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Does the reward card set the Standard?

Posted in Media, Direct Marketing, Oliver Milman, Latest reporters' blogs September 21st, 2007 by Oliver Milman

The Queen is famous for not carrying money on her, but according to the people behind the new Evening Standard reward card, this could soon be all of us. Well, those of us in central London, that is, if the new scheme catches on.

The reward card, called Eros, is a startling introduction by the 180 newspaper, famous for its staid and steady approach. Consumers will be encouraged to top the card up with credits before swiping it at vendors for a copy of the Standard.

Associated Newspapers, owner of the Standard, say there is trend towards a “cashless” central London and, on the face of it, the rise in credit card use and the introduction of swipe-happy devices such as the Oyster card seems to back this up.

For red-faced commuters waiting impatiently in a queue to buy a copy of their paper before the 6.27 to Basingstoke departs, this is no bad thing. But what does this mean in a marketing sense?

Well, data capture is the obvious answer. The Evening Standard may not find out much radically new about its readers – generally a well-off yet gloomy bunch – but getting access to the names, addresses and inside leg measurements required for this card is the kind of things that makes marketers salivate.

By introducing a convenience product that also grabs handy information, the Standard has made a canny move. Questions remain over the potential success of the card, such as whether modern consumers are loyal enough to carry around cards for throwaway items such as papers. Maybe a joint venture with Transport for London, operators of the Oyster, could provide a 2-in-1 offering in tune with convenience-hungry commuters.

Either way, the Standard needed to do something to stem the recent loss of readers. Faced by two aggressive freesheet rivals on the London streets, any device that at least gives the illusion that it doesn’t cost you anything has to be worthwhile.

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