Value deals and incentives proliferated during the downturn as consumers with shrinking budgets increasingly focused on finding deals. This includes “Buy one, get one free,” or BOGOF, offers. But encouraging consumers to get more than they need creates a huge amount of food waste, something the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the U.K. is trying to fight. The Times Online reported last year on a government finding that British “households throw away 4.1 million tons of food each year that could have been eaten if it had been managed better.” The cost to the average household is £420 a year.
Tesco has addressed the issue by introducing “Buy one, get one free later” for perishable goods that may spoil before being consumed. This is an ingenious solution that still helps consumers who are cost-conscious and boosts Tesco’s sustainability credentials. Finally, it ties the consumer into repeat shopping in order to redeem offers, increasing brand dependency and footfall.
Photo Credit: http://www.tesco.com/
Assurances and guarantees were a dominant theme in marketing during this difficult year, helping to assuage consumer anxiety about spending. It kicked off with Hyundai’s widely copied Assurance Program. By late summer, GM was offering a “60-day satisfaction guarantee” (“If you don’t absolutely love your new vehicle, we’ll take it back”). In the online-travel category, Orbitz now offers both a “
Two recent examples of this are 
In a downturn, sampling can transform from a call to buy into a generous gift from brands. A few weeks ago, so-called DanceBag parties were organized in several clubs around Spain; they were publicized through Facebook. More than 50,000 revelers left discos with free samples from brands including Axe, Trident, Bic and Smint.
In Saudi Arabia, people freak out about their phone bills. Some consumers must choose between going out and paying their phone bill, which is possibly the most complained about financial obligation in the country.
New York City’s new “NYC Extreme Local” campaign—designed to get locals spending more at neighborhood businesses during the holiday season—reflects several trends JWT has written about in the past few years.
