{"id":15805,"date":"2023-01-03T11:43:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T11:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15805"},"modified":"2023-01-03T11:57:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T11:57:33","slug":"vccp-media-strengthens-with-a-collection-of-new-talent","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/jan\/vccp-media-strengthens-with-a-collection-of-new-talent","title":{"rendered":"VCCP Media strengthens with a collection of new talent"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lazyblock-text-full-width-2eKhYx wp-block-lazyblock-text-full-width\"><section class=\"fullwidth text-center\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    \n    \n    <p style=\"text-align: left\">Following VCCP Media\u2019s succession of new business wins, the award-winning agency, welcomes three significant new hires to its talent pool; Carl Hillery as the new head of investment, Neil McMonagle as head of digital and Annabelle Rogers as head of paid social and display.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The new hires will help build and strengthen VCCP Media\u2019s investment strategy and digital solutions. Tasked with driving VCCP Media\u2019s planning and buying operation, they will help attract brands which share VCCP\u2019s challenger attitude. In their new roles, Carl, Neil and Annabelle will report to the agency\u2019s joint CEO\u2019s Tara Marus and Pete Bennett.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">As VCCP Media\u2019s new head of investment, Carl will lead the agency\u2019s investment strategy across all paid media channels and will have a specific focus on broadcast, in a bid to drive market-leading value for both the agency and clients which include Abbott, GoDaddy, NewDay and Saga.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">As Carl leads on investment strategy, Neil and Annabelle will begin to enhance the agency\u2019s digital and data capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Carl joins VCCP Media with over two decades of media experience at GroupM, Omnicom Media Group and Publicis, and has a wealth of domestic and global experience having worked across three different continents to lead the investment and trading teams at OMG and GroupM Singapore and Starcom Mediavest in Australia. Carl\u2019s experience extends across sectors including, finance, telecommunications, retail, technology and media.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Carl Hillery, Head of Investment at VCCP Media<\/strong> said: \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get started and I\u2019m really looking forward to working with both our amazing investment team and brilliant partners. As the media agency for challenger brands, I\u2019m committed to creating innovative and future-facing investment strategies for all of our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Annabelle joins VCCP Media as the new head of social and display and has over six years experience in paid social, working with clients such as Warner Brothers, Danone, Michael Kors and Superdrug leading their global paid social activations. Annabelle is a paid social strategy and delivery specialist, with experience leading activation teams for key global brands across a variety of platforms, including Meta, Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter. Most recently, Annabelle was head of delivery at Nest Commerce where she led bold paid social and creative strategies for a host of eCommerce brands. Annabelle prides herself in her ability to build high-performing digital media teams that deliver real results across social channels.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Annabelle Rogers, Head of Paid Social and Display<\/strong> <strong>at VCCP Media<\/strong> added: \u201cFrom my first interaction with the team at VCCP Media I knew this was a team I wanted to be a part of. The combination of ambition and energy with a welcoming working environment was too good an opportunity to pass up on. The team is already delivering some exceptional work with clients, and recent new business wins promise even more opportunity to further flex our already very talented team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">As head of digital, Neil brings with him almost two decades of digital experience working both agency side and with technology companies. With a strong foundation in data-driven marketing, Neil has worked with some of the world&#8217;s biggest advertisers across a variety of sectors including O2, ComparetheMarket.com, Tesco and Burger King in the UK and international roles. Most recently, Neil held the position of director of business development at Skyrise Intelligence and prides himself on his ability to \u2018simplify the complex\u2019 ensuring everyone is able to get the best out of the growing opportunities with the digital landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Neil McMonagle, Head of Digital at VCCP Media<\/strong> said: \u201cI\u2019m really excited by VCCP Media\u2019s strategy for growth, and it\u2019s clear that digital is at the core of everything they do. The future here is smart, and VCCP Media is home to a dynamic and data driven culture. I look forward to being a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Tara Marus, Joint CEO at VCCP Media<\/strong>, added: \u201cVCCP Media continues to go from strength to strength and we\u2019re incredibly proud of our recent new business wins. Carl, Neil and Annabelle are leading practitioners in their field and they signal the continued emphasis we are making as a business to win clients who share our challenger values.