Angus & Robertson writes new story with launch of rewards program

Media Release
April 2008

Australia’s largest bookseller, Angus & Robertson, has built its new customer loyalty program using the unique Graphicard™ from loyalty marketing company, Visible Results.

Angus & Robertson Rewards, launched across the store network on 28 April.

“Our stores have really got behind Rewards and our staff can’t wait for the program to launch,” says Dave Fenlon, Angus & Robertson Chief Operating Officer “We’re particularly excited that members can redeem their rewards instantly at the point of sale.”

Angus & Robertson Rewards members will earn one point for every dollar they spend in-store. Whenever members reach 100 points, members are automatically rewarded with a $5 gift voucher. The program also gives customers the chance to win a range of instant prizes such as coffee and book vouchers and to be entered into major prize draws.

 

Using a proprietary thermal imaging technology, Visible Results can change messages and images on the Graphicard’s rewritable face each time the card is used. This allows a customer’s points balance to be updated on the Angus & Robertson Rewards card after each transaction.

The card also features points needed for the next reward, as well as the promotion of new releases and special offers.

“We want to share in the immediate excitement of seeing instant rewards go off in stores when customers have their Rewards card updated after a purchase. We want the surprise and delight customers get from winning to generate a buzz on the floor,” Fenlon says.

Angus & Robertson was looking for a dynamic loyalty scheme to tailor its marketing to customers, shape its communications around their interests, reading tastes and shopping habits and make the whole experience more relevant and engaging.

“The information gathered on things such as spending patterns and buying behaviour through the program will allow us to understand the needs and desires of our customers, and provide them with information that we know that will interest them in a personalised manner.

“With the detailed customer and product data that the program will generate we can make better use of our marketing spend and make better business decisions, while providing a series of compelling motivations for customers to return and purchase more regularly,” he says.

Visible Results has 10 years of experience designing and managing customer loyalty programs. Its unique offering combines technology, operational logistics, retail customer insights and data-driven marketing services to deliver measurable results to retailers in Australia and overseas.

“We saw some fantastic results from the successful implementation of the Graphicard system by New Zealand retailer Whitcoulls,” Fenlon says. “Graphicard appealed because it is easy for both staff and customers to use and understand, as well as providing a means to interact with customers in a really targeted and relevant way.”

The changing messages on the unique card face, reward vouchers, as well as the email campaigns that maintain the brand relationship outside of the retail environment, all ensure Angus & Robertson’s loyalty program stands out in the competitive bookseller space. The ability to instantly recognise and reward customers in the store will take the concept of a loyalty scheme to a new level.

Stephen Saunders, General Manager, Visible Results Australia says Angus & Robertson’s Rewards program clearly demonstrates the huge potential of the Graphicard technology.

“We are enormously pleased to have Angus & Robertson on board as a client,” Saunders says. “What the company has planned with its Rewards Program, from its on-card promotions and instant prizes through to its targeted newsletters, it is little wonder the company is Australia’s leading book retailer.”

About Angus & Robertson

Angus & Robertson began in 1886 when David Angus and George Robertson opened a bookshop in Sydney. Listed as a public company in 1907, the bookseller grew through a series of acquisitions before being acquired in 1970 and again by the then New Zealand-listed Whitcoulls Group in 1993. In May 2004, Angus & Robertson was acquired from WHSmith by one of Australasia’s leading private equity firms, Pacific Equity Partners. Angus & Robertson is Australia’s largest book retailer and has 180 stores nationwide. See www.angusrobertson.com.au

About Visible Results

Visible Results™ is a leading developer of unique loyalty marketing programs that provide innovative relationship marketing solutions for retailers and other consumer-facing branded businesses. Visible Results’ global organisation supports a broad spectrum of clients across the specialty retail, mass merchandising and shopping centre sector in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Asia and the Middle East. Visible Results are the global provider of the unique Graphicard™ solution. See www.visibleresults.com

Contact:

Stephen Saunders, General Manager, Visible Results Australia

ssaunders@visible-results.com.au T: +61-2-8332-6868

Anna Kricker, Marketing and Communications Executive, Visible Results Australia

akricker@visible-results.com T: 61-2-8332-6868