Partnership Marketing » 2011

Turkish Dismay!

the face of Turkish Airlines...or one of them anyway....

Whoever runs marketing for Turkish Airlines needs to read a book about focused marketing. Either that or they need to see a doctor as they are clearly schizophrenic.

Turkish Airlines (TA) is current aligning themselves with the new Cars 2 movie, currently being slated by people around the world for being even worse than the original. Quite why TA thinks a film about cars is a great brand partner escapes me, especially when they don’t travel to many of the places in Europe from America that the Cars 2 cars travel to in the film. I imagine that they were dazzled by the Disney Pixar brand and agreed to create a partnership with them without much strategic thought as to why.

Before aligning with Cars 2 they also used Kevin Costner as their brand ambassador – just more bizarre than words can describe! Where are the brand value synergies, why when most of your customers are in Europe would you use Hollywood star that has lost a lot of his credibility and star rating to be the face of your brand?

It does get worse though! You may have seen one of the cheesiest adverts of all time featuring the ubiquitous Manchester United team ( who sell their sponsorship rights to anyone with money regardless of brand fit) travelling in a TA plane. They are the official airline of Manchester United as they are of Barcelona. They have also taken a weird turn towards Basketball sponsoring teams in Greece, Spain and Turkey as well as Koybe Bryant….because there is such great synergy between Basketball in Greece and an Airline trying to fight with the big boys……!

Sport is obviously their thing as are currently using the women’s number one tennis player Caroline Wozniacki as the face of their Business and Comfort Class. Why not a Basketball player? Why not the lovely Wayne Rooney? Why no the lead car out of Cars 2?!

PARTNERSHIP MARKETING CREATES FINANCIAL TIMES & SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD BRAND PARTNERSHIP

Partnership Marketing, Asia’s leading partnership marketing agency, has successfully created a synergistic partnership for The Financial Times (FT) with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) in the Asia Pacific.

SLH will be marketing an exclusive FT free trial offer to their members in Singapore and Hong Kong. SLH are also offering a prize draw to win 3 nights at any SLH Hotel worldwide for new FT subscribers. Subscribers also get the complimentary upgrade, complimentary breakfast for 2 and late check out.

At the same time FT will place a co-branded colour ad in the FT weekend for any reader to “subscribe and win” – if they subscribe they will also get the chance to win 3 nights at any SLH Hotel worldwide. Subscribers also get the complimentary upgrade, complimentary breakfast for 2 and late check out.

The brand partnership will start in July 2011.

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About The Financial Times:

The Financial Times (FT) is one of the world’s leading business news and information organisations, recognised internationally for its authority , integrity and accuracy.

Partnership Marketing creates Cellarmasters partnership with AdventurousWomen.com

Partnership Marketing (PM), Asia’s leading partnership marketing agency, has created a brand partnership for Cellarmasters with AdventurousWomen.com

Cellarmasters, Australia’s leading wine company, will offer customers of AdventurousWomen.com, Australia’s fastest growing Travel, Adventure & Lifestyle Community, a series of great offers.

Adventurous Women will promote this partnership in their communication channels.

Partnership Marketing creates Hewlett Packard partnership with IndiaPlaza

Partnership Marketing (PM), Asia’s leading partnership marketing agency, has created a brand partnership for Hewlett Packard (HP) Asia with IndiaPlan online retailers in India, selling books, music, videos, CDs, electronics, cameras, mobilephones and more.

The partnership will run in India for HP ink cartridges to reward customers with a 10% discount when they purchase a HP Ink Cartridge.

HP will promote this partnership in their communication channels and at activation point when someone uses their cartridge.

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About HP:

The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world.

Partnership Marketing creates Hewlett Packard partnership with Café Coffee Day

Partnership Marketing (PM), Asia’s leading partnership marketing agency, has created a brand partnership for Hewlett Packard (HP) Asia with Café Cofee Day.

Café Coffee Day are India’s favourite coffee retailer with over 1,000 outlets in India.

The partnership will run in India for HP ink cartridges to reward customers with a free drink at Café Coffee Day discount when they purchase a HP Ink Cartridge.

HP will promote this partnership in their communication channels and at activation point when someone uses their cartridge.

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About HP:

Bausch&Lomb partners with Origins

Client

Bausch + Lomb (B+L) is an eye health company dedicated to Bringing Visionary Ideas to Eye Health. It provides the most comprehensive portfolio of eye health products and is one of the oldest, best known and most respected healthcare brands in the world. Headquartered in USA, B+L has offices worldwide.

