i-piggy Scheme Managers
Town-based schemes are managed by local ISMs (i-piggy Scheme Managers) approved by i-piggy. The ISM is the partners main point of contact for help, advice and materials and it is the ISM’s responsibility to co-ordinate and promote the scheme. So, for example, if Monday is the town’s quietest day of the week, the ISM could organise and promote ‘double points Mondays’ and maybe arrange with the Local Authority to waive parking charges for i-piggy members! ISMs manage their own budget and can create offers at scheme level such as ‘Spend £50 or more in total amongst at least 5 partner shops in the town and earn an extra 250 points from i-piggy”.
Creating a ‘Super-Market’ model
The biggest retailers employ some of the best marketing brains in the country so no wonder the independents are on the back foot. One way of encouraging trade back to the High Street is to learn how a supermarket organises its enterprise and deploys its marketing resources. If just some of the same methods were used in your town, how much benefit could be gained. Some questions:
- How are the latest offers communicated in store?
- How do they inform customers in their catchment of upcoming deals?
- How do they encourage customers to keep returning?
- How do they appeal directly to specific types of customer?
OK, it’s not that simple, but there are lessons to be learned and i-piggy provides tools that will implement some of the best supermarket tactics. The ISM’s role is not only to support partner businesses individually, but to co-ordinate them so customers (members) can rely on a consistent experience.
Towns, through their ISMs, manage their schemes flexibly and pragmatically to best promote their area and serve their partner businesses. So, for example, a town-based convenience store franchise or fuel outlet rejected in one area, could join a scheme in another town if it encourages trade into the town centre and was not a competitive threat in the wider business community. ISMs will use their local knowledge and be sensitive to local needs and issues and hence plan promotions and activities that will benefit partners and appeal to local members.
Helping Partners
Trained in how to make the most of the i-piggy loyalty programme, the local ISM is the partners first port of call for advice. This expertise covers how to:
- Set-up and optimise partners’ points-giving rules to maximise ROI
- Post latest offers that will be seen by the membership
- Use i-piggy’s marketing facilities
- Set up on-line i-piggy points giving (if e-payments are taken)
- Use the analysis and reporting tools
Additionally, ISMs will be the source of i-piggy promotional materials and member application forms.
