Pigsback.com takes off in the UK with lastminute.com
addition

Released on = November 1, 2005, 2:56 am

Press Release Author = Katy Howell

Industry = Management

Press Release Summary = Pigsback.com adds high-profile travel and leisure brand to its site

Press Release Body = Today, Pigsback.com reveals lastminute.com as the latest high-profile brand partner to jump on board its reward-based consumer site in the UK. Lastminute.com will provide travel services, content and technology to Pigsback.com’s Travel Zone section.

It is believed that the combination of Pigsback’s unique marketing tool - Empathy Marketing® and the PiggyPoints that encourages customer loyalty, added to lastminute.com’s travel offers will make for an appealing proposition in the UK.

Lastminute.com is already one of several brands, including Blockbuster, UGC Cinemas, and Virgin Wines, to grasp the potential of Pigsback in the UK and commit to a long-term partnership. This is a white label agreement in which Pigsback will leverage lastminute.com’s travel services, content and technology by integrating it into the Pigsback’s Travel Zone section. Pigsback will highlight the offers that are most attractive to its core customer base, which is primarily female, aged 25-35 and in a B/C1 demographic.

Paula Thomas, Pigsback’s newly appointed Travel Director in the UK, says: “The benefit of working with such a well-respected brand as lastminute.com is that not only does it provide our consumers with valuable travel content, but by going through Pigsback.com they will gain PiggyPoints when they book a holiday or flight.

“These points are of genuine commercial benefit to our customers, who are able to get money off deals and flights from such airlines as Aer Lingus and BMI and the PiggyPoints can be claimed in real time and cashed in straightaway,” she adds.

The partnership enables Pigsback to have access to six of lastminute.com’s product areas including Flight Search and Dynamic Packaging (i.e. flight and hotel combination). All search results and transactions will be handled by lastminute.com, while Pigsback will be responsible for the PiggyPoints, which will be fixed per
transaction, per booking.

Since Pigsback’s site launch earlier this June, it has caused quite a stir within the UK market with its successful model for creating a rewarding relationship-marketing community: bringing highly targeted offers to consumers through its site or via permission-based email. Its unique marketing model, Empathy Marketing® provides brands and consumers with mutual benefits. It has successfully brought FMCG, retail, entertainment, and most recently with lastminute.com - travel brands together, to target an increasing number of active UK members.…ends/

Editor’s notes

About Pigsback

Pigsback.com is a reward-based consumer site, which has become the sixth biggest in Ireland, and has won both digital and marketing awards. The company creates successful consumers and brands partnerships: where consumers are rewarded and brands are able to reach carefully targeted audiences.

The core values of the company are based on Empathy Marketing® principles, which are: permission-based; relevance; edge; mix of hard and soft messaging; frequency of communications; messages, not adverts; and development, not technology.

This concept redefines the relationship between the brand and the consumer through trust, reward, feedback and fun - mainly in the lifestyle and entertainment arenas.

The Pigsback website specialises in providing a unique marketing service in which brand messages are welcome to the target consumers, which is primarily females, aged 25-35 and in the B/C1 demographic. Its skilled team balances marketing and communications with a strong understanding of technologies and business processes. Furthermore, the company is committed to providing a quality service that is mutually beneficial to brands and consumers alike.

Current brand partners include Ebay, Blockbuster, UGC Cinemas, CD Wow!, Figleaves and Virgin wines.

www.pigsback.com

Contact

Katy Howell
immediate future PR
0845 408 2031
pressoffice@immediatefuture.co.uk

Web Site = http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk

Contact Details = The Lilac Room
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Surbiton
Surrey KT1 2JW