Brief

To recruit and manage a partner who ideally belongs to a category such as wellness, health and natural products
To reward customers who purchase Biotrue multi-purpose solution or PureVision 2 HD contact lenses with a FREE Skin Brightening Mini-Facial from Origins
To create 1 to 2 months partnership or a partnership on whilst redemption vouchers last basis

Objectives

Create awareness of the new Biotrue lense care product
Reward customers who purchase PureVision or Biotrue
Create a partnership that connects with the target audience
Encourage switching of brands by consumers
Create a point of difference to competitors

Solution

Partnership Program to run across all Origins outlets in Singapore & Malaysia for 1 month in August 2011
Communication: B+L to hand deliver Biotrue solution samples & DM for free facial redemption to their customer base of around 500 in each country

Partner

Origins debuted in the U.S. in 1990 and has now presence in 22 countries around the world. It is one of the original brands of The Estee Lauder Companies. Origin’s mission is to create high-performance natural skincare that is powered by nature and proven by science. They use potent plants, organic ingredients and 100% natural essential oils.

Redemption Voucher

Results

This program is just launched at time of publishing.
Final response of redemption rate will be shared at later stage.

Adidas are still getting crosses rather than ticks

all adidas, all katy, all the same...i'd rather buy Nike

Adidas are always trying to play catch up. Never quite as cool or credible as Nike, always the official sponsor rather than the guerrilla brand. Their adverts around major tournaments are always more serious and lacking in imagination compared to Nike’s event work which is always remembered more, makes people smile more and all despite never being an official sponsor to events like the World Cup.

So while Nike teamed up with the most desired brand in the world, Apple, with their ipod and Nike+ for running many years ago, adidas have only recently teamed up with Sennheiser to create dual branded running headphones. In keeping with the brand communications of both brands Nike’s marketing of their Nike+ is fun and cool and the creative looks integrated. Meanwhile the adidas Sennheiser partnership looks like two brands who are playing catch up and have come together as if they like a nervous German and straight laced American on a first awkward date. The creative and packaging reflects that lack of cohesion.

the packaging conveys single brands not a true partnership

Having the world’s best footballer in Lionel Messi is something of a coup but to have the world’s most overrated and over exposed footballer David Beckham is something of a faux pas. Their current partnership involves splashing Katy Perry over all their shop fronts and running adverts that must only appeal to teenage girls.

For a singer who really only became famous for singing “I kissed a girl” where everyone remembers the video rather than the song and being Russel Brand’s wife she has created a magical marketing machine to sell her music to gullible mass market Americans and British but credibility is a long way away and a complete lack of any sporting connection let this partnership down.

Adidas have a history of being involved in r n’ b, rap and dance but not mainstream bubble gum pop. The mass marketing tactic of using Perry as their brand endorser may well attract teenage girls but lose everyone else.

Quickflix partners with SurfStitch

Brand

Quickflix Ltd is Australia’s leading online movie rental site. Having recently acquired Telstra Big Pond Movie’s DVD rental service, they now own the largest and widest selection of TV shows and Movies in Australia, with almost 50,000 titles.

Brief

To create brand partnerships to create big brand partnerships for Quickflix.com and to help them achieve the following key objectives:

Create holistic marketing partnerships with synergistic brands
Gain free media in the brand partners customer communication channels
Drive free trial sign ups
Create positive word of mouth
Brand endorsement from the promotional brand partners

Solution

Free movies with fashion purchase: Provide 1 month of unlimited DVD rentals from Quickflix to SurfStitch customers.
Communication channels:

Direct Mail – Co-branded Gift Cards (1 month of unlimited DVD rentals) and card carriers were distributed from August to October 2011 inside SurfStitch delivery packages throughout Australia. In return, Quickflix promoted the SurfStitch offer ($10 off $100 order) at the back of all DVD envelopes that were sent to Quickflix members from August to October 2011.
Website – banner inclusion on both brands’ websites
E-newsletter inclusions – 2x banner inclusion in both brands’ e-newsletters
Social media (Facebook and Twitter) – promoting the offers on both brands’ social media channels

Partner

SurfStitch is Australia and New Zealand’s No.1 surf and fashion retailer. With over 600,000 unique visitors every month, SurfStitch caters to each of them by providing over 170 brands and 15,000 products.

