do is offer an exclusive discount for the members of the discount club. It is an excellent way to raise brand awareness and because it is a controlled, free marketing option there is minimal risk involved.

Discount cards

This is a widely recognised media in sales promotion used to pass on an exclusive discount to customers. Any company whatever their size or marketing budget can encourage return business through this technique, from independent hairdressers to multinational chains. This is a strong way to encourage a repeat purchase to a targeted section of consumers who are already likely to have experienced your brand.

Popular high street rental store Blockbuster worked with The Rocket Marketing Group  to develop a 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card which is initially being given to members of Rocket’s Entertainment Club. The Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card is also available for other agencies to buy from Rocket so they can use it for other partnership marketing offers/ staff incentives etc. It benefits Blockbuster as it drives loyalty to their stores throughout the UK rather than competitors. For the customer it feels like an exclusive discount because they have to show the Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card in store when they make their purchase. The card is distributed to an initial active membership base of over 30,000 people so the targeted captive audience is considerable, heightening the chances of marketing success.

Rocket also promotes similar products like the Paris Pass and London Pass that offer discounts on multiple products/services like public transport and attractions. Plus the popular 2-4-1 Beautiful Britain which gives members of The Home & Garden Club access to some of Britain’s most beautiful gardens.

Loyalty rewards

Everyone likes to receive something for nothing so to reward a customer for using your products/services is a good way for them to gain a positive association with your brand. An exclusive reward such as a free product or even something like a free flight to Europe helps members to feel that they have received added value for purchasing a brand. A good example of this is when members of The Big Savings Club are offered a number of free rewards including a free flight to Europe for taking a trial of the club. This sales promotion technique entices people to extend their membership and also gives them a positive experience of the brands involved and the experience of using the club. In effect they get a free flight to Europe for being loyal to the brands within the club. This reward is provided by the savings club but is linked as a reward to the brands within the club. A free flight to Europe is only one of the rewards brands could offer to customers, there are also smaller ones that don’t offer as much added value but can act as unexpected special treat, such as a free mini beauty treatment.

Similar models also include points collection discount cards such as Nectar, customers can build up their discount by being loyal to their brand and those associated with them. Though this is a variation the end result is the same.

Discount voucher

Discount vouchers are another popular sales promotion technique and can be distributed in a number of ways. Some of the most popular include offering an exclusive discount through in store promotions, e-shots or loyalty and membership programmes. Discount vouchers or coupons did have a stigma attached but in recent years but as the credit crunch hit Britain they’ve become mainstream again. Giving discount vouchers away in store is a good way of rewarding existing customers and making sure they remain brand loyal but can fail to entice new customers. E-shots have been used more and more over the last few years but can be passed on to too many people and encourage too much redemption from bargain hunters. Loyalty and membership programmes give discount vouchers to a large closed group of active members who have specific interests such as entertainment or DIY. Discount vouchers distributed in this way not only appeal to existing customers but also to a selected closed group of potential new customers. To distribute the voucher through a loyalty and membership programme or discount club is a free marketing solution as the voucher is produced by the club for its members.

If you would like more information on free marketing through loyalty and membership programmes and discount clubs or exclusive rewards such as the Blockbuster 2 for 1 Movie & Game Rental Card and free flight to Europe please Contact Us today.

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

The Rocket Marketing Group has been upgraded from ISO 9001:2000 to ISO 9001:2008 following a very successful annual inspection.

The British Standards Institution inspectors found no non-conformances and were pleased to award Rocket certification for the integrity of the organisation’s management system over the current assessment cycle, enabling continuing assessment and confirming a forward strategic plan.

The business has a team of over 30 staff, covering marketing, creative, technical, fulfilment and call centre specialists, all fully managed in-house. The certification applies to all sectors of the business and confirms Rocket as a highly professional operation. By being responsible for insisting on quality and reaching excellent standards throughout the business Rocket are leading the way in this area of the Sales Promotion industry.

Roz Garnem, Operations and Quality Manager at The Rocket Marketing Group commented: “I cannot believe that it has already been a year since we were first assessed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and given our ISO 9001:2000 certification. I am very pleased that I have had this opportunity to head up this project and pleased that we have managed to continuously maintain our Quality Management System (QMS) to such high standards since its implementation last July. Plus this year, we actually managed to be upgraded to ISO 9001:2008, which is the most up-to-date version of the standard.

Being assessed against this globally recognised standard has allowed us to continue the growth of this Company in a structured and controlled way and helped to heighten our profile when facing prospective new clients, whilst still allowing us to keep our customers’ interests in the foreground.

