Nuggets : Shazam®, DiscountVouchers.co.uk, ais London, ŠKODA Finance,Galpeg Associates

Gerard Doyle, CEO of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the UK-based online voucher and daily deal specialist, leaves the company today.

Gareth Robinson, Director at ASAP Ventures, the company behind DiscountVouchers.co.uk and Carrentals.co.uk, will take over Doyle’s responsibilities, driving forward the company’s plans for expansion in 2013. Robinson has been involved in ASAP Ventures for over ten years, and has been Managing Director at Carrentals.co.uk since January 2011.

Brisbane-born Doyle will return to his homeland of Australia to set up a similar business with the backing of Doug Scott, founder of DiscountVouchers.co.uk.

Shazam®, the world’s leading media engagement company, today announced the opening of a new office in Australia to support Shazam for TV advertising.  Headed up by Regional Sales Director, Steven Sos, the new office will spearhead Shazam’s ongoing growth of the television service.

“Shazam has had tremendous success with our Shazam for TV advertising service in Australia having already partnered with some of the country’s leading brands,” said Shazam CEO Andrew Fisher.  “Australia with its forward thinking, tech savvy and innovative media marketplace is a strategic opportunity for us and we are delighted to be opening our office and hiring a local team.”

Creative agency ais London has unveiled a new direct campaign for ŠKODA Finance, encouraging customers to consider investing in a new ŠKODA.

The agency has created a DM pack, which will be sent to all ŠKODA Finance customers nearing the end of their contract. The pack has been designed to cheer up customers who may be unhappy at the thought of parting with their beloved ŠKODA. It reassures them they can easily change their old car for a brand new ŠKODA model with the help of ŠKODA Finance.

The creative includes a letter and a personalised packet of tissues, reinforcing the sadness of having to say goodbye to their car. The letter opens with, “We know it might be hard to say goodbye” and takes a comforting tone, encouraging customers to trade in for a brand new model. The personalised tissues are there to support customers with the words, “It’s okay, [Name]. It’s okay…” written on the front.

The demand for promotional products should improve in 2013, as 2012 was, despite the anticipated boost from the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee, a tough year.

That is the overall view of the Galpeg Associates, the new group of highly experienced individuals working closely with and supported by Galpeg, one of the UK’s longest established distributors of branded and non-branded promotional items.

Paul Green, Managing Director of Galpeg observes: ‘I imagine that all distributors worked much harder in 2012 to maintain their customer relationships. The smaller distributors may have found 2012 more challenging than their larger counterparts. Also, with cash flow being a bigger problem, it is likely that smaller distributors will have experienced greater financial difficulties.”

While 2012 was, by almost all accounts, a year when demand was, at best ‘steady’, the Galpeg Associates who work with clients right across the UK predict a brighter future for 2013 with sales improving with many innovative products exciting users and offering strong branding opportunities.