Here at ME Towers, we're working across a number of converged sectors and technologies. Those who know us will be aware of our efforts on plastic card based loyalty schemes, enabling brands to have proper links with customers at an individual level, in our view crucial to a successful and profitable future.
With this in mind, we liked the Evening Standard's Eros scheme as a concept when it launched. Rewarding loyal buyers in a ferociously competitive market made sense. We were running tracking research when the free papers launched, so we could see the effect it was having on the paid for ES. This seemed like a good plan.
However, its key message of pre-pay and save 20p didn't fit with its target audience of discerning and intelligent suits, who frankly didn't care about saving 20p for the hassle involved in loading a card. Coupled with its single use closed loop acceptance network, it seemed like the concept would struggle.
Looking at the ABC circulation figures for the ES, you can see the small number of copies being bought on lesser rate pre-pay, so it's obvious that phase 2 development was needed.
And now we have the Green card - jumping on the bandwagon, or in response to consumer insight and demand? We don't know, but have a sneeking suspicion it may be the first of the two. We hope not, we applaud the ES for their vision, and having the confidence to go for this sort of venture - there's few things out there in the sector that have the potential to change the market dynamics, but this is one of them.
The future is plastic, and we are working hard to enable this with our clients, but always listening to the consumer as we do so
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