&#8221;<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":61,"template":"","categories":[191],"class_list":["post-15805","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-agency-news"],"acf":{"author":false,"capability_ids":["10112"],"client_id":"","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":15810,"id":15810,"title":"Untitled design (17)","filename":"Untitled-design-17.png","filesize":3683221,"url":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17.png","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/jan\/vccp-media-strengthens-with-a-collection-of-new-talent\/attachment\/untitled-design-17","alt":"","author":"61","description":"","caption":"","name":"untitled-design-17","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":15805,"date":"2023-01-03 11:53:08","modified":"2023-01-03 11:53:08","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-300x169.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-768x432.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":360,"large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1024x576.png","large-width":640,"large-height":360,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1536x864.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17.png","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1080,"Header":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1920x720.png","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1920x960.png","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":960,"Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-768x768.png","Square-width":768,"Square-height":768,"Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-307x615.png","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-768x960.png","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":960,"Facebook":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1200x630.png","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-768x768.png","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":768,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-768x384.png","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-307x615.png","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"VCCP Media goes from strength to strength with a collection of new talent","meta-description":"Following a series of new business wins, VCCP Media bolsters its investment and digital capabilities with three new senior hires","social-media-image":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-design-17-1.png","news_id":"191","related_content_title":"You may also like","relateditems":[{"relateditem":{"ID":15683,"post_author":"61","post_date":"2022-12-05 15:35:18","post_date_gmt":"2022-12-05 15:35:18","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eVCCP London, \\u003c\/strong\\u003ethe challenger agency for challenger brands, today welcomes \\u003cstrong\\u003eRichard Nott\\u003c\/strong\\u003e as a new Creative Director.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eNott joins VCCP with a wealth of industry experience. His most recent role as Creative Director at Engine involved leading the creative campaign for Eurostar as well as spearheading the creative rebrand of Churchill Insurance, helping them find their \u2018Chill\u2019 to reinvigorate the brand.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMost notably, however, in a pledge to raise awareness and caution around knife violence and gang crime, Nott led the creative for the award-winning Kiyan Prince Foundation \u2018Long Live the Prince\u2019 campaign which inspired the nation to seize life\u2019s boundless opportunity. Approaching what would have been the peak of the player\u2019s football career, the campaign recreated Kiyan as a character in the all-time fan favourite FIFA game. The campaign claimed a multitude of global awards including the Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes, a collection of Yellow and Black Pencils at D\\u0026amp;AD, The One Show and British Arrows, Creative Circle's Gold of Golds, seven Campaign BIG Awards and the DMA Awards Grand Prix.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eAt VCCP, Nott will work across the global Mondelez and Virgin Media O2 accounts and will report into VCCP London Executive Creative Directors, Jonny Parker and Chris Birch.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eJonny Parker and Chris Birch, Executive Creative Directors at VCCP London \\u003c\/strong\\u003eadded: \u2018Richard Nott. Big time global award winner. Lovely human (that\u2019s important). Long Live the Prince is one of our favourite ideas of the last few years. We\u2019re absolutely chuffed to have such a brilliant, accomplished and hugely ambitious creative talent join our gang.\u2019\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eRichard Nott, Creative Director at VCCP London \\u003c\/strong\\u003esaid: 'I couldn't be more thrilled to be joining VCCP.\u00a0 From my very first conversations with Chris and Jonny, and with Darren, it felt like the perfect fit. Ambitious creatives, ambitious clients - who wouldn't want to be a part of that?'\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eRichard Nott joins VCCP London with immediate effect.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"Z2ffEBP\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-Z2ffEBP\"} \/-->","post_title":"Kiyan Prince creative director joins VCCP","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"kiyan-prince-creative-director-joins-vccp","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-17 17:02:05","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-17 17:02:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15683","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":15787,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2022-12-19 18:49:46","post_date_gmt":"2022-12-19 18:49:46","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eGoogle\u2019s latest outdoor move only proves that specialists are needed now more than ever Conor McKenzie-Wilde, performance strategist at VCCP Media tells \\u003cem\\u003eMediatel\\u003c\/em\\u003e.