Many thanks to Terry and Andrew of TW Associates for helping us to make this happen.”

The Rocket Marketing Group is continually striving to reach the highest standards of service, confirming the company’s dedication to excellence.

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.

Times are hard for a lot of businesses at the moment and the country shows little sign of recovering from the recession any time soon. Loyalty and membership programmes offer consumers the great value they are looking for; they can also give businesses what they want in terms of free marketing, plus loyal and regular customers.

Plenty of businesses offer promotional sales but loyalty and membership programmes are a more sustainable way to give discounts. Members know to look within their loyalty programme, whether this is through their directory or online, when they want a reliable, exclusive discount.

Permanent or aggressive high street discounts can be potentially damaging to brand reputation, as they can devalue the brand’s offering in the long-term - something that is notoriously difficult to rebuild. Loyalty and Membership programmes can be a way to combat this as the discount the customer receives feels more like a privilege. When the discount is seen as exclusive to a member, then it is perceived as something of greater value.

The Entertainment Club, operated by The Rocket Marketing Group is a great example of a loyalty and membership programme that supports the entertainment industry. The club offers discounts to members on a range of entertainment from film rental to adrenaline sports, giving members a comprehensive list of activities to keep them entertained. Featured partners include large high street brands and online retailers like Odeon, Blockbuster, HMV, Theatre Tokens, PC World, Firebox, Bowlplex, Virgin Wine and Virgin Experience Days.

A number of the businesses that are featured in The Entertainment Club have seen good sales results this year as people like to look for discounts so that they can continue to enjoy life as much during recession. In this respect loyalty and membership programmes are proving to be useful for partners, helping them to beat the recession. It certainly means that people are changing their spending habits in search of cheaper forms of entertainment, as is the case with Virgin Wines.

Emma Franklin, Virgin Wines Account Manager said: “Staying in is the new going out as people try to find ways to make their money go further. Having wine delivered at home is a perfect solution, and The Entertainment Club puts us in touch with those who are looking for just this kind of service and special introductory offer.”

Other forms of entertainment that are normally prohibitively expensive also have a role in difficult economic times – providing both a form of escapism and also falling into the bracket of affordable entertainment when they are discounted via a loyalty and membership programme. Theatre Tokens has noticed an upward trend in sales this year and feel that the economic downturn could have actually helped sales!

Helen Jones, Marketing Manager for Society of London Theatre comments: “We’ve found that during difficult times people turn to and enjoy entertainment as a way of escaping from the worries of everyday life even if only for a short time. Despite the recession theatre is proving to be popular and our sales of Theatre Tokens have increased by 14% this year compared with the first five months of last year.”

Whatever the public’s reasons for turning to Entertainment Club partners, it remains an effective free marketing tool for businesses, which is sensitive to the mood of the nation. A free marketing solution such as a loyalty and membership programme is a great opportunity for many businesses and those consumers who are continually searching for the best discounts.

Andy Huggins, MD of the Rocket Marketing Group comments: “This year we relaunched The Entertainment Club with a great new look and a fantastic website that is as informative as it is fun. There are some amazing discounts for members, on everything from movies and music to fun, food and drink. And because membership numbers are constantly increasing, then so is the opportunity for businesses to promote themselves, during the harsh economic climate.”

If your business would like to discuss becoming a partner in The Entertainment Club (or another Rocket Marketing Group programme) or for more information on the benefits of promotional marketing please contact Andrew Spratley on 01273 668822 or enquiries@rocketmarketinggroup.com

The Rocket Marketing Group has enjoyed real success and growth as a business over the last 18 months and decided to share its good fortune by getting involved in the local community. Rocket took the opportunity to sponsor a new 5-a-side football team, The Brighton and Hove Rockets. Alan Saunders, The Rocket Marketing Group’s Operations and Business Development Director is a key squad member.

Alan said: “It’s been a great year for The Rocket Marketing Group; I just hope some of this rubs off on The Brighton and Hove Rockets!”

The team play in the Pitch Invasion league and after local success they decided to take their skill on to the international stage for a one-off competition in Europe. The Brighton and Hove Rockets travelled to Poland to compete in The Krakow Trophy. An exciting competition saw The Brighton and Hove Rockets conquer Europe and win silver medals. A commendable effort, but we’re sure the boys will be blasting off next year to go one better and take the Trophy home.

Pictured from left to right (back row) Alan Saunders, Mathew Pell, Fabio Maritano, (front row) Joe Di Fede, Gary Cox, Adam Slingsby.

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.

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.