Dr Pepper/Seven Up (DPSU), the US soft drinks business owned by London-based Cadbury Schweppes, has taken a novel approach to its latest consumer marketing campaign.
The company has teamed up with eBay, the Internet-based trading platform, to develop a comprehensive marketing campaign for brands such as Dr Pepper, 7 UP, Sunkist, A&W Root Beer and Canada Dry. DPSU will work with eBay to develop an extended loyalty programme, advertise brand news within the eBay community and drive trial sampling of new products in a bid to reach more consumers.
"We believe our relationship with eBay will help increase volume for Dr Pepper/Seven Up brands by allowing us to develop and maintain long-term online relationships with our consumers," said Mike McGrath, president and chief operating officer of DPSU.
"eBay is a significant part of pop culture and is used by all types of consumers. We look forward to being able to use this important relationship to reach millions of consumers and generate repeat purchases."
The main marketing tool for the two companies will be the Liquid Loot online consumer loyalty programme, which will go live in June. The scheme will allow consumers who purchase Dr Pepper/Seven Up products in the US to exchange the special codes marked on the packaging for points on the Liquid Loot website. These points can then be used to bid for special prizes and awards in an auction-style process.
These items will include not only Dr Pepper/Seven Up merchandise but also music and entertainment-related items, such as CDs, concert tickets and other prizes.
Consumers will receive e-mail updates informing them of new items up for bid, current Dr Pepper/Seven Up promotions and their point standings. They will also be able to receive electronic coupons that will offer them the opportunity to sample new Dr Pepper/Seven Up products.
"Dr Pepper/Seven Up has committed itself to rewarding its consumers for their loyalty through an innovative programme," said Jeff Jordan, senior vice president and general manager of eBay US. "Through its alliance with eBay, Dr Pepper/Seven Up will be able to reach millions of consumers with the click of a mouse. We are confident this programme will be extremely popular with consumers and the eBay community."
There is as yet no indication of whether the programme will be rolled out via eBay in other countries, but the global nature of the auction platform, the DPSU brands and the Internet mean that similar programmes are almost certain to be introduced in other parts of the world, assuming the US scheme is a success.