\u00a0\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIn 2018 a colleague told me that Google Ads specialists wouldn\u2019t be needed in the future, because Google would utilise automation so successfully they\u2019d become D2C, allowing anyone to easily serve ads across all of Google\u2019s inventory in sophisticated ways, with great performance benefits.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eI scoffed. But here comes Performance Max (PMAX). A new goal-based Google Ads campaign type which promises to do exactly what my colleague predicted. And not only in Google\u2019s traditional home turf of \u2018online\u2019 but now including the \u2018surface\u2019 of digital out of home.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003ePMAX allows marketers to serve ads across all of Google\u2019s inventory, dynamically optimised towards performance goals by AI. PMAX\u2019s machine learning algorithm has 100% visibility of all Google auctions. It therefore boasts true full-funnel awareness; the data is ingested, analysed, and fed into bid optimisations, in real time.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMoreover, PMAX is simplicity itself to use. It can be activated in a\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/the-media-leader.com\/google-adds-outdoor-to-display-video-360\/\\u0022 target=\\u0022_blank\\u0022 rel=\\u0022noopener\\u0022\\u003esingle ad campaign with a standard campaign execution process\\u003c\/a\\u003e. #Simples.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eSo, is PMAX a sign of a Google D2C mission? Are agency revenues therefore at risk and are specialists still needed to generate effective bottom line performance for brands on Google Ads? What does PMAX mean for agencies and their clients?\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eFirst impressions\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWhen PMAX launched in the UK at the start of 2022, understandable concerns were quickly\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/easyautotagging.com\/google-ads-performance-max\/\\u0022\\u003eshared\\u003c\/a\\u003e: Lack of actionable outputs, black box, no real optimisation levers, abundance of \u2018recommended\u2019 settings (*sigh).\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eBut as early as Q2, a string of new features were\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-performance-max-campaigns-updates-385351\\u0022\\u003eannounced\\u003c\/a\\u003e: increasing transparency (Consumer Insights), actionable output (Asset Insights) and targeting levers (New Customer Acquisition Goal). Updates that worked hard to address all those early practitioner concerns.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eFor the advertiser, PMAX campaigns have a lot of good things baked in.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cul\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003ePMAX campaigns are designed to complement Google Search activity so cannibalisation isn\u2019t a worry with an omni-channel approach.\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe latest\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/google-analytics-4-now-reports-on-performance-max-smart-shopping\/459136\/#close\\u0022\\u003eGA4 updates\\u003c\/a\\u003e\u00a0segment PMAX traffic in a very transparent and actionable way.\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe use of search and all other Google auction data will improve the performance of PMAX ads vs. those without that insight.\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003cli style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eGoogle now serves a huge volume of content across YouTube, Maps, Gmail, and Discover, and now even digital outdoor, and PMAX opens easy access to this inventory. It also removes the pain that is \u201caggregated event measurement\u201d and it\u2019s easy to see how PMAX might encourage many clients to pivot Meta budgets toward Google.\\u003c\/li\\u003e\\n\\u003c\/ul\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eConsider all this alongside the sheer scale of available inventory, the high level of targeting granularity, the dynamic creative optimisation, and there being no reliance on first party data inputs. It\u2019s fair to say PMAX campaigns are a game changer for many advertisers. And there\u2019s even\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-performance-max-campaigns-updates-385351\\u0022\\u003emore\\u003c\/a\\u003e\u00a0to come in 2022!\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003e\u2018Just ask Google\u2019\\u003c\/em\\u003e\u00a0has never felt more real \u2026 (sorry I couldn\u2019t help myself).\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eOK Google, do we still need humans?\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThere\u2019s a lot I love about PMAX; but not everything. It\u2019s a great way to get a campaign off to a good start. But you still need humans, with domain knowledge, if you really want a campaign to sing.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eFor example, just weeks after PMAX campaigns replaced Smart Shopping ads, the team over at\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/www.thedrum.com\/profile\/honcho\/news\/google-ads-tips-how-to-improve-efficiency-on-performance-max-by-driving-shopping-only-traffic\\u0022\\u003eHoncho\\u003c\/a\\u003e\u00a0overrode a whole section of Google recommended campaign settings (asset creation) and increased performance by 30%!\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eAnd we are finding this too at VCCP Media. We are using tailored campaign setups that challenge Google recommended settings and drastically outperforming standard PMAX campaign setups.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eHow? The explanation lies, of course, in the gold dust that is human experience and domain knowledge.