Page 55 - 100 Great Marketing Ideas (100 Great Ideas)

Waitrose have even extended the scheme to cover loans of fish
kettles, since most households would only occasionally need to cook
a whole salmon, for example.
Waitrose have a long history of considering customer need first,
then working out how to make a profit from satisfying the need.
Encouraging people to have more and bigger parties is part of that
ethos—and very effective it has proved as well.

In practice

• Ensure that what you are offering will not cost you too much

to give. The glasses loan is actually extremely cheap, if the
administrative element is disregarded.

• Don’t attach any strings. If you do, the element of trust is lost.
• Accept that some people will abuse your trust.
• Ensure that the free gift or loan really does link to something

that will show a profit—in the case of Waitrose, the high-margin
snack foods are probably the most profitable product link.

• Be confident you can recover the loaned goods—or at least if not,

that you can afford to lose them!

46 • 100 GREAT MARKETING IDEAS