Promo - June 2008 - (Page 9)

razors for British pharmacy chain store Boots resulted in a redemption rate of 18%, with 150,000 samples gone within 48 hours, reported panelist Alex Lloyd, joint managing director for U.K. interactive agency Haygarth Group. American marketing innovation was cited by her co-panelist Hugh Robertson, managing partner of the U.K. experiential agency RPM: “Henry Ford pioneered the test drive in the 1930s,” he said. ‘You Remind Me of Hugh Grant’ Their co-panelist and fellow Brit Jonathan Clow, of the newly formed U.K. promotions agency BD-NTWK, spent 18 months working in Chicago for The Marketing Store on the global McDonald’s account. For his first few years with TMS, he was based in London. “I gained so much experience,” he told Promo of his American sojourn, which was cut short for family reasons. Back home, he joined BD in London in February 2007 to head up its Coca-Cola Enterprises team. While stateside, Clow quickly picked up on the cultural differences in the workplace. “The American way is, ‘This is what I want, and I will fight tooth and nail for it,’ ” he said. Clow admired the directness of his U.S. colleagues and sensed more emphasis on teamwork than what he encountered in Blighty. “I could get away with a bit of British charm,” he said, meaning many Americans could be swayed by his accent. While remaining professional at all times, he saw it to his advantage to play the Brit card occasionally. “They’d treat me as if I were Hugh Grant,” he said, somewhat abashed. Not all expats enjoy living and working on the other side of the Pond as much as he did. “Some of my colleagues came back and said they didn’t like it. For me, the quality of life was much better [in Chicago] than in the U.K. I miss the camaraderie and teamwork,” Clow added. Eyeing the U.S. Market Among the 200 or so exhibitors on the PME floor were some that hailed from the U.S., including Zagat, Sony Electronics & Music and Marriott. But most were U.K. or mainland European companies selling customizable goods for premiums and incentives or various services for marketers. Many already do business in the U.S., or wish to do so. For example, Prodir, which manufactures promotional pens Continued on page 10 W For more articles on entertainment marketing go to www.promomagazine.com/entertainment Newsletter Web RSS Webinar Conference Podcast Promo / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / June 2008 9 http://www.promomagazine.com/entertainment http://WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - June 2008

Promo - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note 51st State? Brand Weaver Hip Candy Viva Beisbol Hola or Adios? Commentary Agency of the Year: Digitas The 2008 Promo 100 Draftfcb Next Marketing Oddcast All Terrain Gigunda The Agency Center Resource Center Take a Stand Index of Advertisers

Promo - June 2008

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