Octopus joins forces to reward customers

The Octopus Rewards programme involves a simple registration that can be completed at registration stations or Rewards Service Spots during the promotional period, and by fax or mail. Consumers will then be eligible to participate in the programme -- regardless of whether they pay by cash, credit card, EPS or Octopus -- and will accrue the rewards at a number of leading merchants across the territory, including HSBC, Wellcome, Watsons, UA Cinemas and, shortly, McDonald's. Each Octopus card can store up to 1,000 rewards points, which can then be redeemed at the next purchase, without the need to fill in redemption forms. The programme will also allow the merchants to offer tailor-made discounts and special offers to consumers, without having to introduce new CRM programmes, technologies or rewards systems. An Octopus statement said clients could "enhance their long-term relations with consumers, expand into new markets and overall, increase their competitiveness at a relatively low cost". The ad campaign was developed by Thematic Hong Kong, and is targeted at a broad spectrum of consumers. Dubbed 'DooD n' Gain' -- the word 'DooD' imitating the sound a consumer hears when an Octopus card is swiped -- the campaign is spearheaded by a TVC running on terrestrial channels, which is supported by print, radio, online and POS. Outdoor is still under consideration. A second burst is scheduled for next year. "The idea is that we like rewards from all walks of life, so the TVC contains all types of characters," said Elaine Chow, executive creative director, Thematic Hong Kong. "Instead of straightforward story- telling, we used a popular jingle which tells them all about the mechanics of the programme." She added that by using a musical theme, the spot was able to convey the attributes and the proposition of the Octopus Rewards programme. Part of the Rewards programme's launch collateral included a charity scheme benefiting the End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation. For the month leading up to December 5, consumers were encouraged to make as many Octopus transactions as possible at participating stores, with Octopus Rewards donating 10 cents per transaction to the charity from the day which recorded the highest number of transactions. The first phase of the campaign will conclude this month, with the next burst scheduled for early next year. sm