Marketing
Issue No. 30 - August/September 2006
Clipsal wins loyalty race
Marketing Week 2006
Manager Customer Relations and Communications for Clipsal Australia, Paul McFarlane will explain Club Clipsal International, an innovative and highly successful business-to-business loyalty scheme.
Founded in 1995 by Robert Gerard, Club Clipsal International recognises electrical and data contractors’ commitment and loyalty to the Clipsal brand. “Current executive general manager Erik Scholz strongly believes Clipsal Australia should reward those who have helped make Clipsal the strongest trade brand in our industry,” Paul says.
“Club Clipsal was first launched in WA over a few glasses of red wine one night. The Club was quickly rolled out to all states of Australia and now also operates in South Africa, New Zealand, Asia and the UK. Clipsal has a mature market share of 4,000 plus members internationally. We intend to grow the Club into India and the USA as we sell more volume in these countries.
“Membership is not given away and the criteria are pretty strict:
- Must purchase a minimum of 80% Clipsal products for the work they perform
- The primary function of the business is electrical or data contracting.
- All employee memberships must go through the owner-operator as a matter of protocol
- Commitment to the Clipsal brand
- Never accept substituted products when asking for Clipsal through their electrical wholesaler
- Up-sell Clipsal wherever possible and be a professional advocate for the Clipsal brand
- Maintain a respectable business at all times
“Clipsal sales representatives and state managers assess memberships as these staff service the needs and maintain the customer relationship. If customers meet the criteria, the sales representative becomes the hero in extending an invitation to join. This is based on a pretty rigorous analysis over an extended loyalty period — usually no less than a yea...