Website: www.surfstitch.com

SurfStitch Card Carrier and Gift Card

SurfStich Website

SurfStitch E-newsletter

SurfStitch Facebook Page

SurfStich Twitter Page

Quickflix DVD envelope

Quickflix Landing Page

Quickflix E-newsletters

Quickflix Facebook Page

Quickflix Twitter Page

Objectives Achieved

Synergistic brands – the desired brand association was achieved, since both brands are perceived as young, active and entertaining and are targeting the same audience.
Free media – both brands received reciprocal media from each other.
Positive word of mouth – both offers was a value add to brands’ customers and received a positive reaction. Both companies promoted the offers through their Social Media platforms, where customers recommended and shared the offer.
Brand endorsement from the promotional brand partners – all agreed communication channels were implemented and worked for both parties thus resulting in new customer acquisition and brand endorsement.

AsiaRooms partners with StarHub- August 2011

Client

AsiaRooms.com is Asia’s leading online accommodation website. Being part of the TUI Travel PLC Group of companies, AsiaRooms.com is an established and trusted brand since 1994. AsiaRooms.com receives close to 1.6 million visitors monthly and offers up to 44,000 hotels globally. It caters to both business and leisure travellers and has options for all kinds of trips: city, beach, mountain, shopping, family holidays and more.

Brief

To increase awareness of AsiaRooms and bookings of hotels across all key source markets through synergistic partnerships which aim to:

Increase number of unique visitors
Increase repeat visits
Build a marketable database of leisure and business travellers
Maximize conversions by increasing bookings & rooms nights per booking

Solution

Starhub to feature strong offers from AsiaRooms on their BlackBerry application, BASH. BASH members just need to click the ‘REDEEM’ button to find out more about the offers.
This application is aimed at creating a community among affluent PMEBs who use BlackBerry.
These are the offers:

Furama Bukit Bintang, KL Malaysia: Free breakfast & WiFi
Orchard Hotel, Singapore: Weekend Indulgence Package
Mercure Bali Harvestland, Indonesia: Discounted room price
Emporium Suites, Bangkok Thailand: Discounted room price
Andakira Hotel, Phuket Thailand: Discounted room price & free WiFi

Partner

StarHub Limited is a Telecommunications company based in Singapore and is one of the biggest Telco players. Starhub has a total of 2.1 million mobile customer base as of 2010. It provides Mobile Services, Cable Television, Internet Services and Fixed network services.

Facebook

Offers

Results

This program is just launched at time of publishing.
Final response of redemption rate will be shared at later stage.

Smurfing hell, the Smurfs are back!

The Smurfs are back, the Smurfs are back!

Actually they never seem to go away! Just when you think they’re dead and everyone has reached their senses they are back with their stupid blue and white skin and squeaky voices that use the word Smurf where other people use nouns and verbs (great for kids that one….). This time they’re back bigger than ever! There’s a trilogy of films being released, the first of which launches in September here in Asia.

This on top of a TV series, comics, books, a theme park (surely you would go mad at a Smurfs theme park?!), video games, a Smurfs Village that you can actually visit (yes really…), Smurfs on Ice (no really, please, stop, I can’t take anymore!). There’s probably an app not too far away……

They apparently have their own economy too in their own little Smurf village, I wonder if they have problems with rebel Smurfs rioting and Smurf bankers trying to bring the economies of the world down? Do you think they are red and white or black and white Smurfs to demonstrate the difference between good and evil?!

Bizarrely brand partners are lining up to be involved in them. Why? Surely they were biggest in the 80’s and therefore of no relevance to today’s generation except those sad 40+ who think the 80’s were the best decade in the world (I count myself in this…can’t get enough Wall Street and Duran Duran!).

Unicef teamed up with them. McDonalds and Kellogg’s have teamed up with them for the new films and there seems to be an enormous on line community desperately seeking out Smurf figures that can be gained by eating McDonalds and Corn Flakes! These people should really be locked up and made to watch the 80’series continuousely until they beg for forgiveness and voluntarily burn all their figures.

There is controversy though…there have been accusations that the Smurfs are actually packed with racial propaganda and are “the embodiment of a totalitarian utopia, steeped in Stalinism and Nazism”, or that the Smurfs are a metaphor for socialism and that the Smurf village represents a “Marxist Utopia. Sounds a bit like the Republican Tea Party to me…do you think there’s a connection between these new films and the US Presidential race in 2012….?!

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