Simon Akers (FCIM CMktr, FRSA)

Pret's subscription model wasn't about loyalty, it was about customer acquisition 🫴 I keep seeing Pret's £30 a month subscription referred to as a loyalty scheme; including in their own financial reports. Now, with their latest move to change it up there's a sense that this was a failed loyalty scheme. But if I flip it on its head, I see it as one giant sampling campaign, partly invested in by the UK population! If you want to get people to pay money for something that they're not quite sure on the quality, value, taste, then one of the ways to get it into their hands is to offer it to them for free or at a low price. And if you want them to continue enjoying your product regularly, you can aim to create a habit around your product. You could do this by giving away lots of your product around the same time every day to embed this ritual into your customers' lives. Brands are leaky buckets, and following the pandemic Pret had a mostly empty bucket! To grow, brands need to aim for light buyers, and continuously bring more people in to your brand than your competitors. I see Pret as looking to get a competitive advantage over other coffee shops by getting competitors' customers to make the switch to Pret, thus stealing market share. When they make the switch to their cheaper subscription but with less 'payback', I imagine there's an assumption that all these 'loyal' customers are so invested in Pret that they'll continue to visit and buy. Yet coffee is a commodity. People will generally go to the coffee shop closest to them in their moment of need! Unless Pret has coffee filled with magic, there's very little reason to choose one coffee chain over another. But, I'm optimistic. I imagine Pret will keep plenty of customers, many of whom were not Pret customers before, because of a successful initiative in driving trial. And if I'd like one thing to come out of this, I'd love to see the next financial report refer to this subscription as a customer acquisition strategy, not a loyalty one 😉

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Rediscovering Profit: The Marketing Mistake Everyone Makes From my talk with Seb Mackay on Brand, in a world obsessed with volume, marketers often neglect the core principle of profit. Join us as we explore the UK marketing landscape and discuss why being a true profit center is crucial for brands' success. Let’s shift the focus back to what truly matters! #Marketing #Brand #BusinessGrowth

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The latest IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) Bellwether report reveals a freeze in marketing budgets❄️   Dom Boyd highlights in Campaign UK's recent article the risks that brands have in holding fire on marketing spend, including how they could lose real ground with consumers and end up protecting short-term cash at the expense of long-term profits.   The brands that will be strongest out of the blocks when the economy picks up again will be those that have really targeted their investments.   Discover more from the report here👉 https://lnkd.in/e8SmE53h Suzannah Rowland Helen Pearson Ben Bold   #InsightsPR #MarketingEffectiveness #Marketing

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Preparing to rename your B2B brand to drive enduring value creation? Hear from our UK-based naming expert James McCarthy on the five factors to consider as you get started. Developing a compelling B2B brand name is one exhaustive (but exciting) process. Thinking about the five factors can help you set internal expectations for the journey—and ensure your new name speaks to the best of who you’re becoming. Read about renaming your B2B brand successfully here: https://lnkd.in/ew7qW3aA #B2B #B2Bbranding #B2Bbrandnames

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A technology platform and its ability to mould and flex around your ecosystem is vital but the people and team around it is what really makes the solution deliver truly great outcomes! At XCM we really get into the hearts and minds of our clients people and their customers to help them be the best they can be!! 🚀👍❤️ #horizoncdp #datascience #heartsandminds 👊

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SEO insight: Over 50% of keywords used are four words or longer. Tailoring to long-tail searches can be your gateway to better visibility and conversions. #UKBusiness #LongTailStrategy www.ruddledigital.co.uk

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B2B media leaders: Build brands audiences can't ignore Our recent webinar focussed on how B2B editors can create market-leading brands. Business Information Practice Lead Andy Baker spoke to Editors of The Lawyer , Catrin Griffiths and the Health Service Journal, Alastair McLellan on how they have built market-leading brands. Find some of the key takeaways below 🔍 Know your audience: Craft content that resonates with each segment, not a generic mass. 🔍 Fuel subscriptions with innovation: Fresh ideas from your editors keep subscribers engaged. 🔍 Move incrementally: Gradually expand your offerings for a smooth transition. 🔍 Go digital-first (Plan Carefully): Ditch print for a streamlined, modern approach. 🔍 Empower your editors: Attract top talent with strong leadership & autonomy. Watch the full webinar in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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How is AI impacting the world of digital marketing? Our Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Carly Collacott, has written a brilliant article for the CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing about how AI–powered algorithms are changing the way we approach PPC campaigns. Read it in full below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ee3wNkXb #DigitalMarketing #PPC #AI

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Ignoring key metrics destroys your campaign's success 📉. Without tracking and analysing metrics like response rate and ROI, your direct mail efforts may fall short. At Mailings Direct, we transform complex data into targeted campaigns, ensuring you reach the right audience effectively. 🌿 Our commitment to sustainability and personal service makes us your ideal partner. Start your journey today! Comment or share if you agree. #DirectMail #MarketingSuccess

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Diverse Platforms for Varied Audiences Non-Negotiable Platforms: Your Business's Digital Cornerstones www.adlinx.co.uk Facebook : With its vast user base, Facebook remains a cornerstone of social media marketing. We create engaging content, targeted ads, and facilitate community building to connect your brand with a broad audience. Twitter: Short and snappy, Twitter is perfect for real time engagement. AdLinx can help you craft compelling tweets, run ad campaigns, and enhance customer interactions. Instagram: Visual storytelling thrives on Instagram. We’ll design stunning visual content and leverage Instagram’s shopping features for businesses with products to showcase. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the professional network. AdLinx can enhance your brand’s presence by optimising your company page, publishing insightful content, and connecting with industry peers. www.adlinx.co.uk #socials #socialmedia #adlinx #howcanwehelp #smallbusinesses #development #facebook #twitter #insta #instagram #linkdin

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I got a lot of positive feedback and interest on the subject of July's Ideal Marketing Minute: Nudge Theory...So I'm doing a webinar using the same talk I delivered for #FSBtalks in Southampton! It's only 20 minutes long, with 10 minutes for Q&A for those who want to stay, find out more on the event page and go ahead and register for your free space using the link below. Here's the details in summary - "The Nudge Effect Webinar: Psychological Strategies for Effective Marketing" is on Tuesday, Aug 20, at 10:00 AM - an online event where we will delve into the fascinating world of marketing psychology. https://bit.ly/4cHXcRj #marketingminute #effectivemarketing #digitalmarketing #marketingtips #webinarevent #businessgrowth #psychologyinbusiness

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