The Marketing Book 5th Edition

688 The Marketing Book

internal communications. Most importantly it

has directly benefited our community and our

customers, the women in Northern Ireland who

buy our tea.

Brian Davis, Managing Director,

Nambarrie Tea Company Ltd.

A more detailed case study is provided in
Adkins (1999a, Chapter 16).

Walkers and News International

‘Free Books for Schools’

Now in its fourth year, this cause-related
marketing partnership, launched in 1998, cre-
ated a national collecting frenzy amongst con-
sumers, through a promotion that reached 80
per cent of the population. Free Books for
Schools tokens were distributed free to con-
sumers via Walkers crisps packets, and in The
Sun,The News of the World,The TimesandThe
Sunday Times. Consumers were encouraged to
collect these tokens and donate them to schools.
Schools in turn redeemed the tokens for books,
from a catalogue supplied by Walkers and
News International, that was compiled with
advice from the DfEE (Department for Educa-
tion and Employment, now called the Depart-
ment for Education and Skills).
Walkers’ market share of the snacks cate-
gory grew over the promotional period, and
The Sunsaw an increase in sales in an overall
declining market, as a result of this partnership.
Whilst achieving these business benefits, the
partnership is making a tangible positive
impact on society. These companies are using
the power of their brands to address the very
real problem of low literacy levels in schools
across the UK, where one in four children aged
11 fail to reach their appropriate level in
reading.
Six million free books, worth £30 million,
were distributed to schools through Walkers
and News International’s ‘Free Books for
Schools’ cause-related marketing partnership,
with 85 per cent of UK schools taking part. Each
school on average received over 174 free books.

As well as providing all the books, ‘Free Books

for Schools’ actively supported the Govern-

ment’s national literacy strategy, providing

large-scale leverage to the Government-run

National Year of Reading. A brilliant cause-

related marketing ‘win–win–win’ (for more

details, please refer to Adkins, 1999a, Chapter

16).

Literacy is fundamental to News International’s

business. ‘Free Books for Schools’ is one way

that we have been able to support the Govern-

ment’s literacy targets, tangibly, whilst adding

value to our business and giving something

back to our readers.

Andy Agar, Promotions Director,

News Group Newspapers

We wanted to make a real contribution to the

Government’s literacy initiative by supporting

the National Year of Reading and joining

together two everyday brands, Walkers crisps

andThe Sun, to support the cause. Free Books

for Schools has proved to be a phenomenal

success for News International, Walkers and

society.

Martin Glenn, President,

Walkers Snacks Ltd

Avon Crusade Against Breast

Cancer

Avon is a company which reaches around a

billion women through 3 million independent

sales representatives in 136 countries, and is

committed to its mission ‘to be the company

that best understands and satisfies the product,

service and self-fulfilment needs of women

globally’. The Crusade Against Breast Cancer is

a wonderful demonstration of this commit-

ment. It enables Avon to meet business market-

ing and communications objectives at the same

time as supporting a cause of real concern to

their target market.

Breast cancer is the biggest single health

concern for women in the UK as one in 11

women will get breast cancer at some point in

their life. The Avon Crusade has raised over £8