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eA recent\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/consumer-insights\/consumer-trends\/marketing-funnel\/\\u0022\\u003eThink With Google\\u003c\/a\\u003e\u00a0study showed some conversion journeys can have over 500 individual touchpoints. Whilst the scale of those data points emphasises the need for AI, machine learning, and automation, there\u2019s still real value to be had in understanding some of the human nuances of what these data points mean.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003ePMAX is great. A triumph of automation and a boon for advertisers without access to specialist teams. A PMAX campaign will get you to a decent starting point. But you still need human, expert, intervention to know which settings to override, and when. Those that are testing PMAX and generating learnings about what works, what doesn\u2019t, and how and when to intervene in PMAX campaign optimisation will be ahead of the pack through 2022 and beyond.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eWhat does PMAX mean for specialists and agencies?\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eGoogle\u2019s endeavours to make their product more accessible may be part of a D2C mission and as PMAX spreads into out of home, and no doubt other surfaces to come, it will look increasingly attractive as a one stop shop.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eBut specialists are, in fact, needed more now than ever to bring their domain knowledge to PMAX to really drive campaign optimisations. Especially as you add in the complexities of an online\/offline divide in media. And I can\u2019t see that changing any time soon.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"1iaryF\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-1iaryF\"} \/-->","post_title":"As Google rolls out DOOH, is the end nigh for agencies?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"as-google-rolls-out-dooh-is-the-end-nigh-for-agencies%ef%bf%bc","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-12-20 10:46:00","post_modified_gmt":"2022-12-20 10:46:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15787","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":15785,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2022-12-19 18:39:15","post_date_gmt":"2022-12-19 18:39:15","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eOriginally published in \\u003cem\\u003eCreative Salon.\u00a0\\u003c\/em\\u003eWritten by \\u003cstrong\\u003eOlivia Atkins\\u003c\/strong\\u003e.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMcDonald's recently launched its new\u00a0\\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/creative.salon\/articles\/work\/leo-burnett-mcdonalds-more-rewarding-mcdonald-s-moments\\u0022\\u003eloyalty programme, MyMcDonald's Rewards\\u003c\/a\\u003e\u00a0as a way of rewarding consumers with points to spend in-store. As the cost of living increases, it seems that loyalty schemes may be on the rise as a way of getting customers to continue spending despite falling on hard times.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIs this a marketing ploy aimed at easing economic hardship or a tactical method to regain brand loyalty and continue brand spend? And how successful can a brand loyalty scheme actually be; what are the best ways to measure its performance?\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWe spoke to a number of industry insiders to hear their thoughts on the rise of loyalty schemes.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eDaisy Ross, associate director, MediaCom\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eLoyalty schemes can certainly help people stand out from the crowd during difficult economic times, however, never underestimate how smart and savvy consumers are. Brands that will succeed are those that are consumer-led, and whose marketers are asking: how do people really want to save? Asking people to spend above their means to get a free carrier bag won\u2019t fly. People want low effort, high reward, and choice.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThat\u2019s why the Tesco Clubcard is so successful \u2013 it puts the power back into consumers\u2019 hands, allowing them to determine what will benefit them most. They can do this by collecting points for a range of worthwhile rewards, from money off at the till to collecting points to treat their family to a day out.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMeasurement and ongoing conversation with customers are key to evolving long-term schemes. Are people engaging with, and redeeming the benefits you\u2019re offering? Looking at this data will help guide whether your loyalty scheme is actually adding value to your customers\u2019 lives.\u201d\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eJohn Blight, senior strategist, New Commercial Arts\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIf anyone is viewing loyalty schemes as a way of easing economic hardship they are delusional.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eBut what loyalty schemes may do is brighten someone\u2019s day a little bit when they can claim that reward. Perhaps that\u2019s where we should focus our attention.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eI think the best weapon right now for all marketers is empathy. An acknowledgement that for the reported six in ten households who have had to dip into their savings or use a credit card for essential shopping, things are tough and are probably going to get tougher.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMaybe with an understanding of what a lot of us are going through and will go through, marketers can communicate or market what their product may bring in the current climate.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe once everyday meal deal may now be the weekly indulgence.