The Swinton Mystery Tipper campaign began in March 2008 with the objective of generating insurance leads for Swinton Taxi Division.  Not only did it smash this objective out of the park, but it also won several marketing awards including a DMA Gold in the Financial Services category.  So when we were tasked earlier this year with improving upon it we were a little apprehensive, but netherless we accepted the challenge withgusto and started to devise a bigger and better Mystery Tipper campaign….  but would the awards follow!?

A brief overview

For those of you who are not familiar.  The Mystery Tipper is a mysterious blonde decked out in a mac and trilby who travels across towns and cities in the UK, handing a £1,000 tip to a cabbie who has a ‘Mystery Tipper’ sticker in their cab. Cabbies get a sticker after requesting a taxi insurance quote from Swinton Taxi Division. Easy, effective and successful, The Mystery Tipper’s appeal is its simplicity. that and the lure of a big tip.

Read more…

The phrase ‘time flies’ is testament to my experience at Red C. It’s been six months since I left and I still miss the place!

Before embarking on my annual festival trip to Glastonbury in the summer of 2008, I was elated to find out I had secured the Junior Account Executive placement. However, panic soon struck! As a student with no relevant, practical business experience I was naturally overwhelmed and nervous as to how I could make a positive contribution to Red C. Those insecurities soon disappeared when I realised I was surrounded by people (both in the account and creative departments) who were willing to help, advise and guide me if need be.

Read more…

As I get older I’m finding my memory is starting to let me down. I rack my brain for hours on end, trying to remember things I used to be able to recall in a moment. It’s got to the point where I need to carry some form of notation equipment around with me everywhere… either a notepad and pen or my trusty iPhone for typing notes or recording voice memos.

Having lots of life experiences and memories is essential to becoming a great Creative. In my working life I have used memories from my childhood in adverts as well as experiences told to me by friends or colleagues in copy I have written or ideas I have concepted. Trouble is, as you get older the more you have to remember. And the more you have to remember, the more you find your brain lets you down.

Read more…

Here’s an interesting article that appeared on B2B Marketing Online that I helped out on. Enjoy

As the recession continues to squeeze the budgets of companies across the UK, the window of opportunity to sell products and services to the private sector grows narrower by the week.

Read more…

Those lovely people at Marketing Week have run a feature about the IDM Business Performance Awards 2009.. and as Red C picked up Bronze in The Diamond Award… our award-winning work for the Mystery Tipper gets a lovely feature.

The IDM Business Performance Awards have been celebrating the most effective and influential marketing for the past 12 years, recognising the strategic contribution of direct, data and digital marketing to business. The most coveted prize in direct marketing, the BPA Diamond becomes ever harder to win as the standard of entries raises the bar each year.

Read more…

A company’s Branding is fundamental to consumer recognition and symbolises the company’s differentiation from its competitors. That’s why a Brand Identity is more than just a logo; it’s a collection of ideas, images and verbal attributes that convey the essence of a company, product or service.

Your Brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors’. Your Brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.

Read more…

Relevance and creative impact are the keys to generating a better response from busy HR managers. In most medium and larger companies, HR professionals carry a lot of responsibility, which makes them a target for many of us wishing to promote our conferences, training seminars, employee benefits, recruitment and professional services.  They act as a conduit, taking company-wide responsibility for key budgets.  If you want to get a member of staff onto a training course or to attend a seminar, you need to get buy-in from the HR Director.

Read more…

The Swinton Mystery Tipper campaign, which has seen thousands and thousands of UK taxis donning the Mystery Tipper sticker in the hope of winning a £1,000 tip, has been nominated for a gong in the prestigious B2B awards. Nominated in the Lead Generation category, the spectacular results achieved for Swinton Taxi Division caught the keen eyes of the judges. If a taxi driver wants to be in with the chance of winning a £1,000 tip they have to display the special Mystery Tipper sticker in their cab window. To get their sticker, all they have to do is get an insurance quote from Swinton Taxi Division. Read more…