Loyalty promotions are a great way to lock in customers and are common in habitual purchase markets where customers buy products time and again – without reconsidering why. Butter, milk, sugar, salt, water: just some of the often commodity style products that fall into this category.

So when Eiszeit Quell, a regional German water brand came up with this promotion it fitted the pattern.

I took a closer look. The idea is to collect bonus points on the bottles (1 litre= 1 point, 1.5 litres = 2 points), and once you’ve got enough – you get a cuddly toy. For 100 points the small one. For 200 points the big one.

I last saw this poster at the beginning of January 2008. The closing date: 15 Feb 2008.

Now, doing a quick calculation that means to get enough points in that period you need to buy 100 bottles of water in about 40 days. That’s more than 2 litres per day – for the little one. Or 3 litres per day for the big one.

Do me a favour! Who are they targetting – already loyal customers? Or new/occasional ones? If it’s the latter then they’re expecting a lot of commitment from newcomers. Ok, it’s healthy to drink a lot of liquid, but always the same brand?? For 40 days?!?!? If it’s already loyal customers this promotion’s targetted at then surely you’re only reinforcing behaviour that doesn’t need reinforcing (though at 2 or 3 bottles a day I wonder who these people are. Do they never drink anything else? Or is this targetted at families with 4 children – which I can assure you, you never see in this child-deserted country).

So basically this really can only be worth it if the whole idea is for customers to stock up. Dangerous in a long-life market – as afterwards they’ll not buy for ages (no need to, plenty of water in the cellar).

On the positive side, the leaflet found in the crates in the supermarket does ask whether you were a brand buyer before. So obviously someone at the company wants to learn from this promotion. Good. I have my doubts about whether this promotion really is recruiting new users.

And to give them full credit, the toy is perfectly matched to their image. Sabre-tooth tiger, ice age, get it…?

But then there’s the price… At around 60 cents a bottle the small sabre tooth tiger is costing you €60!! On top of this, it’s not a freepost address. And the hotline (in case you want to hear those unclaimed tigers growl) will also set you back 12 cents a minute… need I go on. No.

Get real!! Marketing has moved into the 21st century.