Skip navigation

FUJI VIDEOTAPES, TV GUIDE ARE STAGING A JOINT SUCCESS

ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- Fuji consumer videotapes here and TV Guide have teamed up to offer supermarkets, the largest channel of distribution for both, a multilayered cross-promotion.The Record More Profits promotion involves Fuji's single and multipack videotapes and offers an on-pack instant coupon for either a free or substantially discounted copy of TV Guide, the nation's largest weekly magazine, with

ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- Fuji consumer videotapes here and TV Guide have teamed up to offer supermarkets, the largest channel of distribution for both, a multilayered cross-promotion.

The Record More Profits promotion involves Fuji's single and multipack videotapes and offers an on-pack instant coupon for either a free or substantially discounted copy of TV Guide, the nation's largest weekly magazine, with a circulation of 13 million copies. It also includes seven million in-pack cards that offer four free issues of TV Guide, along with a subscription, and provides an entry card for a $100,000 cash giveaway sweepstakes. Another element of the promotion, which is marketed at mass merchants, electronics stores and music retailers as well, includes a host of space-efficient merchandising displays that Fuji has sold into more than 15,000 stores. These prepacked floor displays come in several configurations, all with eye-catching header cards. Fuji supported the sweepstakes promotion with an ad in TV Guide that offered 60 cents off on two or more videocassettes. TV Guide placed rack cards at supermarket checkout counters in the top 10 markets during the weeks of March 2 and 9. "This started as a subscription circulation deal and grew from there," said Jeff Bender, former director of special consumer markets at TV Guide, published by News America Corp., Radnor, Pa. Bender resigned his position at TV Guide two weeks ago to go to Time Life Inc., New York. The promotion wound up pulling in not only subscription and single-copy sales, but ad sales as well. Bender said there's a strong synergy between Fuji and TV Guide products. "One of the reasons to work with Fuji is that their largest distribution channel is in the supermarkets," he said, "and, obviously, for single-copy sales, that's our largest channel as well." According to Bender, the instant coupon for a free copy of TV Guide was only a test on a small percentage of Fuji packs. "We're looking to see how it lifts their business," Bender said. According to Nina Pruitt, consumer marketing manager at TV Guide, it's too early to rate the promotion returns, and coupon redemption results should begin coming in at the end of the month.

Bill Drysdale, marketing manager for consumer audio and video tapes at the magnetic markets division of Fuji Photo Film USA here, said, "It's a wonderful partnership. What we like best is that we can promote a single stick, which usually doesn't happen in the video tape business."

He also pointed out that with the low average price and low margin for a single videocassette, there's really not much you can do to add value.

"But this partnership," Drysdale explained, "allows us to offer what has been heralded as a very strong promotion to move a single stick of product. "For food retailers, it's perfect. It allows them to make some nice displays right at checkout. This is important, particularly in the food trade, because a lot of it is on planograms, on pegs." Drysdale said retailers will find the promotion has all the right elements to increase sales and in-store traffic. Consumers enjoy high-quality products plus a chance to win $100,000. Blockbuster Promotion & Marketing, New York, designed and developed the promotion.