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe new pair of jeans may be the trousers that have to work that bit harder over the next few months (okay years).\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eA Happy Meal may actually live up to its name. Yes, a loyalty scheme may sometimes get you to choose McDonalds over a Burger King or whatever is discounted on Just Eat, but it can't get someone to choose McDonalds over a food bank.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eOliver Waterstone, strategy lead, The\\u0026amp;Partnership\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIn 2013, Waitrose started giving free coffee with every shop to its MyWaitrose card holders. By Christmas that year it was the second largest provider of coffee in the UK behind McDonalds. The queues were infamous. Covid finally did away with the scheme.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThis is when loyalty schemes work. I do my shop, and Waitrose gives me a free coffee. It\u2019s a tangible, predictable reward.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eContrast that with Pret, who allow their staff to randomly give one free coffee a day to someone who makes them smile. Random rewards are addictive. You\u2019ll know this if you\u2019ve ever played Fortnite, or opened a mystery box in Fifa.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eMcDonald\u2019s knows that combining predictability and randomness is the key to a successful loyalty scheme. Their new points-based scheme offers tangible, predictable money-off rewards. And their promotions, like the unbelievably successful Monopoly promotion, offer unpredictability.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIs it going to help consumers manage the cost-of-living crisis? No. They\u2019ve got low prices for that. Will it make them love the brand a bit more during incredibly difficult times? Most definitely.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eSince dropping the free coffee scheme, Waitrose has lost market share.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThey\u2019re planning on bringing it back.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eCharlene Charity, head of strategy, Digitas\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eGiven the predicted hardship, although many brands are hoping loyalty schemes will secure a share of shrinking wallets, this will only be the case if brands:\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eKnow their customers: Understand the impact of cost of living on their audiences and what levers they need to pull to keep them coming back. For Tesco and McDonald's, the significantly reduced 'Club Card' price and the McDonald's points equals 'free food' value exchanges are relevant and attractive to their customer base. Similar approaches wouldn't be as successful for higher-end and luxury brand consumers, who react better to personalised and exclusive experiences.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eKnow what they stand for: Brands need to be clear on where they sit in a time of hardship. At Digitas, we use frameworks to ensure that brands are perceived in the right way, as well as understanding how different consumers will react to your brand in difficult times and what you need to do in return.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eSo, as with all things in life, it depends how much you know and what you do with that knowledge.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eBrad Gilbert, senior communications strategist, VCCP Media\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eDuring recessions, brands may struggle to maintain loyalty as consumers downgrade or abandon categories. However, one brand\u2019s loyalty loss can be another\u2019s gain e.g. a champagne brand\u2019s loyalty loss can be a prosecco brand\u2019s gain. A loyalty scheme may limit that but cannot overcome harsh economic realities alone.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eA recent example of loyalty success in hard times is Tesco\u2019s Clubcard efforts that helped push their market share to a four-year high. Recent changes made it a win-win-win proposition for customers (prices), Tesco (data and sales) and suppliers (targeted advertising via Tesco).\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eHowever, Tesco\u2019s market share remains below its 30% share a decade ago. Conversely, discounters Aldi and Lidl have quadrupled their combined market share to around 16% in the same period using a penetration strategy e.g. more stores, broadcast reach etc.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWe know across categories and markets the \u2018Law of Double Jeopardy\u2019 persists i.e. brands with less market share have fewer customers that are less loyal. Related to that we know in general, brand growth strategies should emphasise penetration (e.g. Lidl \\u0026amp; Aldi) over loyalty.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eSo, loyalty schemes are often necessary weapons in a marketer\u2019s arsenal but are unlikely to be the best one even in harsh economic environments.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"1KSfEO\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-1KSfEO\"} \/-->","post_title":"Are Loyalty Schemes A Marketer\u2019s Best Weapon Given Consumers\u2019 Rising Costs?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"are-loyalty-schemes-a-marketers-best-weapon-given-consumers-rising-costs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-12-19 18:39:15","post_modified_gmt":"2022-12-19 18:39:15","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15785","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"hide_related_items":[],"visible_on_home_page":["1"],"websites_to_publish":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/15805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}